Today is Gravy Day. It’s not yet a national holiday but… maybe soon?

It comes from the 1996 song ‘How To Make Gravy’ by Australian singer Paul Kelly.

The song is about a man writing a letter to his family from jail on 21 December, wishing he could be with them for Christmas. It’s basically Australia’s own Christmas carol!

May we all enjoy some gravy today. And make sure we send our love to Angus and Frank and Dolly.

The quote
“It’s incredibly disheartening that consumer choice is taken away from me and others with fully trained assistance dogs. But Qantas doesn’t seem to care.” — Rachael Fullerton, who lives with disability, on filing a lawsuit against the airline for allegedly stopping her from flying with her trained assistance dog Strike.

The stat
247
The number of injuries incurred by electric scooter riders in Melbourne in the year to January 2023, according to a new study. Over a third of patients reported alcohol consumption before riding.

Today in history
2012: The music video for ‘Gangman Style’, by K-pop star Psy, became the first ever video on YouTube to hit one billion views. It now has nearly five billion.

Some headlines from this morning:

Pope Francis has signed off on a ruling to allow Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples.

A 'blessing' often consists of a prayer and a reading from the Bible by a priest.

The context
This week's ruling was handed down by a body within the Vatican tasked with promoting the broader community's understanding of Catholicism, called the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.

The same body previously ruled against allowing blessings for same-sex couples in 2021 over a clash in the Church's 'values'.

The Catholic Church opposes same-sex marriage and teaches that it is sinful to act on same-sex attractions.

The ruling
The body found that same-sex couples, and those in "irregular situations", could be granted a blessing by a priest. It said the Church "welcomes all who approach God".

It also noted that blessings can be given spontaneously, finding that "no one is to be excluded from them".

The ruling made clear that any blessing given to a same-sex couple should not resemble or be interpreted as a marriage ceremony.

Response
U.S. priest James Martin said the ruling was a "major step forward" in the Church's support of LGBTQIA+ people.

He also said it recognised the "deep desire in many Catholic same-sex couples for God's presence in their loving relationships".

However, it also received some criticism.

A theologian at the University of Notre Dame in the U.S, Ulrich Lehner, called the decision "the most unfortunate public announcement in decades".

He said, "the way the statement was presented might suggest that the church has changed its views on same-sex relationships and divorce, which is not the case".

The U.S. state of Colorado has ruled that Donald Trump is ineligible to run for President again in 2024 because of his involvement in the insurrection on January 6 2021.

This does not rule him out of the presidential race in the U.S. – it just means his name will be removed from Colorado’s election ballot next year.

Trump’s team has confirmed it will escalate the matter to the U.S. Supreme Court.

First, a reminder
Donald Trump (Republican) was U.S. President from 2017 to 2021. Trump was defeated by Joe Biden (Democrat) at the last election.

This year, Trump and Biden have both confirmed they will run again for the presidency at next year’s election.

Before Trump can be confirmed as an official nominee, he needs to be chosen by the Republican Party in a process called the "primaries".

The insurrection
The 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution forbids anyone who has previously held "civil or military office" and has engaged in "insurrections" (riots) from running for high office.

Trump is accused of engaging in an insurrection on 6 January 2021, when his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol to try stop the certification of Biden's win at the 2020 election.

The protesters echoed Trump's false claims the election had been "stolen" and "rigged".

Colorado
Earlier this year, a group of people – comprising registered Republicans and others – brought a case in a Colorado court arguing Donald Trump could not run for President due to his involvement in the insurrection.

The initial legal challenge was unsuccessful. This decision was appealed, and yesterday the court ruled that Trump is ineligible.

Further legal action on the matter is "stayed" (paused) until 4 January 2024.

Legal questions
There were three main questions that needed to be answered:

The lower court said yes to 2 and 3, but no to 1.

However, the state's highest court – the Supreme Court of Colorado – said yes to all three.

What does this mean?
The decision means Donald Trump's name cannot be on an election ballot in Colorado next year, for the primaries or for the final election.

The ruling doesn't apply to other states but it could prompt other states to take similar legal action.

However, Trump's campaign team has confirmed it will escalate the matter to the highest court in the country, the U.S. Supreme Court.

Currently, the Supreme Court is split 6-3 between judges appointed by Republican and Democrat Presidents. Trump appointed three of the current judges.

It's therefore unlikely to uphold the Colorado Supreme Court's ruling.

Primary race
If the decision is not overturned, it will mean Trump's name can't go on the primary ballot in Colorado, which determines how the Republican Party chooses who it wants to nominate for President in 2024.

In most U.S. states, the candidate is chosen by registered members of the party in a state-wide ballot.

Nationally, Trump currently leads the polls to be selected as the Republican candidate in 2024. The first primary contest will be held in the state of Iowa on January 15.

Want to know more? We discussed it on today’s podcast.

Here’s one to watch in the men’s draw at the Australian Open 2024 - 22-year-old Australian fan favourite, Rinky Hijikata. When we caught up for a chat with him, it was clear to us just how much this superstar has a laser focus on taking out some big champions during this year’s tournament. But he’s not just focused on being a good tennis player - he’s also focused on being a good role model and person. From speaking out against gun violence in the U.S. to inspiring young Aussies to pick up a tennis racquet, this is a homegrown star we are thrilled to see succeed. 

If you want to watch our chat with Rinky Hijikata and get to know him ahead of a big summer of tennis, watch here, and buy your tickets to see him on the court here.

Get all the news you need to know today in your ears on The Daily Aus podcast!

A new beach, nicknamed “Pondi”, has opened up in the outer Western Sydney suburb of Penrith, one of the city’s hottest suburbs.

Penrith and its surrounding suburbs face extreme heat during the summer, with temperatures regularly above 40 degrees.

The man-made outdoor swimming spot means residents can cool off without having to travel up to 75 kilometres to the beach, ahead of an unusually warm summer expected from the current El Niño weather event.

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Here is my spiel on a seal named Neil.

You’ve likely heard of him. Neil is a southern elephant seal pup who lives on the shores of Tasmania and every now and again pops up in a coastal region in the southern area of the state.

Now, he’s going viral on social media and even The New York Times is writing about the “1,000 pound beach bum” (someone should tell them we actually like to treat our animals with more respect than calling them “bums” but anywho!)

Neil has had many famous moments (which are all captured on his own Instagram page).

Last month, he took a nap in a woman’s front yard, blocking access to her car and preventing her from going to work. The woman told the ABC: “I think it’s going to go down in the books as the best excuse in history not to go to work.”

Safe to say he has the seal of approval from Australia.

What a coincidence! That’s exactly who The Daily Aus reaches. Get in touch with us to see how we can work together.