Despite Donald Trump demanding that Americans get behind the data centre boom, communities are pushing back against Big Tech, questioning who benefits from the AI gold rush and taking that anger to the ballot box.

It’s a message politicians ignore at their peril and a stark warning for Australia. It reinforces a question I’ve been asking for a while: are AI data centres worth it, and what are Australians actually getting in return?

Recent Capital Brief Demos polling found just 23% of Australians believe the country should lead the world in hosting data centres, while 37% oppose any further construction. Only 24% believe data centres are good for Australia’s economic development, and 44% don’t think they benefit ordinary Australians.

... we’ve got to keep asking the tough questions: will these data centres pay their fair share of tax? How will we protect our art and culture from being scraped to train AI models? And what regulations will genuinely protect communities from having their energy and water siphoned off to server and bot farms?

We need digital infrastructure, secure domestic data storage and computing capacity to support our economy and public services.

But there is a fundamental difference between building infrastructure Australians need and allowing big US tech companies to establish enormous industrial facilities near our homes, schools and farms while communities absorb the costs.

We've had bandicoots and now it's time for another marsupial starting with 'b' (and there will be others to come).

Bettongs are nocturnal marsupials of the kangaroo family. There are 5 species of Bettong living in different parts of Australia (see link). Some of the species are particularly endangered. They are about the size of a rabbit but some are a bit more chunky.

During the day they nest in well-camouflaged depressions in the ground lined with leaf litter. But the Burrowing Bettong instead creates complex underground warrens to shelter in. Each species has a prehensile tail which it uses to carry nesting material.

At night Bettongs forage for fungi, roots, tubers, leaves, invertebrates, grubs, fruits and seeds. Most species feed preferably (because they're classy) on truffles if they can find them.

Bettongs, like bandicoots, are important ecological engineers, their digging and foraging aiding in the retention of nutrients and water in soils, the decomposition of leaf litter and the dispersal of fungal spores and plant seeds.

To find out a little more see: https://www.bushheritage.org.au/species/bettongs?srsltid=AYCX9vIm_f0HD9ni47JvEf-5lzPUMysbbphbcxPVfX5ukFlf3r65cNIE

To see them in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpBgyNp3V5c

Trump’s war, not government spending, is driving Australia’s inflation

Australia’s moderate level of inflation is being driven by the increase in the world price of oil, which was caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz after the United States and Israel attacked Iran. More recently, the boom in data centres has been pushing up prices of construction and energy.

Higher interest rates will do nothing to slow either of these causes of inflation, and nor will cuts in spending.

The six ideas make a lot of sense (mostly) but I'm disappointed there's no mention of AUKUS.

American voters sent a warning about what happens when governments lose sight of citizens' daily lives. Aussie voters want affordable groceries and housing, better aged care, and a secure future for our kids and Country. If Anthony Albanese keeps telling us those things are too expensive while continuing to waste billions on AUKUS, an electoral reckoning will follow.

Anglicare's annual Rental Affordability Snapshot has revealed key professions can only afford a small percentage of rental listings across Australia.

Of 16 occupations surveyed, only three saw an increase in affordability since last year.

Anglicare is calling on the federal government to deliver more social and affordable housing.

Join us for a special community screening of Nature – The Call for Reconciliation, a powerful cinematic experience connecting global environmental challenges to local action—presented as part of Citizen COP Australia 2026.

Directed by internationally acclaimed filmmaker Yann Arthus-Bertrand, Nature – Pour une réconciliation (Nature – The Call for Reconciliation) is a visually breathtaking and deeply moving documentary exploring humanity’s relationship with the natural world.

Through stunning aerial imagery and poetic storytelling, the film invites us to reflect on our place within Earth’s living systems—and the urgent need to restore balance between people and planet. At a time when climate and biodiversity crises are accelerating, Nature offers both a powerful wake-up call and a message of hope: reconciliation is still possible.

Presented in French with English subtitles, this is a rare opportunity to experience this extraordinary film on the big screen.

Millions of dollars of food grown in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank has been shipped to Australia labelled as “produce of Israel”, a new analysis of trade data has shown.

The human rights legal organisation Global Echo has analysed commercial documents and official trade data from the Israeli government and the Australian Bureau of Statistics, showing at least US$5m (A$7.2m) of organic dates grown in illegal settlements across the West Bank have been shipped to Australia over the past eight years.

Global Echo analysed 132 agricultural shipments from Israel to Australia between August 2018 and August 2026. Of those, 85 – or 64% – contained settlement products.

The proportion of settlement goods is higher in more recent years. Between January 2025 and August 2026, 20 of 24 shipments of dates to Australia analysed by Global Echo were sourced from settlements.

Israel’s settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law.

The vast majority of Australians support immigration and multiculturalism despite more feeling poorer – and increasingly pessimistic and distrustful of government, the annual Scanlon report on social cohesion has revealed.

People are more worried about artificial intelligence than climate change or going to war, but a global economic downturn and cost-of-living pressures are Australians’ key concerns.

Economic pain is also changing the way people vote, with people suffering hardship jumping ship to One Nation, according to the report, which is one of the country’s most extensive social research projects.

But, despite rising concern about antisemitism and Islamophobia, social cohesion in Australia has actually remained steady. The lead author of the report concedes many findings are cause for concern, but notes support for multiculturalism and diversity remains high, as does the sense of connection Australians feel to their communities.

In 2023, the Victorian government promised $4.7 million for a dedicated wildlife hospital in southwest Victoria. They've broken their promise.

Today, injured and orphaned wildlife across the region are heavily dependent on Mosswood Wildlife, the area's only dedicated wildlife rescue and rehabilitation facility. Run entirely by volunteers, Mosswood cares for hundreds of animals each year, including koalas, seabirds, and penguins, but it is already stretched beyond its limits.

Wildlife faces constant threats from disease, vehicle strikes, dog attacks, bushfires, and habitat loss. Now that bird flu has reached our shores, the need for a dedicated hospital in this coastal region has never been more urgent.

A purpose-built wildlife hospital would provide the specialist care animals urgently need while supporting the volunteers working tirelessly to protect them.

With the Victorian state election approaching, now is the time to act.

In 2023, the Victorian government promised $4.7 million for a dedicated wildlife hospital in southwest Victoria. They've broken their promise.

Today, injured and orphaned wildlife across the region are heavily dependent on Mosswood Wildlife, the area's only dedicated wildlife rescue and rehabilitation facility. Run entirely by volunteers, Mosswood cares for hundreds of animals each year, including koalas, seabirds, and penguins, but it is already stretched beyond its limits.

Wildlife faces constant threats from disease, vehicle strikes, dog attacks, bushfires, and habitat loss. Now that bird flu has reached our shores, the need for a dedicated hospital in this coastal region has never been more urgent.

A purpose-built wildlife hospital would provide the specialist care animals urgently need while supporting the volunteers working tirelessly to protect them.

With the Victorian state election approaching, now is the time to act.

...the takeaway from our synthesis of the strongest available evidence is that social media restrictions alone may not successfully address the mental health crisis.

Researchers and policymakers also need to explore other potential causes and solutions. Other factors under active investigation include the changing academic pressures young people face, as well as inequality, job insecurity, housing stress, climate change and substance use.

Of course, increases in mental health problems rarely boil down to one cause, but are likely due to a complex interaction of such factors.

There is also growing interest among researchers in young people’s increasing awareness and evolving concepts of mental health and mental illness. A young person today may seek a diagnosis for levels of distress that, in previous decades, might have gone undetected. This potentially affects how young people self-report mental health, as well as the treatment they receive.

Australia’s social media restrictions for under-16 year olds are an important opportunity to test the impact on young people’s mental health. However, we cannot assume they will stem the tide of growing mental health problems.

The rideshare behemoth Uber has suffered a bruising loss in Australia’s high court that will cost it more than $80m in unpaid taxes.

The court on Wednesday dismissed Uber’s claim it was not liable to pay payroll tax in New South Wales after it argued that it does not employ drivers and claimed that money paid to its drivers were not wages under state law.

In a six-to-one decision, the high court found that Uber is liable to pay $81m for the tax years from 2015 to 2020.

But the ruling is likely to leave the multinational with a significant bill for subsequent years, pushing the total well over $100m.

Cannot say I'm unhappy about this.

The article mentions a large student demonstration in Australia on 12 November. If anyone knows about it please post any details as I can't get through the paywall for The Advertiser in the link.

Back to stopping the Spring magpie wars: bring a peace offering!

A primary school boy has been singled out by a "mean" local magpie each spring for almost half his life.

Louis, 12, often carries protection against the swooping bird after being injured multiple times

Experts say magpies can hold long grudges, but peace is possible.

A “dangerous storm outbreak” is forecast to impact two states on Tuesday — affecting millions of people in three capital cities — after a wild night left an area of Queensland blanketed in hail.

The weather bureau issued warnings for severe thunderstorms across parts of Queensland and NSW on Tuesday.

Have any of you been impacted? Where I live in Qld, we got a blanketing of hail on late Sunday. Parts of the garden have been hit hard but nothing too drastic.

Across north western Victoria, massive critical minerals developments threaten farming, landscapes, local economies and ground and water supplies.

There are five main projects currently planned. More than 42,000 hectares of farm land are currently under retention licences. There are also legacy issues from older projects, which have not been properly rehabilitated.

And in Gippsland, Gippsland Critical Minerals is developing the Fingerboards Project, which will have an enormous impact on an important food bowl of Victoria, right next to the Mitchell River.

Each of these projects are subject to an assessment and approvals process. However, local farming communities feel that the assessment system is broken, ignores their concerns and allows approval of destructive projects. And there has been no attempt by the regulator or the state government to understand the cumulative impacts of these projects combined across an important food production area.

I support the call for the state government to announce an immediate halt on any further assessment or approval of any aspect of critical minerals projects until there has been an independent and comprehensive analysis done of the cumulative impacts of these projects.

The damage caused by these projects may be permanent, meaning the loss of important farming country and huge impacts on farming communities for decades to come. Until there has been a full assessment I do not support any further development of critical minerals in the state.

https://www.melbournefoe.org.au/moratorium_on_critical_minerals

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The short article provides a great summary of all the AUKUS issues that have been considered by the AUKUS inquiry.

The report findings and recommendations will be presented this Wednesday 4th by Peter Garrett and Chris Barrie. You can watch on ABC 24 at 12.30pm AEDT at https://iview.abc.net.au/show/national-press-club-address

The short article provides a great summary of all the AUKUS issues that have been considered by the AUKUS inquiry.

The report findings and recommendations will be presented this Wednesday 4th by Peter Garrett and Chris Barrie. You can watch on ABC 24 at 12.30pm AEDT at https://iview.abc.net.au/show/national-press-club-address