Morning Briefing
Trump just blew up childhood vaccination policy with an executive order splitting the MMR vaccine into three separate jabs and pulling federal recommendations for hep B, COVID, and flu shots for kids — a move that overrides CDC guidance and sends public health officials into crisis mode right as bird flu quietly arrives on Australian shores.
What Matters Today
- Trump's vaccine order: The White House has signed an executive order forcing the MMR vaccine to be split into three separate shots and removing federal recommendations for several childhood vaccines. This isn't fringe noise — it's official policy now, and the downstream effects on herd immunity could be felt globally. BBC World
- Bird flu lands in Australia: The "fairytale belief" that bird flu wouldn't reach Australian shores is over. Volunteers are now spotting sick seabirds, and authorities are scrambling to contain what could become a serious outbreak. Worth watching closely. Guardian AU
- Colombia earthquake — 100+ dead: A 7.4-magnitude quake has devastated Cali, Colombia's third-largest city, collapsing more than two dozen buildings and leaving people trapped. This is a major humanitarian emergency unfolding right now. Guardian AU
- Ukraine drone strike deep into Russia: A Ukrainian drone hit an industrial city hundreds of miles inside Russian territory, killing at least 13 and injuring 75 more. One of the deadliest long-range strikes of the war — Kyiv is clearly escalating its campaign to strangle Russian infrastructure. BBC World
- Infantino on the ropes at FIFA: UEFA, Concacaf, and the AFC have written an open letter calling for Gianni Infantino to resign after his botched attempt to commercialise the World Cup. The confederations representing most of world football are now actively discussing rival competitions. This could fracture global football governance. Guardian AU
- South Australia launches Australia's first AI royal commission: SA is moving ahead of the federal government with a full royal commission into AI — risks, opportunities, the lot. This could genuinely shape national policy and is worth tracking if you work in tech. SBS News
- ASIC tells Australians to call their insurer's bluff: The regulator has found car insurers are hiking premiums well above inflation and is openly advising customers to push back and threaten to leave. Rare to see ASIC this direct — if you haven't reviewed your premiums lately, today's the day. Guardian AU
Markets
It's a risk-on day in Australia and the US — the ASX 200 surged nearly 5% and the S&P 500 added 2.35%, likely driven by easing macro fears and some positive sentiment around trade or Fed positioning (the Colombia disaster and vaccine news hadn't fully priced in at open). The AUD is flying at 0.706, up 1.63%, suggesting markets are feeling constructive on global growth. The real standout though is gold at $4,448 — up over 8% — which tells a different story: someone is very nervous about something, whether that's geopolitical risk, the vaccine policy chaos, or dollar weakness. Bitcoin is essentially flat while Ethereum popped 4.5%, suggesting some rotation within crypto. Japan's Nikkei dropped 2.32%, likely Typhoon Dolphin disruption weighing on sentiment there.
Worth a Read
- AI means less work — unless you actually work in tech: BBC Tech reports that while tech executives are publicly promising AI will free up workers' time, their own staff are logging up to 90-hour weeks. The hypocrisy gap here is enormous and the piece is a useful reality check against the hype cycle.
- Falling house prices — actually good news for mortgage holders? The Guardian makes the counterintuitive case that softening property values give the RBA's Michele Bullock more room to cut rates further. Worth reading if you have a mortgage or are watching the property market.
- Pro Jank Footy — AFL goes global via chaos: A game developer and Aunty Donna's Broden Kelly built an unhinged AFL video game featuring meat pies with legs and Ford Falcons on the oval. It's delightful, and the piece on explaining Australian rules to the world is genuinely funny.
- WHO warns Ebola is ahead of containment efforts: "We are chasing the virus — it is ahead of us." That's the WHO. Combined with bird flu reaching Australia and the vaccine policy chaos in the US, the global public health picture is looking unusually stressed right now. Worth keeping an eye on.