The gang self isolates

Policing

• New South Wales Police Minister David Elliot is under investigation after the release of photos showing him firing and illegal submachine gun.
• The Police Minister has previously said he would want his own underage sons strip-searched by police if they were suspected of possessing drugs.
• New South Wales Police are complicit in a regime of strip searches of underage children and teens, without appropriate support or presence of legal guardians.
• Constable Zachary Rolfe, charged with the murder of Yuendumu teenager Kumanjayi Walker, has not spent a single night in jail.
• For an example of how community policing can work in practice, see the 1960s Black Panther Party.

Coronavirus

• The Australian Grand Prix was canceled, at the last minute, via megaphone.
• Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has coronavirus.
• Airlines are running empty flights to maintain their flight slots.
• Traveling in a long-distance, fully loaded flight is more efficient than driving.
• Guardian columnist Brigid Delaney enjoyed Bankok under lockdown, then was surprised to find herself under self-isolation on return.
• The ABC has a dedicated portal for Coronavirus news and information.

Surviving the pandemic

• The median income in Australia is $48,000. Many of the people earning that or less will not be able to afford the costs imposed by other people panic buying staples.
• Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter has suggested that casual workers without paid sick leave are well prepared for coronavirus because “they are paid extra in lieu of entitlements”.
• Italy has suspended mortgage payments during the coronavirus outbreak.
• An effective response to a dangerous oncoming threat will look like an overreaction in hindsight, as the reaction to the Y2K bug has been incorrectly presented (the Headlong podcast has a good history of the response).
• David Walsh’s statement on the cancellation of the Dark Mofo festical is an excellent, clear-eyed assessment of the risks of going forward.

AAP Closing

• The Australian Associated Press has been closed, the majority of journalists laid off.
• Some of the AAP journalists have been re-hired by Nine News and News Corp as freelancers, saving them money and stopping competitors from accessing their work.

Actions

• Look after your friends and family. Make sure the people around you are coping with this new, weird time.
• Check out the show notes. They’re great!
• Join your union, advocate for them to push for the change you want.
• Join your tenants union (VIC, NSW, WA, QLD). They’re great for advice on what your rights are as a renter.
• Read Progress and Poverty by Henry George.