Across New South Wales and Queensland's southern downs, country towns are approaching day zero, as water supplies dry up in the drought.

Like most country racetracks, Tomingley's isn't irrigated.

How do you fight fires in a state that is 98 per cent in drought and short on water? It's a question being pondered by firefighters on the verge of fire season.

As the drought continues, water is being carted by train for the first time in decades to keep production on track at a NSW coal mine and secure 140 full-time jobs.

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The NSW Nationals leader John Barilaro says "green tape" is standing in the way of long-term solutions to the drought crisis, and suggests the state could borrow money to reshape water infrastructure.

The founder of an online discussion supporting hundreds trying to go dry believes drought, financial hardship, uncertainty, and isolation are causing more rural people to self-medicate with alcohol.

Australian scientists develop a drought-tolerant beer grain they hope will be a saving grace for some Australian farmers.

At least two houses and two businesses are destroyed in Tenterfield in northern NSW and a firefighter is suffering facial burns as crews brace for a long night ahead with four fires burning at emergency level across the state.

Nic Dolbel wanted to improve the skin under her eyes, but a cosmetic laser treatment left her with lingering pain and what she says felt like "third-degree burns".

The BOM says "scraggly" showers moved over the Great Dividing Range with a few millimetres in places like Orange and Dubbo but nowhere near enough to make a difference to the enduring drought.

The Federal Government's former special drought envoy says he sent "an awful lot" of reports to the Prime Minister, after a letter tabled in the Senate notes he did not compile a final report during his tenure.

Farmers and contractors rush to spend up to $350,000 for hay-baling equipment to make the most of grain crops and strong demand for fodder as the drought rolls on.

Fresh from his tour of the United States, Prime Minister Scott Morrison heads to Queensland to pledge more money to support drought-affected communities.

The NSW Farmers Association is lobbying the State Government remove the interest on loans provided to farmers during drought.

Young people across Australia are being hit hard by the drought now they want to be heard and be part of a solution.

Exit packages are one of six measures the National Farmers' Federation has requested of the Federal Government in a bid to help those affected by what it says is unprecedented drought.

Hopes are raised in drought-stricken towns that the Federal Government is on the cusp of delivering a stimulus package, with local mayors urging a generous spend.

The ABC understands drought-stricken towns will be the target of federal stimulus potentially worth hundreds of millions of dollars under a program designed to support regional communities enduring hardship.

As the drought spreads, spending in country towns continues to drop and rural businesses are suffering. As shops close, the owners of those that remain open hope they'll get more support in coming weeks.

The Federal Government is unlikely to adopt the National Farmers' Federation call for exit packages for drought-ravaged farmers. But even if it did, history suggests they're unlikely to have much impact.

The ABC can reveal the Federal Government's latest drought measures will include sweeping changes to an existing finance scheme as part of a $500 million drought stimulus package.

Only a year into the job, with the drought still gripping NSW, the drought coordinator has been sacked, and farmers are demanding answers.

From Meris Longmeier:  Kudos to Randall McKenzie. The streamlined telework process is AMAZING! It was so quick to review and update the date for the telework agreements. A huge thank you for enriching the experience of that process for all library employees! From Tony Maniaci: THANK YOU to Christine OConnell for walking me through the mail merge […]

You may have thought hospital waste would not be recyclable, but Brisbane's Princess Alexandra's Hospital has found ways to recycle the waste they produce to generate revenue and create beautiful community gardens for their patients to enjoy. Can you think of a way to recycle and re-use something that's not currently being recycled or re-used?

What is the "wisdom of a crowd"? Mathematician Lily Serna investigates a mathematical phenomenon that suggests that if you have a large enough crowd, with a broad variety of people making estimates, then the mean (average) answer of the crowd will be accurate! Find out if a crowd can guess the weight of Uluru from the ground up. How much do you think it would weigh? How could you test this mathematical phenomenon in the classroom?

IBM Business Partners can find out what's new this year in the ever-changing electronics industry to help their SMB clients increase profit margins.

Find out what's new in the healthcare industry with marketplace assessments, solutions, and sales aids for IBM Business Partners selling to mid-market clients.

Discover the large marketplace opportunity available within the banking industry for IBM Business Partners selling IT products and services to mid-market clients.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s youngest daughter remains Moana-obsessed during quarantine. But it still doesn’t register that her dad voiced Maui.

"Twilight" author Stephenie Meyer announced the release of her new book "Midnight Sun," a companion novel to her vampire love saga. "Midnight Sun" will hit bookstores Aug. 4. While "Twilight" -- and follow-up's "New Moon," "Eclipse" and "Breaking Dawn" -- centered around shy high-schooler Bella Swan, the new novel will be retold through the eyes […]

George Lucas’s far, far away galaxy is on the verge of several new beginnings on the big screen and beyond. Here’s a look at all of the different movies and TV shows currently in development.

D Smoke first wowed the music world when he won the inaugural season of "Rhythm + Flow," Netflix's hip-hop  competition show with Cardi B, Chance the Rapper and T.I. as judges. Impressing both the panel and viewers at home with meaningful, uplifting verses, the Inglewood, Calif. native, whose real name is Daniel Farris, dropped his […]

Robert Wagner presents his side of the story in "Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind," the HBO documentary produced by Wood's daughter Natasha Gregson Wagner.

Natasha Gregson Wagner reflects on her personal memories of Natalie Wood's life and career on Mother's Day weekend.

M. Night Shyamalan has rounded out the cast for his next movie. Eliza Scanlen, Thomasin McKenzie, Aaron Pierre, Alex Wolff and Vicky Krieps are in negotiations to star in the top-secret project. Shyamalan will write, produce and direct the untitled film, which will be released by Universal Picture. Like most Shyamalan movies, plot details are shrouded […]

The former “Daily Show” host is serving as the host and emcee of this week’s 2019 Department of Defense Warrior Games in Tampa, where about 300 wounded, ill or injured active-duty and veteran military athletes are competing in 14 adaptive sports.