Social distancing rules will ‘kill cities’, experts warn – and the future of mass transit hangs in the balance

This is the second feature in our Life after lockdown series, which looks at how Covid-19 could change Australia for good

Before the pandemic struck, Sara Blazey made the same three-hour commute to work, three days a week, for the better part of 12 years. The 63-year-old family lawyer from the Blue Mountains works for a domestic violence legal advice hotline in Parramatta and it used to be that she would wake at 7am, drive seven minutes to Hazelbrook station and from there catch the 7.17am train to Parramatta before making the same one-and-a-half hour trip home in the evening.

With the pandemic, all that would change. Domestic violence support services such as the one Blazey worked for were declared “essential” services, meaning they could keep operating despite restrictions. To ensure they could do so safely, the organisation did what some commentators long thought impossible and began to transition its employees into working from home.

The filmmaker’s latest venture is an excruciating mishmash of environment falsehoods and plays into the hands of those he once opposed

Denial never dies; it just goes quiet and waits. Today, after years of irrelevance, the climate science deniers are triumphant. Long after their last, desperate claims had collapsed, when they had traction only on “alt-right” conspiracy sites, a hero of the left turns up and gives them more than they could have dreamed of.

Planet of the Humans, whose executive producer and chief promoter is Michael Moore, now has more than 6 million views on YouTube. The film does not deny climate science. But it promotes the discredited myths that deniers have used for years to justify their position. It claims that environmentalism is a self-seeking scam, doing immense harm to the living world while enriching a group of con artists. This has long been the most effective means by which denial – most of which has been funded by the fossil fuel industry – has been spread. Everyone hates a scammer.

City leaders publish ‘statement of principles’ putting climate action at centre of recovery plans

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Mayors from many of the world’s leading cities have warned there can be no return to “business as usual” in the aftermath of the coronavirus crisis if humanity is to escape catastrophic climate breakdown.

City leaders representing more than 750 million people have published a “statement of principles”, which commits them to putting greater equality and climate resilience at the heart of their recovery plans.

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President Donald Trump gleefully tweeted “WELCOME BACK JOE!” alongside a doctored video of a fake Joe Biden grabbing the shoulders...

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) came back at Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) with the Twitter equivalent of “I can’t hear you!”...

Nielsen: "I just want to thank the President, again." pic.twitter.com/5m8WSU9Xej — TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) April 8, 2019

Following the ousters of the Homeland Security secretary and Secret Service director, and the withdrawal of the would-be ICE director’s...

The Senate's newest mother wants parents of newborns to more quickly access money allocated to them by the CARES Act.

FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn is asymptomatic and tested negative for the virus on Friday, one senior administration official said.

The California governor, who previously endorsed Sen. Kamala Harris, had yet to formally throw his support behind Biden.

In a 1996 document, Reade’s ex-husband referred to a sexual harassment problem but did not mention assault or provide details about who was involved.

In a recording obtained by POLITICO, Michigan Senate hopeful John James criticizes the president over his 'shithole countries' remark and other comments.

HAY FEVER is an allergic reaction to pollen. Expert nutritionist Hannah Braye details seven anti-inflammatory foods to include in your diet that may minimise symptoms.

CORONAVIRUS has been raging in the UK for months now yet symptoms remain a mystery for many people. The NHS cites coughing as a main warning sign but how can you tell a regular cough from a COVID-19 one?

The state's African Americans face some of the country’s worst pollution — and some of its most severe COVID-19 outcomes. The two may well be linked.

Harvard has a new net-zero by 2050 plan for its endowment. But it’s not yet clear what it will entail, and whether the school will be able to fulfill it.

Did you miss our live chat? Watch the whole thing here.

Two former Inslee campaign staffers have a message for Joe Biden: To unite the Democratic party, prioritize climate policies.

My kids are asking when the coronavirus will end. Here’s how I’m responding.

EXCLUSIVE: Quite a week for Netflix’s film division, which tonight won a ferocious auction for the Simon Kinberg spec script Here Comes The Flood. I’m told that the deal mid seven figures, an extremely high amount for a script that has no talent attached to it, but the kind of roles that attract stars. Deadline […]

Bill Maher’s final “New Rule” on Friday’s Real Time With Bill Maher was, as usual, a doozie. “The liberal media and liberal party,” said Maher, “is doing…exactly what Republicans want: for us to go down the rabbit hole of ‘Joe Biden, sex monster.'” Maher was of course referring to allegations made by Tara Reade, who […]

UPDATE, 10:31 PM: Joe Biden finally received an official endorsement from Gavin Newsom tonight, but the California Governor was the recipient of some high praise from the former Vice-President and the Democrats’ presumptive nominee for his executive electoral move against coronavirus earlier Friday. “Gavin, you’ve done one helluva job, and thank you for your support […]

Marco Bellocchio’s mafia movie The Traitor topped last night’s David di Donatello Awards, Italy’s national film awards, scooping six prizes including Best Film. The movie also won Director for Bellocchio, Screenplay, Actor for Pierfrancesco Favino, Supporting Actor for Luigi Lo Cascio, and Best Editing. It premiered at Cannes last year before going on to gross […]

Nida Dar has overcome more than her fair share of challenges during her career and she is now looking to leave her mark on the WBBL as the first Pakistani cricketer to play in the tournament.

A group of cyber sleuths from Adelaide takes out the national missing persons "hackathon", finding nearly 100 new pieces of information for police to investigate.

Space advocates spruik the human benefits but critics say it costs far too much. Ever since the moon landing, space has been seen as a "giant leap" for humankind, but is it in the wrong direction?

The Sky Blues make it two from two with a against the Phoenix, following Melbourne City's 2-1 win over Adelaide United.

Sydney beats Montreal and Houston in its bid to host WorldPride in 2023, becoming the first city in the southern hemisphere to host the major international LGBTQI event.

This organic farming program is turning residential backyards into market gardens to tackle food security, food mileage and social isolation.

Owners of apartments affected by the combustible cladding crisis in Victoria tell researchers of the emotional and financial toll it has taken on them and their neighbours.

Western Sydney Wanderers claim a 1-0 victory over crosstown rivals Sydney FC, while FFA Cup champions Adelaide United celebrate a 2-1 defeat of Newcastle Jets.

A court hears an Australian Federal Police officer told ABC lawyers he did not want to see "sensationalist headlines" prior to a raid of the broadcaster's Sydney headquarters this year.

Researchers uncover long-term patterns in Sydney's underwater ecosystem from illustrated diaries made by a 1950s scuba diver.

Derek has been called a "black dog" while playing soccer. Osman has been called a "terrorist". They're 14 years old, and they have a message for racist spectators: just stop.

A former Catholic priest accused of assaulting 40 victims across eight NSW parishes from the 1960s to the mid-1990s has pleaded not guilty to the 139 charges.

As the drought bites deeper, residents in a growing number of rural communities are fighting to stop local groundwater being taken to satisfy Australia's thirst for bottled water.

A Vietnamese man carrying four kilograms of pork-filled mooncakes has been turned away from Sydney Airport after failing to declare he was carrying food.

Geoffrey Rush's barrister tells an appeal hearing his client has been "slurred" by The Daily Telegraph's lawyer, who yesterday accused the actor of "delivering lines" when describing the impact the newspaper's articles had on his life.

Nearly two dozen parents have already pleaded guilty in the case, including "Desperate Housewives" actress Felicity Huffman.

Los Angeles-based tech company Production Club is currently working to provide an alternative to social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.