ZEE FEED

In just two weeks we’ve had the devastating reports of two girls being sexually assaulted by groups of boys, in separate incidents, and of Sydney Swans players involved in an investigation into the alleged sexual assault of a woman at a hotel in Melbourne. A hellish news cycle has followed these events, as well as a tense, ugly public debate about why men in Australia continue to treat women this way, and how to make them stop.

When the New South Wales Government independent research into how sexual assault victim-survivors’ counselling records are accessed in criminal proceedings, many of us who have spent years campaigning for reform felt something we rarely get to feel: heard. That feeling did not last long.

Anthony Albanese announced an Australia-first approach to AI this week, which will involve fast-tracking data centre approvals and launching a national Office of AI to attempt to regulate the sector. The government says it will not allow big tech companies to gobble up the work of Australian writers, musicians, artists, and everyone else, but just how it plans to do that remains… unknown.

In an era when AI is eating away at creative industries and fascism is eating away at our hope for humanity, we’ve been gifted a delicious set of horror movies of late. Some, like Scream 7 and Scary Movie, are new instalments to prominent franchises, while others, such as Backrooms and Iron Lung, are the new territory for online creators. But rising to the top of this trend is Obsession, directed by 26-year-old YouTube comedian Curry Barker.

The latest population data published this past week puts Australia’s fertility rate at about 1.43 children per woman – far below the ‘replacement rate’ of 2.1, and a continuation of years of decline. Naturally, the media set about trying to answer why Australian women are not having as many babies as they used to. It’s a fair question. This time around, journalists and commentators seemed most eager to focus on the economic factors – housing affordability in particular.

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Analysis — 3 min read Pauline Hanson and Gina Rinehart (both centre) fundraising aboard The World private residential cruise ship. This post is for subscribers only

Editor's Note: This story contains a lot of niche internet terminology. We've provided and/or linked to definitions for the more obscure references. Sorry – this is the reality of politics and culture journalism in 2026! 'Looksmaxxing'content creator Clavicular (real name Braden Peters) was hospitalised for a suspected overdose, while livestreaming from a bar in Miami, just a few days after his interview with 60 Minutes in Australia went viral for how dumb it made him look.

MAFS — 6 min read 2026 MAFS contestants Bec; Scott and Gia; show "expert" psychologist John Aiken. Source: Nine. This post is for subscribers only

“Ok, I’m probably going to get humbled, but how old do you think I look?” Women in their 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s ask this question over and over and over on TikTok. The responses don’t go exactly how you might expect. Yes, those who look ‘younger than their age’ are complimented, showered in praise to the point of worship. And those who look ‘older than their age’ are not only insulted but openly mocked, given condescending advice on what to ‘fix’ about their face, hair and overall vibe.