Australia's Housing Crisis Needs More Than a Renovation
Perhaps no other movie depicts the Australian Dream of owning a home more than the 1997 classic comedy The Castle, in which theKerrigan family takes on developers to save their house.
Fast-forward 28 years and nobody is laughing. For the first time, Millennial and Gen Z voters will outnumber those aged over 60 at polling stations on Saturday. Housing is a — if not the — top concern in this federal election. Most are resigned to never being able to get into one of the world's most unaffordable markets. Policies put forward by the two major parties are unlikely to make things better.
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Buzz Feed
10 hours ago
- Buzz Feed
Mira Nair's Son Making Waves In NYC Politics
Zohran Mamdani isn't your typical mayoral candidate. For starters, he's the son of a legendary filmmaker. But instead of walking red carpets, he's knocking on doors in Queens, fighting housing battles, and launching a mayoral campaign that feels like a Gen Z fever dream. With bold, subversive ideas, TikTok tactics, and small-dollar donor energy, Mamdani is shaking up NYC politics as the city gears up for its mayoral election in November 2025. And yes, he's even going head-to-head with big names like Andrew Cuomo, the former New York governor who resigned in 2021 amid controversy but remains a heavyweight in the state's political scene. Here are a few things to know about NYC's millennial maverick: He's the son of a critically acclaimed director and a Ugandan academic—born in Kampala, raised in NYC, now eyeing City Hall. His mom is the iconic Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding, anyone?) and his dad is Ugandan academic Mahmood Mamdani. Talk about a power parent combo. Born in Kampala on October 18, 1991, Zohran spent early childhood in Uganda and South Africa before moving to NYC at age 7. NYC-raised, Bowdoin-educated, and already organizing in college—Zohran didn't wait to get political. Zohran grew up in Morningside Heights, crushed it at Bronx Science, and graduated from Bowdoin College in 2014 with a degree in Africana Studies. Oh, and he didn't just chill, he co-founded the 'Students for Justice in Palestine' chapter there. His middle name, Kwame, was chosen to honour Ghana's former President. Zohran's dad gave him the name 'Kwame' after Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's first Prime Minister and then President. It is not just a name, but a whole political vibe. Zohran helped stop evictions and secured major debt relief for NYC taxi drivers. Zohran started out fighting evictions, then set his sights on NYC's broken taxi medallion system, where drivers had to shell out huge amounts just to drive a cab. When the bubble burst, they were drowning in debt. Zohran helped get $450 million of it wiped clean. He was the first South Asian elected to NY Assembly. In 2020, he made history as the first South Asian guy ever elected to the New York State Assembly, and he's been repping Astoria (aka District 36) since January 2021. He moonlighted as rapper Mr. Cardamom. His campaign vibes are straight out of Bollywood with iconic Deewar and SRK moments. And yes, he's speaking in Hindi. Zohran's plan? Free buses, rent freezes, and going after rich universities. Small donors powered him to $8 million before he stopped fundraising. He also took a chilly plunge into the freezing Coney Island waters to protest rent hikes. Yes, there's a video. Yes, it has 800k+ views. AOC's all in on team Zohran. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is backing Zohran, calling out his skill at bringing working-class communities together. Love him or not—or maybe you're just here for that viral icy plunge video—Zohran Mamdani is switching up NYC mayor race vibes. The big moment lands on June 24, when voters hit the polls for the Democratic primary that could change everything, meaning things are about to get interesting.
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Newsweek
Gen Z Doesn't Seem To Care About Protesting Against Trump
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. "Where the f*** is Gen Z?" asked TikTok creator @djangita in a video, which has at the time of reporting been viewed 2.3 million times, filmed at a protest in April. Since the reelection of President Donald Trump, thousands of people have turned out at protests across the country, including the "Not My Presidents Day" demonstrations in February, "Hands Off!" protests in April and "May Day" protests last month. And while protest movements have historically been driven by young people, the crowds at these protests seem noticeably older. So, where is Gen Z? Has the generation committed to a life of tradwives and the manosphere, leaving activism behind? Are they simply disenfranchised? Or has activism taken on a new meaning for a generation raised on tech? Newsweek spoke with experts to find out more. Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty Where Is Gen Z, politically? Looking at the perceived absence of Gen Z from the protest scene, the easy conclusion to make is they're not protesting Trump because they support him. The reality is a bit more complicated. As with much of American politics, where Gen Z sits politically is in a state of sharp polarization. Trump has had a significant amount of support from young men, having secured 55 percent of the vote from men aged 18 to 29 in 2024. There is, though, a wide gender gap in this age group, with 61 percent of women from the same demographic having voted for Vice President Kamala Harris. As of late April 2025, though, polling found that Trump's support among Gen Z had tailed off since the election, with 37 percent approving of him and 58 percent disapproving. Shifting Protest Culture It's not that young people are completely absent from political protests. "Young people's participation in major protests on issues like gun violence after the Parkland school shooting in 2018, racial justice after the George Floyd murder in 2020 and the Israel-Palestine conflict in the past two years have been a major feature of this generation's political engagement," Alberto Medina, communications team lead at the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), told Newsweek via email. But there's been a recent shift, and the image of an angry young person at a protest could now be relegated to the historical archives. "At the hands-off rally, there was a very clear demographic representation that excluded younger people," Dana Fisher, director of the Center for Environment, Community & Equity and a professor at America University, told Newsweek, adding that young people are "just not turning up at these mainstream protest events." As for why, Fisher said: "Young people are feeling really frustrated with the political process. They're feeling really frustrated with the two-party system in America, and they have lost confidence in the notion that democracy in America can work for them." She recounted an interaction with a young student in her research team who put it bluntly, telling her: "Young people have given up on democracy in America." And young people's relationship with activism is changing, too. Newsweek spoke with Amanda Litman, co-founder and president of Run for Something, about this. "We have to consider that over the last year and a half, or last two years, when Gen Z has showed up to protest at college campuses in the last year in particular around what's happening in Gaza, they have been harangued, harassed, kicked out of school," Litman said. "They have faced incredible consequences. "I think the culture of protest, even in the last two years, has changed drastically." The current conflict between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an attack on Israel in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage. Israel retaliated and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to eradicate Hamas. The Gaza Health Ministry reports that at least 54,677 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict began, and there is a widespread humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with nearly all of the population having been displaced, according to the U.N. Students at universities across America have protested the conflict, with Columbia University becoming the epicenter of pro-Palestinian protests last spring. Protests have led to arrests, unrest and concerns have been raised about antisemitism. Commitment To Other Causes But just because Gen Z isn't out on the streets protesting Trump doesn't mean they're not out on the streets protesting. "A lot of young people who were engaged in all sorts of activism [are] shifting their focus to Gaza in the past year, year and a half since the violence broke out," Fisher told Newsweek. Newsweek spoke with Hatem Abudayyeh, national chair of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) about Gen Z presence at pro-Palestine protests. "We're still organizing protests every single week, and we still have a lot of college students, and even high-school-age students, Gen Z kids, who are coming to those," he said. "College-age young people and campus organizers and activists have been a part of all the social justice movements in the United States for decades." Pointing to the encampments and college protests, he said: "That clearly was something that not only the Palestine Support Movement had not seen in the United States before, but none of the social justice movements had seen [it] in the U.S. before since probably the Vietnam War era," and described Israel vs. Palestinians as "the Vietnam War issue of this era." New Era Of Activism It seems that activism, and political engagement itself, is changing significantly for young people. "It's evolving," Litman said. "Not all activism is flashy. It doesn't always make for a compelling video or photo. That doesn't mean it doesn't work." "In the first Trump administration, protesting was one of the primary ways that people showed their anger at Trump. And that was good for that moment. But we also saw the limits of that as a tactic. Gen Z is thinking about different ways that they can make their voice heard. "We're seeing young people be really intentional about the ways in which they can move the needle," Litman added, pointing to consumer activism and social media activism and highlighting that Trump cares about the latter. Medina told Newsweek:"Engagement online can serve as an entry point for youth to learn about and find opportunities to engage in issue advocacy or other forms of political participation. The key is ensuring that those opportunities are available and accessible to young people, that the structures and support systems are in place for youth to get involved and find political homes. "Young people are looking for opportunities to learn, to be heard and to have an impact on issues they care about. That process can begin with a post on social media but requires more sustained support that can empower youth to do more than be passive consumers of political ads or information." And beyond the discourse online or on the streets protesting, Litman highlighted one thing young people are clearly thinking about: running for office, she said. "Run for Something has had nearly 50,000 young people raise their hands to say they want to run for office in the last seven months," she said. "We've had more people raise their hands since the election than we did in the first three years of Trump's first term."
New York Post
3 days ago
- New York Post
Lululemon fans furious as tariffs threaten to drive prices even higher amid stock plunge
Lululemon lovers are already stretching their wallets to the limit — and now they've had enough. Fans and critics alike were clucking their tongues Friday after the athleisure giant warned customers they'd soon be paying even more for already-pricey workout gear — following a whopping stock nosedive. The culprit? President Donald Trump's tariffs — and, apparently, broke Americans tightening their purse strings. Advertisement 'We experienced lower store traffic in the Americas, partially reflective of economic uncertainty, inflationary pressures, lower consumer confidence, and changes in discretionary spending,' the company said in a recent statement. Translation: Even the brand's cult-following of millennial and Gen Z yoga bunnies aren't splurging $128 on leggings like they used to. 4 Even Lululemon's loyal legging junkies — from millennial moms to Gen Z gym rats — are tightening their waistbands on those $128 yoga pants. Bloomberg via Getty Images Advertisement Execs are scrambling as the one-time Wall Street darling fell short of analyst predictions, seeing just a 1% increase in sales year-over-year, falling short of the 3% forecast. 'We are planning to take strategic price increases … on a small portion of our assortment, and they will be modest in nature,' chief financial officer Meghan Frank said on an earnings call, adding the hikes will roll out within weeks. 'It will be price increases on a small portion of our assortments, and they will be modest in nature,' she claimed. 4 The blame for all this? President Trump's tariffs — and cash-strapped shoppers cutting back. REUTERS Advertisement CEO Calvin McDonald admitted he was 'not happy' with U.S. growth figures and blamed the belt-tightening on skittish shoppers. 'We experienced lower store traffic … lower consumer confidence,' he echoed. While some may point to floundering new lines like the Glow Up collection or Daydrift trousers, the company is pinning the blame on tariffs — particularly those slapped on goods made in Vietnam and China, where the company sources most of its fabrics. In 2024, 40% of Lululemon's products were made in Vietnam, and 28% of its fabrics came from mainland China — both hit hard by Trump's trade crackdown. Advertisement Now, Lulu says it's working to cut costs and negotiate with vendors to offset the tariff hit. But customers aren't exactly downward dogging in support. On X, disgruntled users lashed out at the brand's pricing and manufacturing decisions. 4 The athleisure company says it's trimming costs and haggling with vendors to ease the tariff pain — but shoppers aren't exactly striking a warrior pose in approval. SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images 'You better get it together. Lulu. Using tariffs as an excuse in your rest of the year outlook is not a smart move. Amazon/Walmart tried this it didn't go well. You're Down 65$ today. Our family was a big lulu fan not so much anymore,' one raged. 'For what they charge for their products, you'd think it was made in America,' snapped another. 'It can't be that yoga pants shouldn't cost $125 a pair. No. That's not it,' someone joked. Others were more blunt: 'Their stuff is ridiculously overpriced… total ripoff.' 'Lululemon's collapse isn't about tariffs — it's about betting on foreign manufacturing while ignoring American resilience,' one critic seethed. Advertisement They continued, 'Relocating production… was always a gamble, and now they're paying for it.' Some simply slammed the entire brand: 'Lululemon clothing is so overpriced — always has been. Only the Gen Zers think its the name on them that make them special.' 4 In 2024, Lulu pumped out 40% of its gear in Vietnam and got 28% of its fabrics from China — two prime targets in Trump's tariff smackdown. Bloomberg via Getty Images Advertisement Another scorched: 'Stupid rich women paying exorbitant prices for stretch pants. SMH.' Despite the backlash, Lululemon doesn't appear to be sweating just yet — but with costs climbing and customers stretching their budgets, the future might not be quite so flexible.
