Latest news with #federal government
WIRED
2 days ago
- WIRED
A New Era for WIRED—That Starts With You
Jul 23, 2025 7:00 AM As of today, there are even more ways to enjoy WIRED's journalism, including premium newsletters and livestream Q&As. Join us. ILLUSTRATION: SANDRO RYBAK At WIRED, we're obsessed with how the world is transforming—and lately, there's been a lot to obsess over. From the breakneck pace of AI research to the tectonic transformation playing out across the US federal government, WIRED's journalists, producers, and editors are committed to reporting from the front lines of these changes and bringing all of you along for the ride. Our goal is to wake up every day and unearth what we describe as 'Story Zero': the story before anybody even knows there's a story to tell. We endeavor to do that work in a way that's conversational and accessible, fearless and definitive, and ultimately helps you understand what's changing, why, and how it'll affect your present and your future. I'm incredibly proud that our work this year has often achieved the lofty goals we set for ourselves: WIRED journalists have produced groundbreaking reporting on DOGE's disruption of federal agencies, unearthed ambiguities in the Jeffery Epstein video, delivered a constant drumbeat of clear-eyed coverage on AI's real-world impact (and the AI industry's outrageous talent wars), and found the time to execute on narrative stories that run the gamut, from an AI-inflected murder cult to the quantum apocalypse right around the corner. We've also had a lot of fun. Our creative team is pushing the boundaries of digital design, creating interactives like our quantum encryption calculator and evocative digital packages, including our deep dive into the Frontiers of Computing. And we're translating more and more of our journalism into new formats, including the vertical video you'll often see embedded in our stories, and our new podcast Uncanny Valley . There are so many reasons to be excited about WIRED's future. But it's important to recognize that we're doing this work within an information ecosystem that's transforming before our eyes: The platforms on which outlets like WIRED used to connect with readers, listeners, and viewers are failing in real time; Facebook traffic disappeared years ago, and now Google Search is dwindling as the company reorients users to rely on AI Overviews instead of links to credible publishers. More and more users are also skipping Google altogether, opting to use chatbots like ChatGPT or Claude to find information they once relied on news outlets for. Meanwhile, AI-generated slop and mis- and disinformation are seeping into the internet's every pore, polluting social media feeds and drowning out news and human-driven storytelling. At WIRED, our solution to this so-called 'traffic apocalypse,' and the AI sloppification of the internet, is simple: connect our humans to all of you humans. Here's the plan: We'll continue to produce top-tier journalism and storytelling, from written stories, scoops, features, and interviews to podcasts and audio narration, to bite-size videos and livestreams. And we're inviting you to join us, directly on or in your inbox, with a new subscription offering that we think is more dynamic, more engaging, and more valuable. Most of all, we're increasingly focused on creating a community and a shared conversation between WIRED journalists and all of you—our audience of curious, brilliant, future-focused people around the world. We want to answer your questions and solicit your input and ideas. We want to know what scares you, what excites you, and what we can do to help you navigate this strange new future. As a WIRED subscriber, you will have access to a growing set of exclusive benefits. You can receive any of five new weekly newsletters, each of them written by a WIRED journalist. These newsletters, available only to WIRED subscribers, will showcase top-quality reporting and analysis, written by reporters who are deeply sourced experts in their field. You'll also have access to WIRED's new livestream AMAs: These streams, which will run at least twice a month, are designed to connect you directly with WIRED journalists, who'll answer your pressing questions about the biggest story or trend in the WIRED universe. Plus, you can join WIRED journalists and fellow subscribers in the comment sections of WIRED stories to discuss, debate, or ask and answer questions. And finally, many WIRED articles are now available in audio form, with narrated versions created exclusively for subscribers. To our existing subscribers, thank you for supporting our journalism. To our new readers, sign up today and unlock everything WIRED has to offer.
CNA
2 days ago
- Business
- CNA
‘Important' for Johor to get back 25 per cent of tax revenue given to federal government: Regent
KUALA LUMPUR: Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim has again called for a larger portion of the state's income tax revenue that goes to federal coffers to be returned to it. This comes amid growing concerns over infrastructure development and project delays in the southern state, he said. 'When 25 per cent of Johor's income tax revenue is returned to Johor, Johor can stand on its own feet,' he wrote in a Facebook post on Tuesday (Jul 22). The regent had previously said that Johor gave the federal government about RM48 to RM49 billion (US$11.36 billion to US$11.59 billion) a year in tax revenue, but received only RM1.4 billion in return. That amounts to an estimated 2.85 per cent return. Tunku Ismail's latest comments came following news of the postponement of the Pasir Gudang Hospital's phased opening. Initially scheduled for next month, it has been delayed to January 2026, much to the regent's disappointment. Tunku Ismail also pointed to the issue of autogates system disruptions at Johor's major land checkpoints - the Sultan Iskandar Building and the Sultan Abu Bakar Complex - as well as matters related to flood mitigation projects as to why more of the state's revenue should be returned to them. 'I wish to convey to Johoreans how important it is for 25 per cent of the state's income tax revenue to be returned to Johor. 'Through this tax return, we would not need to burden the federal government or submit applications to (them) and then endure a long wait for approval,' he said. Malaysia's constitution centralises revenue collection - including all forms of taxes - at the federal level. The federal government then returns a percentage of this to the states based on their population. According to a commentary posted on the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute's website in December 2023, state governments received revenue of RM926 per capita, about one-tenth of the federal government's RM8,969 per capita tax in the year 2022. In June last year, Tunku Ismail said Putrajaya should stop viewing Johor as 'belonging to Malaysia', likening the state to being a beggar for constantly having to highlight its needs. He had then also urged the federal government to consider allowing Johor to keep 20 per cent to 30 per cent of its tax revenue in the state 'Until when is Johor going to be a beggar? The system in the federal government from then until now must change, as Johor does not belong to Malaysia. We are partners, so you have to start treating us like partners,' he was quoted as saying by news portal Scoop. Tunku Ismail was appointed Johor regent at the end of January 2024 after his father ascended the throne to become Malaysia's king for a five-year term. Penang's chief minister Chow Kon Yeow had in June this year also renewed calls for the federal government to consider returning 20 per cent of tax revenue to the state for its development. He had said Penang continued to be among the top contributors to Malaysia's national coffers, but has been "shortchanged" when it comes to federal allocations. "Now is an appropriate time for the federal government to consider this seriously and not just push it aside," he was quoted as saying by the News Straits Times. Sabah has also for years also been trying to negotiate a return of its entitlement of 40 per cent of its revenue as stated in the federal constitution, which it says is crucial for economic development.
CBC
3 days ago
- Climate
- CBC
South Australia algal bloom a 'natural disaster,' state's premier says, as species wiped out
Social Sharing A massive outbreak of toxic algae off South Australia, which has devastated hundreds of species of marine life and disrupted local tourism and fishing, is a "natural disaster," state Premier Peter Malinauskas said on Tuesday. "I want to be really clear about this. This is a natural disaster," Malinauskas said. "I think politicians can do themselves a disservice when they get caught up in technicalities. This is a natural disaster. It should be acknowledged as such." The algal bloom, first detected in March, spans an area 4,500 square kilometres in size and has been aggravated by rising ocean temperatures, environment officials say. More than 400 different species of marine life have been killed off or died as a result of the algal bloom, Malinauskas said. "It's important to recognize that this is an unprecedented event," he said. "We've never seen an algal bloom of this size and this scale in the history of our country's coastline." Malinauskas announced a $12.5 million Cdn support package to tackle the outbreak, matching a package by the federal government. The combined $25 million would assist with cleanup efforts, research, and business support. The toxic bloom has been caused by overgrowth of the Karenia mikimotoi algal species, which affects fish gills and sucks oxygen out of the water as it decomposes, the state's Environment Department said. Contributing to its growth was a marine heat wave that started in 2024, when sea temperatures were about 2.5 C warmer than usual. Michael Parsons, a marine science professor at Florida Gulf Coast University, said these blooms could get more common as climate change makes waters more hospitable to the toxic algae. "One concern is that many of these harmful algal bloom species — especially in the temperate and subtropical waters — they really cannot handle the cold water temperatures of winter time as well," Parsons said. "And so if we have milder autumn water temperatures, milder winter temperatures, we can see that these species can continue to bloom and continue to thrive into the winter months." Patrick Martone, a botany professor at the University of British Columbia, said increased rainfall from climate change also washes more land-based nutrients into the water, fuelling the growth of more blooms. Once a bloom has flourished, he said, all that can really be done is to leave it to die on its own. "There's no way for people to go in and filter out all of the water of all the algae that are living there," Martone said. "So there's just not a good solution, unfortunately." More than 13,850 dead animals, including sharks, rays and invertebrates, have been recorded by the public on the iNaturalist app. The bloom has impacted tourism and forced oyster and mussel farms to temporarily shut down due to a waterborne toxin caused by the algae, local media said. Parsons said the bloom could have prolonged effects on the local ecosystem, as toxins from the algae make their way up the food chain. Further, the bacteria required to break down this much dead sea life can drain oxygen from the surrounding waters, causing further deaths. "We see this with other harmful algal bloom species where the impacts may last for years as the fish populations recover from those impacts," he said. Murray Watt, Australia's environment minister, said on Monday the algal bloom was a "very serious environmental event," but he stopped short of declaring it a national disaster, which would allow for greater federal support.
ABC News
3 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Breakfast Wrap: The impact of SA's toxic algal bloom
A toxic algal bloom is wreaking havoc and killing marine life throughout South Australia. Today on the Breakfast Wrap we'll hear from the state's fishing industry, as some go months without income. We'll also speak with the state government, after their federal counterparts pledged $14 million to tackle the crisis. Then, more than 20 nations — including Australia — have issued a joint statement calling for an end to the war in Gaza and condemning the humanitarian crisis in the strip. The former UN Special Rapporteur for Palestine shares his perspective, and we'll get the federal political response too. Recap the morning's news, politics and global affairs with the Breakfast Wrap
SBS Australia
4 days ago
- Health
- SBS Australia
Report finds people with chronic pain continue to suffer from stigma
The research found nearly three-quarters of chronic pain sufferers experience mental health issues as a result of their pain. The report found this year - 2025 - 54 per cent of survey respondents reported waiting more than two years for a diagnosis, and 44 per cent waited over three years. Chronic Pain Australia's report calls on the federal government to make chronic pain a national priority through changes like providing more localised funding to primary care and the coding system. LISTEN TO THE PODCAST SBS Filipino 22/07/2025 04:58 Filipino 📢 Where to Catch SBS Filipino
