ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on July 2, 2026.
Messi is old, short and slow. How is he still dominating at the World Cup?
Lionel Messi’s shorter, slower, ageing body is a handicap he overcomes through a mental process called scanning.
How gambling companies use the grey area of sponsorship and ads to reach World Cup viewers
Despite gambling ad bans during live sport in Australia, many World Cup viewers are still being bombarded with betting ads and marketing content.
Australia’s migration system lacks something crucial: a plan
No one can seem to agree what the level of migration to Australia should be. This is partially because governments don’t really make careful, considered plans.
Australia shouldn’t try to build its own frontier AI. Here’s why
The costs of building advanced, cutting-edge AI are prohibitive and Australia has few natural advantages.
Workplace depression is common. Managers can make it worse, or better
Mental health problems keep people off work around five times longer than other types of injuries.
From pureed meals to fresh greens: how space food is advancing to keep astronauts healthy
Space food cannot just be functional. Sometimes, it should simply bring joy.
Homelessness has been framed as a housing problem in NZ. The reality is more complex
Interviews with 55 Aucklanders reveal how gaps between housing, health, income and justice services can make it harder to find a path out of homelessness.
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Julian Leeser on fighting an ‘explosion’ of hate in Australia
The Liberal frontbencher is the opposition’s leading Jewish voice and will soon appear at the royal commission on antisemitism.
‘In the end the court did its job’ – a former federal judge reviews a Supreme Court term full of momentous decisions
A former federal judge analyzes key Supreme Court decisions this term, reflects on growing judicial invective evident in its opinions, and judiciously gives praise for some great writing.
What makes a star a star? A strange ‘in-between’ celestial object is testing astronomers’ boundaries
A ‘failed star’ 1,350 light years away may hold clues about what makes other stars succeed.
Elon Musk is remaking the world, like Henry Ford before him – but more dangerously
A new book, Muskism, sheds light on Elon Musk’s mission to remake the world in his image – while the rest of us haven’t even been consulted.
Migration is dropping, but public concern is climbing. Why?
As long as the debate stays politicised, anti-immigration sentiment will persist, and so will support for the parties that trade on it.
‘Show some gratitude’ – how this rhetoric shapes views on immigration, even for migrants
When migrants internalise expectations of gratefulness, they can come to think of racism and discrimination as inevitable – to be endured rather than challenged.
Meditation and speaking in tongues: the surprising similarities between two spiritual practices
Buddhist meditation and Pentecostal speaking in tongues could hardly look more different. But not to the brain.
Cystic fibrosis doesn’t just affect the lungs. It’s a gut disease too
When we think of cystic fibrosis, we might think of someone coughing, trying to clear mucus from their lungs. But that’s not the whole story.
You’ve never heard of these glaciers, but they’re becoming critical climate havens as America’s iconic mountain glaciers and their water fade
They’re called rock glaciers, and they might not look like much, but they’ll continue to provide meltwater after the world’s iconic white glaciers are gone.
Banning transgender girls from school sports affects all children – why allowing strangers to scrutinize children’s bodies may put all girls at risk of harassment
The US Supreme Court ruled that states could exclude transgender athletes from girls and women’s sports teams.
Why Poland’s president is invoking wartime history in a dispute with Volodymyr Zelensky
This row is more about domestic Polish politics than any diplomatic incident.
From falling to flow: why you should take up bouldering as a hobby for reasons beyond exercise
You won’t regret taking up this intellectually and physically stimulating sport as a hobby.
Spider fangs are one of their scariest features – new fossils reveal their origins
The 500 million year old shrimp-like Urokodia had pincer-like limbs emerging next to its eyes.