ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on August 13, 2026.
Break of Day’s tribute to invisible labour of working-class Australians is ultimately disappointing
In Steve Rodgers new play, now at Malthouse, solid performances are undermined by expository writing.
A new ADHD drug targets three brain chemicals instead of two. Here’s what that means
Along with dopamine and noradrenaline, this new drug also impacts levels of serotonin.
The media has made Donald Trump look more coherent than he is. It’s called ‘sanewashing’
The US president often provides meandering non-answers and strange speeches, but news reports omit the weirdness. Does it matter?
Why Meta is paying for controversial content – and what that means for the posts you see
Paying for engaging content is not the same as intending to fund extremism, but it creates a risk that harmful content will benefit.
Free Speech Union board member revealed in Daily Blog editor Martyn Bradbury’s ‘gagging’ case
Pacific Media Watch A court struggle featuring Daily Blog editor and media freedom defender Martyn Bradbury has taken a surprise turn, with Free Speech Union (FSU) board member and political commentator Ani O’Brien being revealed as the complainant behind “secret” proceedings, reports Radia Waatea. Bradbury, who is a regular commentator on Radio Waatea covering politics
Why does it feel like the US and Iran are stuck in an endless conflict loop?
Neither side can stomach a strategic defeat. Nor can they find a way to an exit ramp.
Regional and rural Australians ‘left behind’ by telco services – new report
The telecommunications ombudsman has recommended ‘an overhaul of how telecommunications services are regulated’.
NZ wants a high-tech future. Its proposed physics curriculum may make that harder
The government wants a knowledge-rich physics curriculum, but packing in too many topics without a clear order could backfire.
Polling booths open in Cook Islands election
By Tiana Haxton of RNZ Pacific Polling is open in the Cook Islands where 11,000 registered voters will elect their leaders for the next four years. Voting stations opened at 9am on Wednesday morning, Cook Islands time (7am Thursday NZT) and will close at 6pm. There are 24 constituencies, 10 on the main island of
Michigan’s local election officials are confident in voting integrity ahead of November’s midterm election
Despite their high confidence overall, almost half of surveyed election officials worried about the cost of running elections.
One Nation has long claimed to represent the ‘working class’ – and that makes it a serious threat to Labor
One Nation has staked its claim to being the working class party of choice, arguing Labor has long left the ‘battlers’ behind.
Why is everyone playing mahjong? The global revival of a centuries-old Chinese tradition
Mahjong is having a moment. But what happens when a Chinese tradition becomes a lifestyle trend?
High school students are protesting against One Nation. What’s the point if they can’t vote?
The argument that young people belong in school misses an important point: children and teenagers have political and civic rights.
Marine heatwaves are cooking our ocean ecosystems – and will only become more common
These underwater disasters can trigger coral bleaching and massive fish kills.
NZ’s new flood maps are missing a hidden threat – the water quietly rising from below
Adaptation plans don’t account for groundwater in shallow coastal aquifers, which can rise with sea levels, increasing the risk of flooding and damage.
WA police is using live facial recognition to make arrests. This trial is testing privacy law
Who gets to authorise such deployments? And who checks the safeguards?
Did you know there’s a vast reef network off the north coast of Australia? Few do – and that’s a problem
Due to the remote location and croc-inhabited waters, these northern reefs are largely overlooked and understudied.
Toronto students who live in residence get better grades, study finds
A study of more than 750,000 student records from four Toronto universities finds that living in residence is linked to better grades and higher satisfaction, especially for first-year students.
Alberta’s disability benefit overhaul shifts more economic risk onto people with disabilities
Alberta’s move to shift disability recipients onto a lower-paying, employment-focused benefit assumes people can make up the difference through work, savings or family. Research suggests few can.
Learned, not broken: Why we need to fix the pleasure gap, not women’s libido
Women’s changing libido has been treated as biological fact — the product of evolution or hormonal destiny. But differences in sexual experience early on can have a real and lasting impact.