Morning Mail: Inside Labor’s $2bn Pfas fight, why supermarkets want to scan faces, Trump threatens to bomb Oman
Guardian AU
•Mon, 17 Aug 2026 20:44:04 GMT
📰 What Happened
This morning newsletter leads on an exclusive Guardian story revealing that the Australian government is suing 3M for more than $2bn over Pfas “forever chemicals” used in firefighting foam. It also flags concern over possible facial recognition use by supermarket chains Coles and Woolworths, and notes that Donald Trump has threatened to “bomb the shit” out of Oman over his Middle East plans.
🔍 The Backstory
The newsletter gathers the day’s key Australian and international developments, including Angus Taylor’s call for the government to remove the so-called “widow tax” before supporting an NDIS overhaul. It also touches on bird flu risks to Australian species and heatwave threats to Europe’s harvest.
🎯 Why It Matters
The items frame several of the biggest live debates in Australian politics and business, including environment and consumer-technology concerns and contentious overseas diplomacy. The newsletter’s lead story about 3M puts a multibillion-dollar contamination case on the national agenda.
This morning newsletter leads on an exclusive Guardian story revealing that the Australian government is suing 3M for more than $2bn over Pfas “forever chemicals” used in firefighting foam. It also flags concern over possible facial recognition use by supermarket chains Coles and Woolworths, and notes that Donald Trump has threatened to “bomb the shit” out of Oman over his Middle East plans.
The newsletter gathers the day’s key Australian and international developments, including Angus Taylor’s call for the government to remove the so-called “widow tax” before supporting an NDIS overhaul. It also touches on bird flu risks to Australian species and heatwave threats to Europe’s harvest.
The items frame several of the biggest live debates in Australian politics and business, including environment and consumer-technology concerns and contentious overseas diplomacy. The newsletter’s lead story about 3M puts a multibillion-dollar contamination case on the national agenda.