Good morning and welcome to the Morning Buzz for Friday, June 23. It will be foggy again this morning followed by a sunny day, with expected highs of about 20 degrees. Enjoy your day!
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Here’s what’s making news this morning:
Forget the fidget spinner, move aside Pokemon Go and get ready for ... rocks
When Cassie Sen saw children in her local area spending more time on screens than swings, she decided to take matters into her own hands.
She and her nine-year-old daughter Keira founded NSW ROCKS, a local chapter of an international movement which involves finding rocks, decorating them and then depositing them in local parks for others to discover.
The only screen element involved is a Facebook group where members divulge where their coloured stones have been "rock dropped". Read more.
Federal MPs to get pay rises and tax cuts in July 1 bonanza
Federal politicians are set for a July 1 cash bonanza, with every MP in Parliament to receive thousands of extra dollars in pay, and a cut to their tax rate.
The 2 per cent pay rise was ordered by the independent Remuneration Tribunal on Thursday and will take effect on the very same day that every MP benefits from a drop in the top marginal tax rate from 49 per cent to 47 per cent when the deficit repair levy ends. The pay rise also comes at a time of a looming cuts to penalty rates and historically low wages growth. Read more.
One in four critically ill waiting too long for ambulance: report
More than one in four of the most critically ill or injured patients waited more than 10 minutes for an ambulance, the latest NSW Ambulance data shows.
More than 28 per cent of priority 1A ambulance jobs (P1A) – the most life-threatening category – had a response time over 10 minutes in January to March 2017, according to the latest Bureau of Health Information Quarterly report released on Thursday. Read more.
Changes to HSC English exams will 'fuel tutoring industry'
Leading English academics and former HSC chief examiners have warned that plans to make HSC English exams shorter and put word limits on answers will make it easier for students to game the system and will "further fuel the HSC tutoring industry".
From 2019, the NSW Education Standards Authority will change the way it tests HSC English, with plans for a reduction in the exam times, word limits and multiple-choice questions for English Studies, the lowest level course which will now count towards an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR). Read more.
Pauline Hanson ‘owes my son an apology’
Lindsay MP Emma Husar said One Nation Senator Pauline Hanson owes her son and “every single autistic child in this country” an apology for saying they should be segregated in schools.
Ms Husar’s 10-year-old son, Mitch, was diagnosed with autism at 18 months and has been in mainstream education for years, despite Ms Husar being warned he might never speak and she should never expect he could be included in a mainstream class. Read more.
Michael Cranston captured in phone taps on '$144m ATO tax fraud'
Australian Taxation Office deputy commissioner Michael Cranston allegedly told his son how to avoid being prosecuted for tax fraud, saying he could "mount a good case" for his eldest child that may throw investigators off.
Mr Cranston, 57, is captured in phone intercepts allegedly suggesting that Adam Cranston should tell a judge that he is not "the real director" of the fraudulent scheme's parent company and canvassing the possibility his son may be pursued for "unexplained wealth". Read more.
Australian police and Facebook launch AMBER Alert child abduction system
A national child abduction alert system that flashes urgent information about missing children on a person's Facebook feed has been launched in Australia.
Following in the footsteps of 12 other countries, Australia on Thursday launched the AMBER Alert initiative.
The system works with state and territory police to push urgent child abduction alerts onto a Facebook user's news feed if they are in the same area as the missing child. Read more.
Sydney plasterer recruited teen to set his prostitute girlfriend on fire
A Sydney plasterer who became fixated with a prostitute has been found guilty of recruiting a teenager to pour accelerant over her and set her alight.
Mohammed Ali Fouani, now 45, had wanted the Korean English student to be his girlfriend, give up her job and live with him.
He had pleaded not guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent and to recruiting a child to carry out a criminal act in March 2012 outside the Sydney brothel where the woman worked.
But on Wednesday, the District Court jury found him guilty of the two charges. Read more.
Foley pledges no road through Royal National Park
State Opposition Leader Luke Foley has promised a Labor government would not allow the proposed F6 extension to run through Royal National Park.
Mr Foley made the commitment in his reply to the budget in Parliament on Thursday.
He also said a Labor government would move to list Royal National Park for World Heritage listing – a process which the NSW and federal governments began two years ago, but which appears to be bogged down in government bureaucracy. Read more.
NSW players hurting after Origin game two loss
How much did losing Origin II hurt the NSW players?
Captain Boyd Cordner walked into the dressing room following Queensland's miracle 18-16 win in tears, heartbroken over the loss but also the possibility of a torn calf ruling him out of the decider.
According to those in the room, the Blues sat in silence for 10 minutes, unable to fathom what had just transpired. Contrast it to half-time when they were reassuring each other, "We've got these [expletives]".
Players wear defeat in different ways, especially the modern-day one. Some smile and laugh with loved ones: it doesn't mean they don't care, although there's nothing worse than seeing defeated players hugging and joking with the opposition on the field. Read more.
Jarryd Hayne the fall guy as Bennett leads attack over 'selfish' bombed try
The hero of NSW's only winning campaign of the past decade has emerged as the villain-in-chief for the capitulation against Queensland at ANZ Stadium, with Brisbane coach Wayne Bennett leading the criticism of Jarryd Hayne over a bombed try that could have wrapped up the series.
The past 10 years are littered with missed opportunities or what-could-have-been episodes for the Blues and Hayne's failure to pass to unmarked winger Brett Morris on the left wing in the 32nd minute on Wednesday night is up there with the best of them. Read more.
- Love your rugby league? Check out this week’s In The Clear Podcast below:
No way Johnathan Thurston won't play, says Cameron Smith
Cameron Smith reckons there is "no way" that Johnathan Thurston's shoulder injury will prevent him from playing in what shapes as an emotional State of Origin send-off in the Suncorp Stadium decider.
Thurston played through the pain to orchestrate yet another Maroons victory, nailing a sideline conversion at ANZ Stadium to keep the series alive.
The Cowboys playmaker was clearly hampered by the injury but bravely played on despite being targeted by the Blues. Read more.
Horne earns Wallabies recall as Michael Cheika wields axe for Italy match
Michael Cheika has delivered on his promise there would be changes for the Wallabies' clash with Italy, with six new players named in a revamped starting XV.
Rob Horne, Stephen Moore, Scott Sio, Rory Arnold, Lopeti Timani and Sefa Naivalu have all been rewarded with places in the starting side, some through form and other as a result of rotation.
Interestingly, Moore has been named at starting hooker and will captain the side in place of Michael Hooper – a clear sign Cheika still wants Moore as skipper of the team when he could easily transition him out of the role before the 2019 World Cup. Read more.
A-League Johnny Warren Medallist Milos Ninkovic has received yet more recognition of his stellar Sydney FC campaign with inclusion in FIFA 17's rest of world team of the season.
EA Sports have been naming their FIFA 17 ultimate teams of the season featuring sides made up from the English Premier League, La Liga and Bundesliga among various others. Read more.
Sydney FC sell star goalkeeper Danny Vukovic to Belgian club Genk
Sydney FC will allow star goalkeeper Danny Vukovic to leave the club and pursue a dream move to Europe after agreeing terms with Belgian club Genk for the sale of their grand final hero.
The Sky Blues preference was to retain Vukovic but granted the 32-year-old his request to play in Europe for the first time in his career and accepted a club-record transfer fee from Genk.
It's understood the Sky Blues will receive nearly $1 million for the sale of Vukovic who was crowned the A-League goalkeeper of the year. Read more.