Briefly for all subscribers for at 6am on Monday, July 14, the key scoops, breaking news, deep-dives, editorials, analysis and other news links in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate today are:

* Another slash catastrophe unfolded over the weekend in the Nelson/Marlborough/Tasman region as the second ‘one-in-one-hundred-year’ flash flood in two weeks unleashed a torrent of pine forest waste, forming dams and wiping out homes and a campground. See more below in my Top Six ‘Pick ‘n’ Mix’.

* However, yet again, none of the storm coverage by RNZ, NZ Herald, 1News, The Nelson Mail-$ or the The Press-$ mentioned climate change. One Stuff article purporting to explain the floods also didn’t mention climate change. The blame is now focused, again, on the pine forest industry, which avoided major changes after inquiries into the Cyclone Gabrielle storm. See more below in my Climate Pick ‘n’ Mix. I spoke with Jesse Mulligan on RNZ Afternoons about this on Monday. It was broadcast on Tuesday.

* Large and small electricity consumers have launched a new campaign for electricity market reform. See more below in my Top Six ‘Pick ‘n’ Mix.

* The Government is awarding new work rights to try to bring in an extra 30,000 students a year. Meanwhile, an editorial in the NZ Herald and a column by the editor of the Sunday Star Times-$ argue against using cheap temporary workers to juice economic growth and disguise a hollowing out of Aotearoa-NZ. See more below in my Top Six and Politics Pick ‘n’ Mixes.

* Donald Trump is threatening 30% tariffs on the European Union and Mexico to start from August 1. See more in Scoops and breaking news this morning below.

* Today’s must-watch is an interview with two doctors on 1News’ Q+A with Jack Tame about the risks of privatisation of our health system.

Paying subscribers see more detail, analysis and commentary below the paywall and in the podcast above, along with my full Picks ‘n’ Mixes for this morning. I’ll open it up for all to read, listen and share if paying subscribers give it more than 100 likes.

My Top Six Pick ’n’ Mix for Monday, July 14

* Jack Tame for 1News’ Q+A: Electricity market concerns outlined in new campaign. The coalition of groups says the current system is failing to provide sufficient electricity generation.

* Jack Tame for 1News’ Q&A: Doctors warn private health moves risk a US-style systemFounders of the Canterbury Charity Hospital, Dame Sue Bagshaw and Dr Phil Bagshaw, are opposed to moves to shift more operations to private providers.

* Mary Argue for RNZ: 'Flash-flood' devastates small community in Motueka Valley

* Jenee Tibshraeny for NZ Herald-$: Willis wanted tighter Budget access. Finance Minister’s secretive lockup plan sparked controversy.

* Editorial by NZ Herald-$: Using immigration as a primary tool to drive economic growth is risky business

* Reuters: Trump intensifies trade war with threat of 30% tariffs on EU, Mexico

The best of the rest

Scoops and breaking news here and overseas this morning

* Nina Hindmarsh for Nelson Mail-$: Water had no where to go. Pigeon Valley resident says flooding was worsened by uncleared debris from previous events.

* Stuff: Tasman mayor says weather ‘the most devastating’ he’s seen

* NZ Herald: Govt wants to increase international students by over 30,000 by 2034

* Thomas Manch for Stuff: Boost to work rights for international students to drive $7b sector

* Stuff: Queenstown housing crisis worsens, waitlist grows by 41% in two years

* AP: The EU is delaying retaliatory tariffs on US goods in hopes of reaching a deal by Aug. 1

Politics & geopolitics

* Column by Tracy Watkins for Sunday Star Times-$: The hollowing out of New Zealand. Mass migration has allowed successive governments to fool themselves and us into thinking the exodus to Australia isn’t a crisis

* Stuff: Seymour wants a fast-track for new supermarket companies

* RNZ: Peeni Henare to contest Tāmaki Makaurau by-election for Labour

* NZ Herald-$: ‘Affront to NZ’s sovereignty’: David Seymour v the United Nations

* Sue Wood interviewed by Joanna Wane for NZ Herald-$: 'You weren’t sure who you could trust’: Sue Wood's time in ‘snake pit' National Party

* Column by Vernon Small for Sunday Star Times-$: Is the Government just paying lip service to cost of living concerns? It’s taken credit for interest rate cuts, but the real public relations test for the Government will be in the actions it takes to curb supermarket prices and ensure cheap and reliable energy supply.

Business, economy & tech

* 1News’ Q+A: Kiwi founder of Marketplace says Facebook is a 'complex mirror'Kiwi Bowen Pan, who spearheaded the development of Facebook Marketplace, tells Q+A "it's hard to say" if the social media platform represents a net good in the world.

* Column by Martin Sandbu for FT-$ (gift link that opens 3 times): The frightening world without the dollar

* NZ Herald: 99% of people couldn't afford this: Massive South Island stations aim for $140m

* Column by Rod Carr for Sunday Star Times-$: Artificial intelligence is not wise. The new technology falls short in understanding unintended consequences, mutations, and randomness - and is not, therefore, “wise”.

* Op-Ed by One NZ Chief Enterprise Officer Mike Purchase for Sunday Star Times-$: When it comes to digitising NZ, we’re missing a bold strategy. Right now, too many of our government services still feel disjointed, overly manual, or just plain outdated. Try applying for multiple business licences in one go, and it’s like stepping back in time.

* Tom Pullar Strecker for The Post-$: Manufacturers still struggling despite hopes for recover

Housing

* Hamish McNeilly for Stuff: Battle of the bond: Inside the Tenancy Tribunal with a notorious landlord

* Anne Gibson for NZ Herald-$: Auckland retiree faces eviction as ground rent jumps 344%

* Caroline Williams for Stuff: What Rotorua is doing to get kids out of emergency housing motels

* OneRoof: Out-of-town buyers hot for deceased estate with $235,000 price tag

* NZ Herald: Deadly volcanic eruption clouds could travel 15km across Auckland - research

* Miriam Bell for Sunday Star Times-$: The cost of building a house is high, but it will never get betterBuilding costs in NZ are 50% higher than in Australia and they’re still climbing. But this might be as good as it gets for hopeful homebuilders

Transport, infrastructure & councils

* Stewart Sowman-Lund for Sunday Star Times-$: More residents front up with concerns over fast-tracked Ellerslie development. Some fear Auckland Council is turning a blind eye, after an email emerged questioning whether they could be making complaints ‘just for the sake of it’.

* Libby Kirkby-McLeod for RNZ: No timetable, no set stops could be working for Tauranga public transport

* Amelia Wade for Sunday Star Times-$: Conefusion: Are there too many road cones? We still don’t know. The prime minister said road cones were “clogging up the joint” but one month after the launch of a hotline, there’s been very few genuine complaints. And no one knows how much it’s costing.

* Tom Hunt for The Post-$: Wellington Water reveals $2.7m traffic bill and $1.4m corporate fee on single project. Wellington Water has finally released some of the numbers behind its multimillion-dollar Taranaki St project — and they include $4m for traffic control and the utility’s fee.

* Deep-dive by Jonathan Killick for Sunday Star Times-$: ‘Democracy in crisis’: Council reps complain of bureaucracy’s ‘quiet agenda’In an unusual twist, Auckland Council may end up using ratepayer funds to legally challenge itself.

* Op-Ed by Sarah Sparks for Sunday Star Times-$: Māori ward referendums: Will voters support a more inclusive democracy? Our nation’s commitment to Māori representation is back on the line, and we’ll soon see how committed Aotearoa really is to genuine partnership.

Poverty, living costs, work, education & crime

* Deep-dive by Elsie Williams for The Post-$: Young and shut out: Gen Z face the harshest job market in years. CVs handed out in person. Hundreds of online applications. Training that comes to nothing. Young people are bearing the brunt of New Zealand’s downturn “by a country mile”, and face one of the most challenging labour markets in memory.

* Op-Ed by Madison Burgess-Smith for The Post-$: Young and living in NZ? It’s probably better than you thinkOPINION: New Zealand might just be one of the best places in the world to be young, broke-ish, and building a life.

* Deep-dive by Stewart Sowman-Lund for Sunday Star Times-$: Work, Interrupted: The kids, the mortgage, but no job. What next?What’s it like to be a mid-career professional looking for work? For Rory O’Sullivan, it means grappling with potentially having to sell the house.

* Stuff: 'We have a life here': Couple whose baby was born at 27 weeks fighting to stay in NZ

* NZ Herald: Company that lends flexible line of credit for divorce proceedings launches in NZ

Climate, water, land, air and environment

* Column for Andrea Vance for Sunday Star Times-$: The new politics of climate adaptation. Who gets saved? While some are still picking up the pieces after major weather events, others are fighting to protect their views.

* RNZ: 'Hopefully we can lend a hand' - more Kiwi fire-fighters head to Canada

* AP: US has reclosed its southern border after a flesh-eating parasite is seen further north in Mexico

* AP: Death threats over Texas flooding cartoon force museum journalism event to be postponed

* 1News: Key Nelson route remains shut as flood clean-up continuesNelson Tasman region remains under a state of emergency after up to 200mm of rain fell in some areas over Friday night into Saturday morning.

* Mary Argue for RNZ: Elderly couple rescued in digger bucket, as 'wall of water' hits Tasman holiday park

Good news & solutions

* Op-Ed by Chloe Swarbrick for NZ Herald: Why NZ should consider a wealth tax on the ultra-rich

* Column by Audrey Young for NZ Herald-$: What if the PM fell under a bus? Nicola Willis and Chris Bishop would lead the running if the Government suddenly needed a new leader.

* 1News: Lithium battery fires being lit to tackle rubbish truck blazesFourteen fires have been reported inside trucks this year, matching the total for all of last year.

* NZ Herald: ‘Life-changing’: Wellington man back on weight loss drug after Medsafe approval

* NZ Herald: Insulation rule changes could cut $15k from new build costs

* Mary Argue for RNZ: Elderly couple rescued in digger bucket, as 'wall of water' hits Tasman holiday park

Cartoon: Sargent Schulz

Timeline cleansing nature pic

Ka kite ano

Bernard

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