Hello all, and welcome to the last day before the long weekend.

1. The federal government and the states are in open war over vaccines. NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard accused the feds yesterday of undermining his state’s vaccine rollout, and Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles said communication was poor and the federal government had not guaranteed a supply of vaccine doses.

2. This all started thanks to government minister David Littleproud, who – perhaps unwisely – popped up on Nine to say the states needed to “just need to pull their finger out” on vaccines. “They have done three-fifths of bugger all,” Littleproud said. “The states have been tasked with this responsibility. The fact is they have left these in the rack when they could have put them into people’s arms.” You can see why the states might be a tad pissed off about that.

3. Bluesfest has been cancelled for the second year in a row, after a Byron Bay man tested positive to COVID-19 on Tuesday night. “NSW Health acknowledges that the cancellation of Bluesfest is disappointing for ticket holders and event organisers, however while urgent investigations and contact tracing are ongoing, NSW Health is adopting a cautious approach to keep everyone safe,” the ministry said in a statement.

4. As many as 5,000 businesses could enter administration over the coming months, says credit assessment firm CreditorWatch. Temporary protections for firms trading while insolvent have come to an end, meaning weak firms may have no choice but to wind up. “We’re going to see sustained increases in administration numbers until they reach normal levels,” said CreditorWatch CEO Patrick Coghlan.

5. Education Minister Alan Tudge says he is “increasingly hopeful” international students will be back on Australian campuses by the first semester of 2022. In a speech delivered yesterday at Melbourne’s RMIT, Tudge urged the country’s university sector to overhaul how it approaches the lucrative class of student. Tudge laid out a wish list that ranged from reprioritising the student experience and diversifying away from China, to fighting skills shortages and promoting regional campuses.

6. Are you selling your Gladys bucks? Some NSW residents are selling their Dine & Discover vouchers on online marketplaces like eBay and Facebook buy & sell groups. Each NSW adult resident is eligible for four vouchers worth $25 each, as part of a scheme meant to encourage spending in the state’s hospitality, entertainment and tourism sectors. Exchanging screenshots or printed versions of the vouchers is a violation of the scheme’s conditions, according to the NSW government.

7. Sydney house prices surged 3.6% in March – the fastest monthly rise in 33 years. Probably fine, right? The CoreLogic March Index set to be released today is also likely to show Melbourne dwelling prices jumping 2.2%, Brisbane 2.4%, Adelaide 1.4% and Perth 1.7%. “I think the [Sydney] market is getting too hot, too quickly,” said Douglas Driscoll, chief executive of real estate group Starr Partners.

8. Facebook is making major changes to how its News Feed works. Users will be able to quickly switch between different categorisations of their feed, from an algorithmically-driven one, to one arranged solely by chronological order, to one chosen by the users through a new “favourites” tool. The platform will also give deeper control to users and page managers on who can comment on posts – including blocking comments altogether.

9. US President Joe Biden has unveiled the first part of his up to $US4 trillion plan to overhaul the American economy. The package announced today, called the American Jobs Plan, will cost around $US2 trillion. The bill features substantial investments in transportation, broadband, and care workers. “Now it’s time to rebuild,” Biden said during his announcement, adding: “Wall Street didn’t build this country. You, the great middle class, built this country, and unions built the middle class.”

10. France will enter a four-week COVID-19 lockdown starting Saturday, President Macron said Wednesday. Macron said that schools would close for three weeks, that a nationwide curfew would be imposed from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m., and that nonessential shops would shut. “We will lose control if we do not move now,” Macron said in a televised address.

BONUS ITEM

Hmm.

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