Coles’ shameless ‘Down Down’ promotions have been exposed. So why aren’t they even trying to rebuilt trust? | John Quiggin

Like millions of Australians, I shop at Coles. I’m not as careful as I should be, but I try to buy things advertised as being discounted, or on special. But after following a recent case before the federal court, I’ll be checking my old receipts before accepting such claims. In particular, I’ll be avoiding “Down Down” promotions. On the evidence before the court, such promotions are routinely used as a way of implementing price increases

Trump’s immigration siege is rattling hospitality industry, workers say

Donald Trump’s immigration policies are having a chilling effect on the hospitality industry, where nearly a third of workers are immigrants, according to the largest hospitality union in the US.The number of employed hospitality workers dropped by 98,000 from December 2024 to December 2025, according to a report from Unite Here, which represents 300,000 workers across the hospitality, food and tourism industries in the US and Canada.Union leaders say the Trump administration’s brutal immigration crackdown has not only scared workers but has also discouraged international tourism. The US saw a decline of $1.2bn, or a 5

Illinois governor proposes cancelling tax breaks for datacenters

The Illinois governor JB Pritzker proposed a two-year break from offering tax incentives for datacenters, a reflection of increasing public pushback against the massive, resource-hungry facilities used to power the modern AI boom.Pritzker made the proposal, which will need the backing of state lawmakers, during his annual state of the state address, which covers Illinois budget and policy plans. The plan was first reported by NBC News.“In the face of rising demand and surging prices, I’m proposing a two-year pause on authorization of new datacenter tax credits,” Pritzker said. “With the shifting energy landscape, it is imperative that our growth does not undermine affordability and stability for our families

Tesla avoids California sales ban by removing ‘autopilot’ from marketing

Tesla will avoid a 30-day suspension of its dealer and manufacturer licenses in California, its biggest market, after the US electric vehicle maker stopped using the term “autopilot” in the marketing of its vehicles in the state.Tesla now uses the term “supervised” in references to its full self-driving technology and has stopped using “autopilot” entirely in its marketing in the state.State regulators said Tuesday that Tesla had stopped misleading drivers about the safety of its cars, and so the state will not suspend its state sales license for 30 days, as had been threatened.The decision by the California department of motor vehicles comes after CEO Elon Musk’s electric vehicle company was found by an administrative law judge last year to have misled drivers about the ability of Tesla cars to drive themselves in its use of the terms “autopilot” and “full self-driving”. In 2022, the DMV had accused Tesla of misleading consumers by using “autopilot” and “full self-driving” for its advanced driver-assistance features

Winter Olympics 2026: USA defeat Sweden in men’s ice hockey and glory for Shiffrin on day 12 – as it happened

Wow. Nothing like some late night Olympic drama. Before you hit the hay, spare a thought for Sweden’s goalkeeper Jacob Markström who stopped 38 of 40 shots this evening but ends up on the losing side and with his medal hopes dashed. Beautiful, cruel sport.Friday’s men’s Ice Hockey semi-finals are confirmed as Canada vs Finland and USA vs Slovakia

When curlers need snookers: Team GB fight on at Winter Olympics after day of drama

These are strained days at the curling arena, where the chances of the two British teams are teetering like a bus full of bullion that’s backed over the lip of a cliff.Both the men and women ended up in a position where they need to win every game they play and hope other results go their way to have any chance of making the semi-finals. Curling is one of the very few sports left being contested at the Winter Olympics in which the British fancy their chances, and Team GB’s hopes of getting anywhere near their medal target will turn on the curl of the stones in the next few days.Hang on a minute lads, anyone got a bright idea? “Play better,” the British skip Bruce Mouat told his team. The Brits had three matches between them on Wednesday