ALLEGED CHARLOTTESVILLE TERRORIST HAS NAZI VIEWS

A 20-year-old man has been charged after a car plowed into anti-racist protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia. James Alex Fields Jr, the man alleged to have committed the act, was pictured with members of the neo-Nazi group Vanguard America the day before the incident, which occurred as far-right groups rallied to protest against the planned removal of a statue of Confederate general Robert E Lee. A former teacher of Fields’ told The Washington Post that he had showed interest in and admiration for the Nazis during high school.

The car assault left scores injured and killed 32-year-old woman Heather Heyer. Right-wing and alt-right news sites initially blamed the violence on an “anti-Trump druggie” after false theories surfaced online.

In a separate incident, a police helicopter observing the protest crashed, killing two officers.

The Trump administration was drawn into the controversy after the president failed to criticise the neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups assembled in Virginia, instead criticising “egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides”. That provoked outrage, and the administration today clarified that its initial statement included “white supremacists, K.K.K. neo-Nazi and all extremist groups”.

CHURCHES LAUNCH ANTI-MARRIAGE EQUALITY CAMPAIGN

Sydney’s Catholic Archbishop Anthony Foster has been given front-page treatment in The Australian today to argue that many Australians and faith-based institutions would be at risk of “harassment and coercion” if religious freedoms aren’t protected under any same-sex marriage legislation. Foster thinks religious schools, hospital, charities and welfare agencies could be “jeopardised” by a yes vote, according to the Oz. The Australian Financial Review reports that the Australian Christian Lobby’s Lyle Shelton is planning to advocate a boycott of companies that support same-sex marriage. But further on in the Fin, the Rear Window column takes a look at whether there’s any point to a boycott on producing ads for the No campaign by agencies. Given the groups lobbying against same-sex marriage aren’t really cashed up, it’s no biggie to reject what little money they might have for an advertising campaign. Campaigner Toby Ralph told the column:

“It’s like a Paramatta hooker sending out a press release announcing that she won’t marry into the Royal family because it’s anachronistic. Nobody proposed. Principles are meaningless until they cost you a buck.”

SHORTEN’S TAX BILL

Modelling based on Labor’s tax plan shows a $167 billion cost to the budget over 10 years, according to the News Corp tabloids. Treasurer Scott Morrison told The Daily Telegraph it was an “unprecedented tax grab” that wouldn’t lift wages. The modelling from the Parliamentary Budget Office and Treasury has been released as the government prepares to return to its business tax cuts agenda.

IMMIGRATION SECRECY RULES LIFTED

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has quietly lifted secrecy provisions over the immigration detention system, Fairfax Media reports. Refugee advocates had challenged rules — which threatened detention centre workers with jail time for speaking out about abuse or neglect — in the High Court. Under the amendments to the Australian Border Force Act, the provisions will now only apply to information that could harm the national or public interest, which Dutton told Fairfax would “reflect the original policy intent”.

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WHAT’S ON TODAY

Sydney: State funeral for soccer journalist Les Murray

Sydney: RBA assistant governor Christopher Kent will speak at Moody’s Analytics Forum

Melbourne: The Victorian Supreme Court will hand down its judgement on CFMEU Victorian boss John Setka‘s bid to dismiss blackmail charges.

London: Final day of the world athletics championships

THE COMMENTARIAT

Malcolm Turnbull’s ANZUS offer on North Korea was premature — James Curran (Australian Financial Review $): “In short, the Prime Minister’s remarks offer the US a blank cheque.”

Why Tony Abbott can’t be ignored — Paul Bongiorno (The Saturday Paper): “The Abbott grab bag of alt-right grievances amply demonstrates his crusade against same-sex marriage is merely a proxy against the sort of modernity he identifies with Turnbull and contemporary Australia.”

We have more concerns than the 0.38 per cent same-sex households — Margaret Kelly (The Australian $): “No one these days lifts an eyebrow when speaking to a male or female homosexual couple, because people are really prepared to like other people for who they are. Nor does anyone mock them (except in jest, when it is often invited), but rather embraces the talent of cross-dressers — who frankly are some of the greatest comedians and social commentators you could ever encounter. I do not know what LGBTI means.”

For the record, I’ll be voting ‘yes’ — Amanda Vanstone (Sydney Morning Herald): “Heterosexuals have been rushing out of marriage for decades. If gay people want to rush in I’m delighted. Let’s not listen any more to that rubbish about marriage being between a man and a woman, to the exclusion of all others, for life.”

THE WORLD

A Canadian pastor who was held captive by North Korea for two and a half years says his release was a gesture of goodwill from the rogue state. Hyeon Soo Lim was released last week and told a crowd in Toronto “I believe Kim Jung-un let me go as a gesture of goodwill in the face of so much rhetoric.” — Reuters

Danish police say that a submarine connected to the death of journalist Kim Wall was deliberately sunk. Wall had gone to inspect the craft with its owner Peter Madsen, who was rescued from the water but subsequently charged with manslaughter. Wall’s body has not been recovered. — BBC 

WHAT WE’RE READING

The battle of Charlottesville (The New Yorker): “We have entered a new phase of the Trump era. The breach that Trump has courted since he first emerged in public life has become apparent; it is more deadly and its architects more emboldened. What happened in Virginia was not the culminating battle of this conflict. It’s likely a tragic preface to more of the same.”

Why China won’t isolate North Korea (Politico): “The prospect of millions of refugees pouring into China, economic instability in its northern provinces and a possible war on the Korean peninsula are more pressing realities for Beijing than North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons.”

Will the blowhard blow us up? (New York Times): “Watching Trump, 71, and Kim, 33, trade taunts is particularly disturbing because they mirror each other in so many unhinged ways. Trump is a democratically elected strongman and Kim is a fratricidal despot, but they both live in bizarro fantasy worlds where lying and cheating is the norm.”

After the flame (ESPN): “Almost a year since the Games closed, the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee still owes $40 million to creditors. Bloomberg reported in April that the Olympic organizers were attempting to pay creditors with air conditioners, portable energy units and electrical cables. In July, the organizing committee asked the International Olympic Committee for help with its debt; the IOC said no.” 

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