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Australia's housing market experienced a notable slowdown as preliminary auction clearance rates across capital cities dropped to 48.2%, marking a three-month low. Property researcher Cotality tracked 1,223 auctions, representing a 12.8% decrease week-on-week and a 37.5% decline year-on-year.

The New Zealand Labour Party has released its fiscal policy ahead of the upcoming general election, committing to achieve a government budget surplus by 2029 and restore previous pay equity regulations. The economic strategy targets a return to surplus aligned with Treasury projections, while capping annual operating allowances at 2.4 billion New Zealand dollars and reducing net public debt below 20 percent of GDP over time. Alongside fiscal rules, Labour pledged to repeal recent amendments to pay equity legislation, allowing female-dominated workforces to pursue compensation claims for systemic gender-based underpayment. This initiative includes an immediate four-dollar-an-hour pay increase for 65,000 care and support workers, estimated to cost 2.5 billion dollars through 2031. While trade unions and supporting advocacy groups welcomed the structural corrections for undervalued industries, the governing National Party criticized the package, arguing that the broad commitments lack detailed funding baselines.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officially deleted the Kerr-McGee Kress Creek and West Branch DuPage River site in DuPage County, Illinois, from the Superfund National Priorities List following a comprehensive and successful multi-million dollar cleanup of radioactive thorium waste. The contamination originated from historic monazite ore processing by Lindsay Light and Chemical Company dating back to the 1930s. Decades of joint state and federal collaboration culminated in the removal of hazardous tailings, stream restoration, and safe offsite disposal. Local and federal officials celebrated the milestone as a major victory for environmental protection and community revitalization. Although the federal NPL designation is removed, ongoing monitoring and separate frameworks remain in place for other related local sites. The action reflects streamlined federal environmental reviews aimed at returning restored land and waterways to productive public use.

Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Ro Khanna traveled to California to lead a high-profile weekend rally in support of Proposition 40, a landmark ballot measure proposing a one-time 5 percent wealth tax on the state's billionaires. The late campaign push comes as recent polling shows the measure leading narrowly, while facing stiff opposition from Governor Gavin Newsom, tech industry executives, and crypto interests pouring hundreds of millions into advertising. Proponents argue the tax is essential to fund critical public services, including healthcare, education, and food assistance, while critics warn it could prompt wealthy residents and businesses to leave the state.