Happy hump day! Hope you took in all the sun yesterday before the thunderstorms last night. There's another high chance of showers today, most likely in the morning and afternoon. We're in for a top of 25 degrees.

Sit back, relax - here's what's making news in the capital.

The ACT's Chief Planner has given a Canberra developer the green light to remove a protected tree in Manuka to make way for a new hotel, in a move residents say pits the big end of town against the community.

The decision to allow the removal of the protected London Plane tree on Franklin Street in Manuka brings developer Sotiria Liangis one step closer to her long-held plans to redevelop the prominent block on Canberra Avenue.

Daniel Burdon has the story.

The ACT government is considering putting the city bus interchange underground, turning it into an airport-style waiting lounge, while the land above it could be transformed into a vibrant public space.

The City Renewal Authority has issued a tender for a feasibility study to determine whether this could be a practical option for the city centre.

Sally Pryor reports.

Two Canberra Hospital cleaners have been sacked for falling asleep during an unpaid break at 4am.

The workers, Tshering and Sonam, who only wanted to be referred to by their first names, fell asleep in the day surgery waiting area - while all theatres were closed - about 4am during their designated unpaid break, behaviour contractor ISS labelled a "serious breach" of the company's code of conduct.

Read Daniella White's story here.

The ACT's peak parents group wants to see the capital's first vertical school built along the light rail corridor.

Building the capital's first vertical school along the new light rail corridor could help ease classroom overcrowding, according to the ACT's peak parents group.

Almost 20 per cent of Canberra public schools are full or almost full, according to 2018 government census data

Story by Chloe Livadeas and Sherryn Groch here.

And in sport ...

Keely Froling thought her exams were over - six were surely enough for a Canberra Capitals forward balancing studies and WNBL duties with a road trip to Perth wedged in the middle.

But she found herself undergoing another one alongside one of her tutors as the Capitals underwent groundbreaking concussion testing at the University of Canberra on Tuesday.

More from Caden Helmers here.