☕️ (Free) power to the people

As promised, here’s a breakdown of yesterday’s survey results, of which there were thousands.

Here’s what I took away from these results: 75% of you chose options that don't involve money. That's not surprising – many of you told us you're students, or dealing with cost-of-living pressures. That really matters to us. We’re going to do our best to keep this newsletter free for all, because we fundamentally believe news should be accessible to all.

But here's the thing: 25% of you said you'd be happy to pay a little to support what we do. That's... actually huge. In your written feedback, you told us something important: you value TDA enough to pay for it, but you also want it to remain accessible to everyone else.

So here's what we're going to do. For those who want all the newsletters, you can sign up to the others by clicking some ‘subscribe’ buttons here. More subscribers across all our newsletters = more engaged readers = more leverage with carefully-selected brands we work with = we can keep this all free, forever.

For those who want to contribute financially, that’s incredible - but only if you are in a position to do so. Here’s the link to our voluntary contribution program, TDA+U. Shouting us a coffee or lunch once a month makes a massive difference.

Tomorrow, I thought I’d break down some of the comments that were left, because there are some really interesting themes in there. But for now, here’s the bottom line: we're not going behind a paywall. We're not going to do that thing where you suddenly need a subscription for the "good stuff." That's not TDA.

But we do want to grow (darn ambitious kids). So if you can do any of the things above – subscribe to more newsletters, share with friends, or contribute a few dollars – it all genuinely helps. Now let’s get to the news.

“Once we heard he was unreleasable, we jumped in to offer to give him a home because we know that we can give him the best of the best for the rest of his life, and to avoid him going to a crocodile farm”
Australia Zoo Rescue Unit Manager Toby Millyard in a social media post announcing the zoo has re-homed ‘Old Faithful’, a four-metre crocodile captured and released by the late Steve Irwin in the 1990s. Conservationists and local Indigenous groups have said the crocodile should remain in its environment in Far North Queensland. Under state law, any crocodile that is longer than four metres or has unusual characteristics is considered an “icon” and can be rehomed to a sanctuary.

10%
The percentage of total revenue in Australia that streaming services would be required to allocate to new local programming under a new Federal Government proposal. Arts Minister Tony Burke said streamers "are having no problem getting their content into Australia,” and must now “guarantee” Australian stories “continue to be made”.

Opsimath [OP-sih-math]
Definition: A person who begins to learn late in life.
Sentence: “She was an opsimath, taking up painting at 70 and becoming remarkably skilled."

The Maldives has banned anyone born in or after 2007 from ever buying tobacco. The South Asian country has become the first in the world to enforce a generational ban on tobacco.

Meanwhile, the UK is debating a bill that would ban people born in or after 2009 from buying tobacco.

Under the ban, people born on or after 2007 are prohibited from buying or using tobacco products in the Maldives.

The ban applies to all forms of tobacco, and retailers must check customers’ ID before selling it. Violating the ban could result in a fine worth around $AU5,000.

It follows a ban last year on e-cigarettes and vaping products, which applied to everyone in the Maldives, including tourists.

The country’s health ministry said the ban “promotes a tobacco-free generation” and demonstrates the Government’s “strong commitment to protecting young people”.

The Maldives’ ban comes one year after the UK Government introduced a bill to Parliament that would ban smoking for anyone born after 2009.

The bill has support from a majority of MPs and is currently before the upper house, the House of Lords. This year, the UK banned single-use vapes.

Reporting by Anju Dhanushkodi.

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The Federal Government has announced plans to give households in parts of the country access to free power for “at least three hours in the middle of the day” from next year.

Power companies will be required to provide solar energy to eligible homes in NSW, SA, and parts of Queensland, even if they don’t have solar panels.

A peak body for power companies has raised concerns about a lack of consultation on the scheme. Here’s what to know.

Energy Minister Chris Bowen introduced the ‘Solar Sharer’ scheme this week. It will require energy companies to provide households with three hours of free power during the day when the sun is at its highest.

The scheme will apply to households with smart meters in SA, NSW, and South East Queensland by July 2026.

A smart meter measures a home’s electricity use and sends that data to power companies.

The Government suggested the scheme could be expanded in 2027.

In Australia, rooftop solar has more capacity than coal-fired power stations, which Bowen said makes energy prices “very cheap” during peak solar generation.

Households that sign up to the scheme are encouraged to run devices that require large amounts of power, such as electric vehicle chargers and air conditioners, during the window.

Bowen said the offer “will lower costs for the system as a whole by lowering peak demand in the evenings.” The Government has now opened up the proposal for public consultation.

In July, one of Australia’s largest energy providers, AGL, introduced its “Three for Free” plan. SA customers who use this plan can access three hours of free power between 10am to 1pm daily.

AGL said the plan was “particularly useful for renters, or people with shared or unsuitable roofs for solar.”

The Australian Energy Council (AEC) – the peak body representing energy retailers – said the Solar Sharer offer “was a surprise to the industry”.

CEO Louisa Kinnear said a lack of consultation “risks damaging industry confidence.”

Kinnear raised concerns about retailers complying with the scheme, saying ”universal access to a product... [puts] risks on retailers” that could see smaller companies “exiting a market.”

The scheme comes as the Coalition continues to debate its stance on net zero targets.

The Nationals have unanimously agreed to stop supporting net-zero emissions by 2050.

Coalition partner the Liberal Party, which is yet to reach a consensus on net zero, said it acknowledges the Nationals’ decision “as their own party… to arrive at their own position.”

Reporting by Emily Donohoe.

Political decisions decide everything – from cost of living to climate policy

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^{Source: Research.com, 2025}

🍊 Female jockey rides into history at the Melbourne Cup. Read more here.
🍊 Tennis’ end-of-season WTA and ATP Finals are here. More details.
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🗞️ Also in the Sport Newsletter: NRL, soccer, and more…

Queensland University of Technology Distinguished Professor Lidia Morawska was awarded the top prize for her research into air quality, including the impacts of pollution and airborne disease transmission. In 2020, Morawska led a group of 240 scientists who proved that COVID-19 was mainly transmitted through the air. The finding transformed infection control strategies.

A new prize for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Knowledge Systems was awarded to Professor Michael Wear, who founded Tidal Moon, “Australia’s first Indigenous-owned and led sea cucumber fishery and marine restoration enterprise.” Officials said Tidal Moon plays “a leading role in environmental observation and seagrass restoration.”

Want more good news? Sign up to our weekly Good Newsletter here - we promise it’ll make your week better!

Reporting by Emily Donohoe.

TDA reports on important global issues, and today is no exception.

U.S. tabloid People magazine has named its Sexiest Man Alive for 2025: British actor Jonathan Bailey.

It’s a victory for fans of ‘Bridgerton,’ ‘Wicked’, and his iconic turn in ‘Chewing Gum’.

The 37-year-old also becomes the first openly gay man to receive the title, joining the likes of Paul Rudd, Chris Hemsworth, and David Beckham.

People also had other categories, including Sexiest ‘Green Flag’ Fictional Character, which went to (no surprise) Conrad Fisher from ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’, and Sexiest Cat Dad, which went to Dave Franco.

If you’re interested in more pop culture moments, you can subscribe to our culture newsletter here.

Reporting by Anju Dhanushkodi.

Health experts have joined forces to call on the Government to introduce national legislation that would make it illegal to give birth without a doctor or midwife present. It comes after several recent deaths linked to a practice known as freebirth.

Today, we’ll explain what that means, where the push for regulation has come from, and what experts are saying about it.