☕️ Baltimore bridge disaster

Good morning.

I’ve spent too many minutes thinking about whether or not I should still put a riddle in newsletters on Wednesdays (because in case you missed it, we now have a daily emoji riddle game).

We had a Very Serious Conversation about it in the office and decided that… you can never have too many riddles.

But in honour of the game debuting this week, we're doing a special ‘emoji edition’ of the riddle. Don't worry, we'll hit you with a normal riddle next week.

Can you name this musician?

🐍📺️🪄🅰️

The answer is in the tidbit!

I’ve got 10 seconds

Quote of the day

“Obviously we didn’t make it, and I take responsibility for that… my time is up.” 
Tasmania’s Opposition Leader Rebecca White has resigned from the Labor leadership after the party lost a fourth consecutive election.

Stat of the day

$280,000
How much landfill company Dial-A-Dump has been fined after hundreds of people in Western Sydney complained about a ‘rotten egg’ smell coming from a tip.

Today in history

1998
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Viagra, allowing it to be sold to millions of men in the country. The erectile dysfunction treatment was approved in Australia nine months later.

I’ve got 30 seconds

Some headlines from this morning:

• Legislation to jail immigration detainees who don’t “cooperate” with the deportation process is expected to pass the Senate today. Labor introduced its proposed amendment to the Migration Act in Parliament yesterday, with the support of the Coalition. It means non-citizens will be required to comply with “efforts to ensure their prompt and lawful removal” from Australia, otherwise, they will face lengthy prison sentences and large fines. It comes amid debate in the High Court over whether the Government can lawfully force asylum seekers to leave the country if they face persecution in their home country.

• The New Zealand Government has raised concerns with the Chinese Government over foreign cyber interference. New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters said officials have spoken to the Chinese Ambassador to address “foreign interference” concerns, which he described as “unacceptable.” It follows action against alleged Chinese cyber activity by UK and U.S. authorities this week.

I’ve got 1 minute

A ship has collided with a major bridge in the U.S. city of Baltimore, causing it to collapse

A major bridge in Baltimore, in the U.S. state of Maryland, has collapsed after a container ship crashed into it. This happened at about 1.30am local time on Tuesday.

Two people have been pulled from the water, with authorities saying there are still six missing people. Local authorities said in a press conference they believe the people in the water are construction crew who were working on the bridge at the time.

Mayday alert

According to Maryland Governor Wes Moore, the crew onboard the ship issued a mayday alert that it had lost power and control of the ship before it crashed into the bridge. This meant local officials could stop traffic at both ends of the bridge before it collapsed. Moore said the people who stopped traffic are “heroes”.

“They saved lives last night.”

President’s statement

U.S. President Joe Biden said: “It’s my intention that federal government will pay for the entire cost of reconstructing that bridge.”

He added: “Everything so far indicates that this was a terrible accident. At this time, we have no other indication — no other reason to believe there was any intentional act here.”

I’ve got 2 minutes

The UK High Court has ruled the U.S. must prove Julian Assange won’t face the death penalty

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange won’t be immediately extradited to the U.S. to face spying charges.

A UK court has given U.S authorities three weeks to guarantee Assange won’t face the death penalty if he is tried in an American court.

It means Assange could still avoid extradition, but an appeal hearing is not yet certain.

The Australian is accused of publishing thousands of classified U.S. military documents.

Here’s the latest.

Who is Julian Assange?

Julian Assange was born in Queensland in 1971. He worked as a computer programmer before setting up the website ‘WikiLeaks’ in 2006.

WikiLeaks was designed to share censored materials involving “war, spying and corruption” with the public. It claims to have published more than 10 million documents.

It was launched during the U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The leaks

In 2010, WikiLeaks posted thousands of classified documents relating to the U.S.’ wars in the Middle East.

The leaks included claims U.S. armed forces were responsible for an estimated 15,000 unreported civilian deaths. The documents also revealed secret diplomatic dealings between the U.S. Government and foreign leaders.

Former U.S. Army intelligence officer Chelsea Manning was found responsible for handing the information to WikiLeaks. Manning served jail time over her role in these leaks.

However, these resolutions still remain hard to enforce.

UK arrest

In 2012, Ecuador's embassy in the UK provided Assange with political asylum (protection) which meant he couldn’t be extradited to the U.S. if spying charges were brought against him.

While he was living in the Ecuadorian embassy, the U.S. started forming a legal case against Assange, alleging his actions threatened its national security.

Ecuador’s embassy removed Assange’s protection in April 2019. London police arrested Assange as soon as he stepped out of the embassy. He’s been detained in a UK high-security prison ever since.

Extradition

Since it announced charges against Assange, the U.S. has requested UK authorities facilitate his extradition — meaning he would be forcibly deported from the UK to the U.S. to face trial.

Assange could face a maximum sentence of 175 years in prison if a U.S. court finds him guilty of all 18 charges.

In 2021, a UK court rejected the U.S. extradition request. The judge argued sending Assange to the U.S. would pose a significant mental health risk. However, the UK Government reversed the court’s decision in 2022. Assange appealed this ruling.

High Court

Last month, Assange’s lawyers launched what was widely considered a final chance to appeal his extradition to the U.S.

During two days of hearings, one of Assange’s lawyers, Edward Fitzgerald, told the court Assange could expect a “flagrant denial of justice” if he was forced to face trial in the U.S.

On Tuesday, London’s High Court announced it was delaying its decision to grant Assange’s appeal. The court ruled it needed more information about what could happen to Assange, if he’s made to face trial in the U.S.

The ruling

The court did not hand down a firm ruling granting or denying Assange’s appeal. Instead, it’s asked the U.S. to provide “satisfactory assurances” Assange would face a fair trial in U.S. and that, if found guilty, he would not be sentenced to death.

If American authorities cannot guarantee Assange’s safety, the court will hear his appeal in a full hearing.

The case is adjourned until 20 May. In the meantime, Assange will remain in the high-security UK prison where he has been since 2019.

Reaction

Supporters gathered outside the court, chanting: “Free Julian Assange.”

His wife, Stella Assange, described the decision as “astounding”.

Speaking outside court, she said: “The courts recognise that Julian is exposed to a flagrant denial of his freedom of expression rights... and remains exposed to the death penalty.”

She called on U.S. President Joe Biden to drop the case against her husband.

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Russia just experienced its deadliest domestic terror attack in 20 years, after four gunmen stormed a concert hall in Moscow, killing at least 137 people, with at least 140 others injured.

Now, as the four gunmen face trial, questions are being asked about the failure of Russian intelligence to foreshadow the attack - all despite some very explicit warnings from U.S. intelligence services only a few weeks ago.

Today on the podcast, we’ll explain what happened, what the world knew, and how Russia is responding.

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Give me some good news

Scientists at the Australian National University (ANU) have discovered what causes psoriasis.

Psoriasis is a skin disease that causes inflammation and skin irritation which can also lead to arthritis, joint pain, and swelling.

ANU researchers have now found that a mutation in genetic genes considered “gatekeepers of the immune system” is the reason people get psoriasis. The breakthrough paves the way for new treatments, earlier diagnosis, and a potential future cure.

TDA tidbit

Rebel Wilson’s memoir hasn’t been released yet, but a chapter is already making headlines after the Aussie called actor Sacha Baron Cohen… an a**hole.

Baron Cohen and Wilson worked together on the 2016 flick ‘Grimsby’.

In a post promoting her book ‘Rebel Rising’ this month, the Aussie actor said chapter 23 included details of inappropriate on-set behaviour by an unnamed “massive a**hole”.

Wilson later claimed the actor was trying to stop the chapter from being published, saying she wouldn’t “be bullied or silenced by high priced lawyers or PR crisis managers”.

This week, the Pitch Perfect star ended speculation in an Instagram story that said: “The ‘asshole’ that I am talking about in ONE CHAPTER of my book is: Sacha Baron Cohen.”

‘Borat’ star Baron Cohen’s representatives have described the claims as “demonstrably false”.

In a statement to People, they said: "While we appreciate the importance of speaking out, these…claims are directly contradicted by extensive detailed evidence, including contemporaneous documents, film footage and eyewitness accounts."

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Answer: Stevie Wonder. Want to do more? Play today’s ‘Picture This’!

TDA asks