Happy Thursday!

This morning, I asked ChatGPT to write a "funny and not-cringe" intro for my newsletter today. It came back with:

"Good morning, folks! It's Thursday, which means we're one day closer to the weekend and two days away from pretending to work. In today's news, we have the latest updates on the ongoing battle between cats and dogs for world domination, and we'll also be exploring the scientific evidence behind why coffee is the solution to all of life's problems. So grab your cup of joe and let's get started!"

Couldn't have written it better myself! Despite the fact it seems to have a fundamental misunderstanding of... facts!

I've got 10 seconds

The quote
"Today, the world finally knows the truth. This victory is not just for me but for every woman who has suffered because she was not believed." – E. Jean Carroll in a statement after a civil jury found Donald Trump liable for the sexual abuse and defamation of her. Trump responded to the verdict by saying, “I have absolutely no idea who this woman is.”

The stat
1,000+ days 
The number of days Australian journalist Cheng Lei has been imprisoned in a Chinese jail. The details of the charges have never been made public. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton released a statement this week saying “it is time the Chinese Government closed Ms Cheng’s case, restored her freedom and allowed her to return home to her family.”

Today in history
2000: India’s population officially hit 1 billion. Today the population is about 1.4 billion.

I've got 30 seconds

Some headlines from this morning:

• Opposition leader Peter Dutton will give his official reply to the Federal Budget tonight. The Budget was handed down by Treasurer Jim Chalmers on Tuesday night, revealing the first surplus in 15 years. Dutton has already said some of the spending in the Budget could exacerbate inflation pressures, and has called some cost of living relief a "short-term fix".

• Phone calls and encrypted messaging will be added to the newest version of Twitter, Elon Musk announced on Wednesday. The updated version will allow voice and video chat between users without disclosing their phone numbers, with the first version of the encrypted messaging system expected to be rolled out today.

I've got 1 minute

Soft-plastic shopping bags will be banned from Coles across Australia from July this year, the supermarket chain announced on Wednesday.

Both the 15c 'Better Bags' and the 25c marine reusable shopping bags will be removed.

It is projected to remove 230 million plastic bags from Australian circulation in its first year.

What will remain?

Coles' 25c 100% recycled paper bags are being touted as the new alternative to soft-plastic bags.

Coles says these bags can hold up to six kilograms of groceries, and are reusable. They'll be used for home delivery and 'Click&Collect' orders from next week.

Reusable tote and chilled bags worth $1 and $2.50 will also continue to be available for purchase. Plastic fresh produce bags will also still be offered to shoppers outside the ACT, where they have been replaced with a compostable option.

I've got 2 minutes

Weight loss program Jenny Craig will enter voluntary administration in Australia and New Zealand after it filed for bankruptcy in the U.S. last week.

Voluntary administration is when a person or group is appointed by a company to steer them away from serious financial trouble.

Jenny Craig was founded in Melbourne in 1983. It offers nutrition programs, personal coaches, and recipes to help customers lose weight.

It garnered significant international success, and ran advertisements that featured Mariah Carey, Magda Szubanski, and the late Barry Humphries (as alter-ego Dame Edna Everage).

First, bankruptcy:

Jenny Craig's U.S. and Canada operations began winding down last week.

This included ending all of its coaching sessions, food orders, merchandise sales, and cancelling customer subscriptions.

It has since filed for bankruptcy in the U.S., and will now begin the process of selling its assets to repay its debt.

Then, the administration:

Jenny Craig's Australia and New Zealand branches reassured customers of their future following the closures of its North American outlets last week.

They said they were operating "independently" from these stores, and that local operations would be "unaffected" by the closures.

However, an update posted on Tuesday said they had "no option" but to go into voluntary administration to also avoid declaring bankruptcy.

What happens next?

Jenny Craig's services will still be available for Australian and New Zealand customers while the company is in voluntary administration.

Voluntary administrators have already been appointed. It's believed they will seek to restructure the business and find new ownership to inject more money into the business.

Give me some good news

Four Australians have run from the southern tip of the U.S. to the Canadian border in under 80 days to raise funds for cancer research.

The four finished the journey on Tuesday, and ran the distance of 80 marathons to cross the U.S. east coast. They're about $50,000 away from their $250,000 fundraising goal.

Today's podcast

A message from our sponsor

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A TDA tidbit

Move over, first class. Air New Zealand has unveiled the world’s first sleep pods for economy passengers.

The six-pod sleep zones (basically like bunk beds) will be designed to let passengers sleep for a four-hour session on long-distance flights. It will cost about $400 to $600.

The airline will launch them on its New York to Chicago routes from 2024.

Sweet dreams!

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