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Good morning, bookworms!
Thank you to everyone who sent in your favourite books you’ve read this year. We received thousands of replies – so rest assured the books below come well and truly recommended.
There were two clear favourites:
‘Mad Mabel’ by Sally Hepworth. (How good that an Aussie author topped the list!)
‘The Names’ by Florence Knapp. (This is also a clear favourite in the office.)
Enjoy! We should probably start a TDA book club one of these days!
I’ve got 10 seconds
The quote: “Due to the ongoing media attention and the distraction that this is causing to the business of government, I have decided to temporarily stand aside as special envoy for defence, veterans’ affairs and Northern Australia, until these matters have been heard.” Federal Labor MP Luke Gosling in a statement on Wednesday. Gosling has been charged with assault over an alleged incident involving the NT Administrator (equivalent to a state governor).
The stat: 1 in 4. The proportion of former NFL players (the top football league in the U.S.) who died between 2016 and 2021 and had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a concussion-related disorder that is only diagnosable after death, according to a new study.
The big question:
Would you let your child play contact sport? (If you don't have children, consider it a hypothetical.)
Yesterday’s results: 49% of you think the furthest they’d travel for a concert is interstate, followed by within their city (34%) and overseas (17%). Thanks for voting - your responses inform TDA's journalism and research. [2,278 votes].
I’ve got 30 seconds
Some headlines from this morning:
A fox, a little penguin, and more bird species are the latest suspected bird flu cases in South Australia, the state hardest hit by the disease. It comes as a vaccination program ramps up to protect endangered species. There were 195 confirmed H5 bird flu events in South Australia and 41 suspected cases, according to the latest reporting by the state’s primary industries department. The five new suspected cases since Tuesday include a fox in Adelaide, a penguin and raven on the Limestone Coast, and a Pacific gull on Kangaroo Island. There have been no H5 bird flu detections in poultry or other livestock and the risk to human health remained low, officials said.
More than 2,000 Queensland children have been charged by police since the launch of a new taskforce in February. The State Government announced Operation Forge in response to what it called a “youth crime crisis”. The taskforce has been cracking down on “high harm offences” across Queensland, including break-ins, robberies, and car thefts. Government data shows that in the six months since its rollout, the taskforce has charged a total of 6,447 people with over 18,000 offences. Around one in three alleged offenders is under 18.
Together with AAP.
Recommendation of the day
What actually helps us feel good? Let’s talk about it, IRL.
Join us for our next TDA IRL event, where you can expect an expert panel with Macquarie University researcher and clinical psychologist, Dr Jessica Belcher, and Founder and CEO of ALLKND, Milly Bannister, plus coffee, matcha, Norma’s Deli brekkie, Butterboy treats, time to meet the TDA team and fellow readers + some other surprises on the day…
When: Saturday 19 September, 9-11am
Where: Harry’s By Giuls, Darlinghurst
Come solo or bring your mates. Tickets are free, but limited!
Transparency: This is a sponsored part of the newsletter - the best way to keep the newsletter free for you.
I’ve got 1 minute
Brisbane City Council has banned the use of smart glasses to film or photograph people without consent at public pools.
The council said the move came in response to “growing concerns about increasingly affordable smart glasses” being used to record swimmers.
Queensland law allows people to film others in public areas without asking for consent.
Background
Smart glasses look like ordinary eyewear but include a camera, microphone, and AI features. They can shoot photos and video, take calls, and translate speech in real time.
Kmart’s version of these glasses ($89) sold out earlier this month.
Under Australian law, filming someone in public is generally legal without their consent, because public places don’t carry a reasonable expectation of privacy.
This is also true in Queensland, though state law stipulates it’s not legal to film someone in a private place such as a changeroom or a bathroom.
The ban
On Tuesday, Brisbane City Council announced a ban on the non-consensual use of all devices with cameras, including smart glasses, phones and GoPros.
Although it is technically legal to record, pool staff will be able to remove people who do so without permission.
The ban applies to video recordings as well as photos, and will roll out in the coming weeks across all 21 of the council’s public pools. TDA understands this is the first ban of its kind in Australia.
Tom Sulston, Head of Policy at Digital Rights Watch, says he hopes other councils will follow Brisbane’s lead, and that state and federal governments will also start regulating smart glasses.
Reporting by Elliot Lawry.
Quick hits
🎧 On today’s TDA podcast, features editor Emma sits down with Mitch Brown about the story that changed the AFL, one year on. Listen or watch on Apple here, Spotify here, or YouTube here.
🍿 There’s a new copyright lawsuit against the creator of Yellowstone. Sign up to TDA Culture here for a breakdown in your inbox at 5pm.
Good Finds
📚 Fancy a weekend away? On 12 September, see where studying away from home could take you. Visit Canberra for UC Open Day Fest, explore a campus where support and community come first, and catch Floriade while you're here. Plus, there's a free shuttle running between both events.
🎸 Samsung has brought an iconic "Dot Design" to sound with its new Music Studio Series – wireless speakers that spread 3D audio so every track feels bigger. From 27 August to 23 September, you can buy one & get a second 50% off (same model) at Samsung.com/au, Harvey Norman and JB Hi-Fi – perfect for Stereo Play and enjoying a powerful left‑right soundstage.
Transparency: This is a sponsored part of the newsletter - the best way to keep the newsletter free for you.
I’ve got 2 minutes
Prices increased by 3.5% in the 12 months to July 2026, according to new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). This is less than last month’s 3.8% inflation rate, and represents the fourth consecutive month where the inflation rate has fallen.
A falling inflation rate does not mean that prices are falling: it means they are still increasing, but at a slower rate.
Inflation measures the change in the prices of goods and services over time. The most common measure of inflation is the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which tracks the rate of price changes and is typically expressed as an annual rate. This is often called ‘headline inflation’.
The main drivers of inflation were housing, food and non-alcoholic beverages, and recreation and culture.
Wages
Inflation and wages are often compared because cost of living pressures worsen when inflation rises faster than wages.
Last week, the ABS announced that wages rose by 3.2% over the 12 months to the June quarter 2026.
This is important because it tells us that real wages (wages after inflation is taken into account) have fallen by roughly 0.3% in the past year.
Trimmed mean
The ‘trimmed mean’ is an alternative measure of inflation that ignores the most extreme positive and negative price movements (e.g. a sudden increase in the price of petrol).
For this reason, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) prefers this measure as it ignores any short-term noise. The trimmed mean was 3.6% in the 12 months to July 2026.
RBA
The news comes as the RBA decided to keep the cash rate on hold at 4.35% at its last meeting. The cash rate is the interest rate that banks charge each other for short-term loans, and is the tool used by the RBA to get inflation under control.
The RBA increases the cash rate if inflation is too high and decreases the cash rate if inflation is too low, aiming for an inflation rate between 2 and 3%.
What’s next?
The latest data tells us that both headline inflation and the trimmed mean are higher than the RBA’s target range.
While an unchanged cash rate in the next RBA meeting is still widely expected, the odds of an increased cash rate have risen. This is because both headline inflation and the trimmed mean were higher than economists expected.
The next cash rate decision is on the 29th of September. The next inflation release is on the 30th of September.
Read more stories like this over at TDA’s Finance newsletter, dropping every Wednesday.
Reporting by Adam Wan.
Give me some good news
Dozens of ancient artefacts that were illegally trafficked out of Egypt have been returned to local officials.
A total of 48 cultural items, including carved figures, amulets and tomb equipment, were handed over to the Egyptian Government after an investigation by the FBI’s Art Crime Team. More than 5,000 cultural artefacts have been returned to Egypt over the past decade, according to a statement from the FBI, which said it’s continuing investigations to locate other stolen items. Egyptian Ambassador Dr Hossam Eldeen Aly said: “These handed-over artifacts represent an integral part of the history and cultural heritage of Egypt and its people, and we are very glad and honoured to bring those home.”
Reporting by Emma Gillespie.
TDA titbit
Photo: Albanese’s Instagram
In honour of Dolly Parton, here’s a little story connecting her to Australia.
Back in 2011, while Dolly was touring Australia, she found out her tour bus was too long and too wide for our roads.
Then-transport minister Anthony Albanese (heard of him?) intervened to help her get around the country.
Albanese got to meet her, saying in an Instagram post on Wednesday that it was a “magical experience”.
Reporting by Lucy Tassell.
TDA asks
