☕️ Calls grow for gambling reforms

A very happy International Left Handers Day to those who celebrate.

Don’t let your old teachers get you down, you’ve been right all along.

“Has anyone noticed that Kamala CHEATED at the airport? There was nobody at the plane, and she “A.I.’d” it, and showed a massive “crowd” of so-called followers, BUT THEY DIDN’T EXIST!”
U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump, in a post to his social media network Truth Social, alleging rival Kamala Harris has been faking crowd photos. Several media outlets who have witnessed the crowds, including The New York Times, have confirmed they have been real.

900
That’s how many days it has been since Russia invaded Ukraine. This week, Ukrainian forces pushed across the border into Russia, causing mass evacuations of residents from surrounded villages.

1961
The construction of the Berlin Wall begun, separating East and West Berlin. It became a signifier of the Cold War, representing an ideological division between the East and West.

Almost 2,500 people have used a voluntary assisted dying (VAD) substance in Australia since it first became legal in Victoria in 2019, according to a new report from VAD advocacy group Go Gentle Australia.

VAD allows some people with life-threatening illnesses to choose the time and manner of their death.

While VAD represents a small portion of deaths in Australia, the report found that demand is growing.

In 2019, Victoria became the first jurisdiction to legalise VAD. It’s now legal in every state.

The ACT and NT were blocked from making their own laws on voluntary assisted dying until a change to Federal law in 2022. VAD will be available in the ACT from November 2025, while the NT is consulting on its legislation.

Over 5,300 Australians have applied for VAD. Of these, 2,467 people have followed through with the process.

Around half of these patients died at home.

Go Gentle Australia found that ‘gag clauses’ in Victoria and South Australia’s VAD laws are stopping some people from accessing it.

This restricts medical professionals from proposing VAD to patients. Instead, patients must bring it up themselves.

Go Gentle CEO Dr Linda Swan said: “People can only benefit from the choice [of VAD] if they know it exists.”

Access to VAD is limited for regional or rural patients who may not be able to travel for in-person appointments.

This is due to Federal regulations that limit medical professionals from discussing VAD using a carriage service (e.g. telehealth appointments, phone calls, or emails).

18 health groups have signed a statement calling for the Federal Government to change these regulations.

Reporting by Nandini Dhir.

High-profile anti-gambling advocates, politicians and two former Prime Ministers have urged the Government to commit to stronger gambling reforms.

The Federal Government is expected to introduce legislation to restrict TV gambling ads.

However, the proposed measures have been criticised for not going far enough, after a federal inquiry recommended banning them altogether.

It coincides with a newly published list, which shows dozens of current MPs have accepted gifts from the gambling industry since 2019.

A federal inquiry into gambling harms made 31 recommendations in June 2023.

The “you win some, you lose more” report proposed a phased ban of all TV, radio, and online gambling ads within three years. The inquiry was led by Labor MP Peta Murphy, who died in December.

Speaking in Parliament yesterday, Independent MP Zoe Daniel quoted Murphy’s husband, Rod Glover, as having urged the Government to “put people first” and implement the recommendations.

The Government has not yet responded to the report’s proposals.

Last week, Nine newspapers reported that the Government was considering limiting gambling ads during sports broadcasts to two per hour.

TDA reached out to Communications Minister Michelle Rowland, who did not directly address these reports, but said: “The status quo of online wagering advertising is untenable”.

She added the Government was continuing to speak with “harm reduction advocates, health experts and industry” before it tables legislation in Parliament.

Advocacy groups have intensified calls for the Government to ban all gambling ads.

An open letter from the Alliance for Gambling Reform said a “tsunami” of “one million gambling ads” are shown on free-to-air TV and radio every year.

The letter was signed by high-profile figures including former Coalition Prime Ministers John Howard and Malcolm Turnbull.

The alliance described said a national “gambling addiction” is costing Australians $25 billion annually.

Calls for gambling ad regulations coincide with new data about the volume of expensive gifts being given to politicians by the gambling industry.

Federal MPs and Senators are legally required to declare any gifts from third parties worth more than $300. This can include sporting tickets and dinners.

Declarations are recorded on the federal gift registry.

Open Politics conducted an independent analysis of the gift registry.

The volunteer-run organisation found that 48 current Coalition and Labor politicians have accepted gifts from the gambling industry since May 2019.

The most publicly-declared gifts were given to Coalition MP Dan Tehan, at 31.

Labor’s Michelle Rowland – who oversees gambling in her ministerial duties – came in second, after she received 27 gifts from the gambling industry.

In his budget reply speech last year, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said he wanted to ban all gambling ads during sporting events.

Zoe Daniel has also called for a total ban on betting ads. She is one of multiple crossbenchers pressuring the Government to introduce legislation urgently.

“The government has to find the courage to stare down the corporate gambling giants, the media conglomerates, and the sporting codes, and do the right thing,” Daniel said.

Reporting by Harry Sekulich.

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The test, nicknamed a ‘protein clock’, works by analysing hundreds of proteins found in the blood to determine a patients “disease status” — how likely they are to develop certain illnesses.

Health researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston hope the test will help in the early diagnosis of certain chronic illnesses, including diabetes, cancer, or heart disease, by analysing risk factors beyond just chronological age.

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Reporting by Nandini Dhir.

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds have joined a rare club, becoming one of just a few married couples to top the U.S. box office for two different films.

Reynolds’ ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’ won the weekend at the box office with $54 million, while Lively’s new film ‘It Ends With Us’ came in second with $50 million.

The last time a married couple shared the top box office spots was in 1990, when Demi Moore starred in ‘Ghost’ and Bruce Willis led ‘Die Hard 2’.

Reporting by Nandini Dhir.

Paris 2024 was Australia’s best-ever Olympic performance, with our team coming home with 18 gold medals.

More than 19 million Australians tuned in to watch at least one event, solidifying the Olympics' place as a key part of Australia’s social narrative and shared history.

In today's deep dive, we'll examine the medal tally, the broader legacy of the Paris Olympics and why we’re particularly impressed with the efforts of one tiny Caribbean island.