Happy Tuesday!

I came across this fun fact yesterday and I simply had to share it with you.

The toughest tongue twister in the English language is: "Sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick."

Can you say it? It hurts my brain just trying to say it inside my head.

I've got 10 seconds

The quote
“He is so fragile. He’s refusing to see anybody. This has been his family home for the past 20 years. Is it really sensible to kick him out?” – A friend of Prince Andrew speaking to Mail on Sunday about why he is refusing to leave Royal Lodge as his brother, King Charles III, has requested.

The stat
$132.7 million 
The amount about 30,000 landowners will share between them in a settlement announced by the Federal Court yesterday, after their properties were contaminated by toxic firefighting foam used on air force bases near them.

Today in history
1929: The first Academy Awards were held at a private dinner.

I've got 30 seconds

Some headlines from this morning:

• A national anti-scam centre that will work to centralise data about scams will begin operating from the start of July. It’ll work to help pre-existing scam prevention efforts in its first year while undergoing a process to build out data-sharing technological capabilities. Over $86 million was allocated in last week’s Federal Budget to establish the centre.

• A progressive political party has outperformed polling predictions at the Thailand national election. The Move Forward Party is expected to win around 150 seats in the country’s Lower House, and about double the number won by the incumbent coalition government. The party will still need to overcome significant hurdles to form government, including forming a coalition with other parties.

I've got 1 minute

The Victorian Government has announced it will move to allow public transport passengers to pay using phones, smart watches, credit cards and debit cards.

Victoria's myki system currently allows only Android phone users to pay using a 'mobile myki'.

Trials of the changes will begin in 2024.

Background:
Victoria's myki system is used for all forms of public transport in the state. It was rolled out in 2012 and cost the Victorian Government $1.5 billion.

Passengers must pay for transport with money loaded onto their myki card, with the recent exception of Android users.

The contract with myki's current operators runs out in December. The Government last year acknowledged the system was "not the world's best practice" and flagged it may consider a new contractor.

Announcement:
Victorian Public Transport Minister Ben Carroll has announced the company Conduent Business Services will sign a new 15-year contract to run the system. Conduent operates systems in 24 countries including Paris.

The name 'myki' will be retained, but the system will see "modern improvements" including card and phone-based payment options.

The new contract will take effect on 1 December. There will not be any immediate changes to the system.

I've got 2 minutes

Illinois could soon become the first U.S. state to introduce financial protections for child social media influencers.

Such protections could entitle child influencers to a percentage of earnings, depending on how often they feature in online video content that generates revenue.

The bill is scheduled for consideration by the House of Representatives this week.

The bill:
The bill plans to amend Illinois' Child Labor Law to include minors under 16 who appear in vlogs or other online video content.

It proposes that any minor who features in at least 30% of a vlogger’s revenue-generating videos over a 30-day period should be entitled to a share of that revenue. Their payments would be calculated based on the number of views the video received.

Their share would then be set aside in a trust fund that they can access after they turn 18, in line with Illinois' existing legislation protecting child actors.

Parents or adults who feature minors in their vlogs must deliver an annual report to the Illinois Department of Labor.

This report will include the name and ages of any minors featured in their vlogs, the number of vlogs that generated compensation, the number of minutes each minor featured in the vlog and evidence that they deposited the minor's share of revenue into a trust account.

Minors can sue if the adult fails to set aside the earnings.

Is it likely to pass?
Democrat Senators David Koehler and Linda Holmes introduced the bill, following concerns raised by a teenager in Koehler's district. It underwent amendments before the Illinois Senate unanimously passed it in March.

The Bill will now need to win approval in both chambers, first in the House (this week) and later in the Senate, before it is delivered to Governor J.B. Pritzker for his signature.

Pritzker has said he intends to sign the bill into law. It would then become effective from 1 January 2024.

Give me some good news

Australian golfer Jason Day has won his first PGA Tour title since 2018. Day took out the Byron Nelson tournament in Texas on Sunday, finishing one stroke better than the two closest competitors.

Day said he was close to retiring from golf amid injuries and personal issues in the past few years, saying it was “very pleasing” to be back in the winners’ circle.

Today’s podcast

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A TDA tidbit

Oh no.

Another talk show, another toxic workplace allegation.

Kelly Clarkson has responded to allegations at the centre of a Rolling Stone investigation that her self-titled talk show is a toxic workplace.

The publication spoke to one current and 10 former employees who said Clarkson herself “is fantastic” but that the staff members are “overworked” and “underpaid”. They said they’re "confident the talk-show host doesn't have a sense of how unhappy employees are with the working conditions".

Clarkson has responded in a statement, saying: "To find out that anyone is feeling unheard and or disrespected on this show is unacceptable… There is always room to grow and ensure we are all being/becoming the best version of ourselves in any business, especially when it comes to leadership, to ensure that any notion of toxicity is eradicated.”

In case you missed it

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