If you were forwarded this email (hi! welcome!), you can sign up to the newsletter here.
Good morning.
Happy first day of spring! And what better time than now to do a spring clean.
I’ll personally be getting rid of my low-rise skinny jeans and fluro pink singlets.
Here’s a link to your closest Salvos store or to your nearest Vinnies store.
I've got 10 seconds
The quote
"At the end of the day, I put my suit on the same way every other person who walks in that state-house does.” – Fabian Nelson, the U.S. state of Mississippi’s first openly gay lawmaker, speaking to The Associated Press about his election.
The stat
5 million
The number of bees that fell off a truck on a main road southwest of Toronto on Wednesday (local time). Police brought in beekeepers to deal with the situation.
Today in history
1939: World War II begins after Germany invades Poland.
I've got 30 seconds
Some headlines from this morning:
Qantas has scrapped its end-of-year deadline for customers to redeem their COVID travel credits. The decision follows recent scrutiny over the airline’s handling of cancelled COVID flights. Qantas customers with a credit balance can now request a cash refund instead, while Jetstar (which is owned by Qantas) says customers can use their COVID vouchers indefinitely.
Police are investigating the cause of a fatal crash on a Victorian highway yesterday. Four people were killed when the car they were travelling in collided with a truck. The truck driver was hospitalised with non-life threatening injuries.
I've got 1 minute
At least 74 people, including 12 children, are dead after a fire erupted in the middle of the night in Johannesburg, the largest city in South Africa.
The building is located in central Johannesburg and was a five-storey apartment block. Emergency services have warned the death toll could still rise as emergency services continue to search the building for bodies.
It’s not yet clear what caused the fire, although one local government official said there was evidence it started with a candle.
President Cyril Ramaphosa told reporters: “Johannesburg has never had an incident like this where so many people die as a result of a fire in the centre of the city.”
We want to meet you!
Hello!
TDA co-founders Zara and Sam here.
If you’re in Sydney on 6 September, we would love to meet you.
We’re putting on a free event at Ryde Library, where we’ll be talking all about our new book and how we built TDA (it’s older than you think!)
You can register for the free event here.
We can’t wait to meet you!
I've got 2 minutes
A ten-year national strategy has been released to improve Australia’s response to care and treatment for eating disorders.
The National Eating Disorders Collaboration (NEDC) estimates more than a million Australians live with an eating disorder each year.
The NEDC developed the government-funded strategy for eating disorders with a focus on early intervention, inclusion, and ‘trauma-informed’ treatment.
It’s also called on social media platforms to do more to make their platforms safe.
Background
Eating disorders are a group of mental health conditions. Unhealthy changes in behaviour, feelings and thoughts towards food and body image characterise the disorders. Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorders often start in adolescence. They can lead to life-threatening physical and mental health complications.
A recent study found eating disorders among teens more than doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite increased knowledge and investment in treatment in recent years, the NEDC says Australia is experiencing a “national crisis” in caring for people living with eating disorders.
Goals
The strategy aims to deliver eating disorder care and prevention through a range of evidence-based and culturally inclusive approaches.
This includes individualised patient treatment plans that offer “timely treatment and at the level of intensity [a patient] needs”, and a need to de-stigmatise eating disorders being a ‘choice’ – a view the NEDC says has impacted public health resourcing for the sector.
The roadmap is calling on social media platforms and media organisations to promote inclusive language and images.
The NEDC called on states and territories to develop their own eating disorder plans to ensure consistent care is available nationally.
First Nations care
The strategy acknowledged that the “appropriateness and responsiveness” of the “Western system of care” to meet the needs of First Nations people is yet to be formally assessed.
It recommended the development of culturally appropriate tools and treatment approaches for First Nations people.
Progress
Progress over the next decade will be measured across six key care areas: Prevention, identification, initial response, treatment, recovery support, and workforce.
For example, success in prevention and identification would mean fewer people living with eating disorders, and a higher proportion of diagnoses at the earliest stages of illness.
Response
Federal Assistant Minister for Mental Health, Emma McBride, said eating disorders are “among the most fatal of mental illnesses,” but highlighted that with proper support, “full recovery is possible”.
NEDC Advisory Consultant, Shannon Calvert, said eating disorders “impact all ages, genders, sexuality, and cultures... To genuinely improve our system, the roadmap has shifted the priority from patient-centred to person-centred care.”
Butterfly Foundation: 1800 33 4673
Give me some good news
The eighth season of the AFL women’s competition begins today.
Defending AFLW premiers Melbourne will take on Collingwood in the season opener tonight. Round one will continue throughout the weekend, and include games in Sydney, Adelaide, and Perth.
A message from our sponsor
TDA will (hopefully) see you at Beyond The Valley – Australia’s biggest multi-day music festival. This year, it has shattered records by completely selling out its camping tickets in just a week - but don’t worry, if you missed out, you’re still in for a chance to boogie to Peggy Gou’s ‘(It Goes Like) Nanana’ as the sun goes down. There are still some festival entry tickets for two, three or four days, which is perfect if you’d rather stay off-site and commute to the festival each day. Or for those still keen to camp onsite, there’s a very limited amount of pre-pitched ticket packages still available.
The festival is only a short 40-minute drive from the stunning holiday hotspots on Victoria’s Surf Coast, including Torquay and Anglesea, ideal if you’re keen for a pre-festival swim. And if you’re coming from Geelong, it’s just a quick 30-minute drive to the festival grounds!
A TDA tidbit
Ao about a week ago, we brought you a story from Japan. The story was that Japan had started pumping treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean. It is the start of a plan to release contaminated water from a nuclear accident in 2011.
The move was signed off by the United Nations in July, but it drew criticism about its safety.
Now, in an effort to persuade citizens that the water is in fact safe, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and three Cabinet ministers have eaten sashimi that was recently fished off the coast of Fukushima.
Speaking to reporters who were invited to film the meal, Kishida said: “We eat in support of the Sanriku Joban region. All seafood items from Sanriku Joban are full of appeal.”
Enjoyed the newsletter?
If you want your friends to wake up with us too, forward this email to them or send them your unique link: {{rp_refer_url}}
Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Sign up here (it’s free!)
The Daily Aus acknowledges the Gadigal peoples of the Eora Nation who are the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work. We acknowledge and pay respect to the past, present and future Traditional Custodians and Elders of this nation and the continuation of cultural, spiritual and educational practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.