☕️ Kids to be banned from social media

We’ve all made it to the end of a big week in news.

In the office this week, we’ve talked a lot about the role of TDA, no matter what's happening in American or Australian politics – and it's pretty simple. Every day, we follow the same principle: verify, analyse, and explain. No shortcuts. No sensationalism. Just clear, fact-checked journalism that helps you understand what's happening and why it matters.

If you value this approach to news – particularly as we navigate what promises to be a consequential period in global politics – we would love for you to consider supporting our work through TDA+U. It’s a way for our audience to make a voluntary financial contribution to TDA.

Thank you so much for reading us. We’re only just getting started!

"It is now virtually certain that 2024 will be the warmest year on record.”
Scientists from the European Union’s Climate Change Service have released data on the month of October, showing that the annual temperature for the year will be over 1.5°C warmer than before the Industrial Revolution.

899,000
How many mpox vaccine doses will be sent to the nine African countries most affected by the disease. 85% will go to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has reported four-fifths of the confirmed cases on the continent this year.

1895
German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen accidentally discovered X-rays when he was testing cathode rays (electron beams in a vacuum tube) passing through glass.

Australia could become one of the first countries to introduce minimum age requirements for social media.

The Government will introduce legislation to make it illegal for under 16-year-olds to have a social media account in Australia.

The law would hold social media companies responsible for enforcing minimum age requirements.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the proposal on Thursday.

“Social media is doing harm to our kids and I'm calling time on it,” he said.

Prior to the Government’s announcement, the Coalition said it supported minimum age requirements for social media.

In June, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton promised to implement a social media ban for under 16s, if the Coalition wins the next election.

The Prime Minister said Labor would also introduce a ban – which it has now announced the details of.

The Government’s proposal is expected to be tabled in Parliament before the end of the year.

Social media platforms will be responsible for implementing the minimum age requirement.

The PM said these platforms will need to demonstrate that “they are taking reasonable steps to prevent access. The onus won't be on parents or young people.”

Online safety watchdog – the eSafety Commissioner – will enforce the legislation.

There won’t be a penalty for users. However, the Government said social media companies will be subject to new penalties.

The Opposition has welcomed the announcement, and pledged to “work constructively with the Government”.

Shadow Communications Minister David Coleman wants to see the bill passed this year. However, he said the Coalition wants to ensure the legislation is “strong” and free from “any loopholes”.

“This is an issue which we believe is urgent.”

With the Coalition’s support, the Government’s legislation is expected to pass. It will come into effect 12 months after it’s passed.

Reporting by Nandini Dhir.

As millions of Americans voted on the U.S. presidency yesterday, dozens of states also voted on additional issues — including minimum wages, recreational cannabis and abortion access.

Voters in the U.S. states of Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, and New York approved measures to expand or enshrine abortion rights.

Similar measures in Florida and South Dakota failed.

Residents in all 50 U.S. states voted on who they wanted to represent them in Congress (the Senate and the House of Representatives), and the President.

Election ballots in some states also included questions about changing a specific law. These are called “ballot measures” and can cover a range of issues.

Voters don’t have to fill out the whole ballot. For example, a person could vote for the President but skip answering the other ballot measures.

Several states voted on abortion protections this week.

It follows the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade, a case that had enshrined national protections for abortion access.

The decision gave individual states the power to determine their own abortion laws.

Since June 2022, 13 U.S. states have outlawed abortion. In some of these states, abortions are permitted in circumstances including rape, incest and health complications.

Ballot measures in 10 states asked voters about abortion access.

A vote to establish a “right for reproductive freedom” succeeded in Missouri.

Similar measures to expand or enshrine abortion rights also succeeded in Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Montana, Nevada and New York.

Nebraska voted to outlaw abortions after the first trimester, with some exceptions.

In Florida, 57.2% of voters supported a proposal to reverse abortion bans after six weeks.

However, 60% of voters in the state must approve a measure in order for it to pass.

This meant Florida’s abortion proposal failed.

A similar measure also failed in South Dakota.

Also in yesterday’s election, three states asked voters whether they wanted to legalise recreational cannabis. The measure failed in all three jurisdictions.

There were also state-specific measures relating to minimum wages. In California, voters were asked if they wanted to increase the minimum wage to $US18 ($AU27) within two years. This failed.

A wage proposal also failed in the state of Massachusetts, where voters were asked if they supported increasing the minimum wage for tipped employees – largely hospitality workers – by 2029.

Reporting by Harry Sekulich.

If you haven’t guessed already, we’re big fans of Betty’s Burgers at TDA. So when we found out about the new Betty’s Bites menu, with every item just $9.90, we were pretty excited!

For $9.90 (which, let’s be real, is cheaper than an iced latte these days) you can try the Chicken Strips Burger, Three Cheese Burger, Calamari Bucket, or Crispy Chicken Strips.

They’re the perfect add-on for a beachside picnic with your besties or a quick boost to power through the afternoon slump.

Head to Betty’s Burgers to try Betty’s Bites, or order on the Betty’s app today!

🍊 Raygun has retired. Here's what she said.
🍊 Olympic gold medallist sues French media. More details here.
🍊 The youngest player to make the WTA semi-finals since 2011.
🗞️ Also in the Sport Newsletter: rugby union, soccer, and more…

The research has transformed scientists’ understanding of how small DNA circles are in fact major drivers of many types of human cancers.

In these three new studies, Stanford University researchers uncovered a way to develop treatment that targets these small DNA circles.

Lead researcher Prof Paul Mischel said: “These papers represent what can happen when researchers from many different labs come together with a common goal”.

Want more good news? Sign up to our weekly Good Newsletter here - we promise it’ll make your week better!

Reporting by Nandini Dhir.

Say goodbye to the iconic t-rex arms, kangaroo hops, and the worm.

Rachael Gunn – more commonly known as Raygun – has announced her retirement from breaking.

Speaking on 2DayFm this week, the Olympic athlete said she’d planned “to keep competing, for sure”.

However, in light of the international headlines, jokes, and backlash to her Olympic performance, “that seems a really difficult thing for me to do now, to approach a battle.”

Gunn said that she still dances, “but that’s like, in my living room with my partner.”

Reporting by Nandini Dhir.

It has now been a couple days since Donald Trump was elected the 47th President of the U.S. 

Today, we want to answer all of the questions you still have. Like, how does this result impact Australia? How will this impact global wars? And what happens do Donald Trump's legal cases now?

We answer your questions in today's podcast.