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Good morning!
This morning’s newsletter is coming to you from the moth-infested TDA office.
There are two types of people in this office: Those carefully redirecting the moths one by one outside, and those still running screaming.
I’ve got 10 seconds
The quote: “This is an historic ruling for Australian environmental law and for the communities who have been fighting for accountability in the fossil fuel approvals process. The High Court has confirmed that planning authorities cannot ignore the chain of causation from a project’s emissions through to real, local climate harm.” Lawyer Anita O’Hart, after the High Court upheld a challenge by two former science teachers against the expansion of a coal mine in NSW’s Hunter Valley. Planning authorities must now consider the climate impact of emissions produced when a project's coal is burned, including overseas.
The stat: 10%. The percentage ASOS shares fell after the British online fashion retailer warned some customer information may have been accessed following an unauthorised notification sent to shoppers. ASOS said names and contact details may have been accessed, but it did not believe payment-card information or account passwords were affected. The company is investigating the incident.
The big question:
Do you have a budget you actually stick to?
Yesterday’s results: 62% of you said you have checked your superannuation in the past month, while 38% said you haven’t. Thanks for voting - your responses inform TDA's journalism and research. [2,403 votes].
I’ve got 30 seconds
Some headlines from this morning:
Russian health authorities say no one who came into contact with a Siberian laboratory worker who died last week has tested positive for the plague. The 28-year-old woman worked at a plague research institute in the Russian city of Irkutsk. She died on Friday from pneumonia, and authorities say they haven't yet established its cause. The case has drawn international attention, including from U.S. President Donald Trump. In a statement on Tuesday, Russia's health watchdog said no infectious diseases had been reported among staff at the institute over the past 10 days. It said extensive testing had found nothing in the woman's body linked to the microorganisms she worked with.
Amazon's Prime Video has locked in exclusive global rights to the Emmy Awards in a six-year deal, ending the ceremony's run on U.S. free-to-air TV. From 2027, the Emmys will stop rotating between ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC. Instead, the ceremony will stream live and free worldwide each September, with no Prime Video subscription needed. Financial terms weren't disclosed. The move is the latest sign of major live events shifting from traditional TV to digital platforms as viewing habits change. The Oscars are also set to move to YouTube for a global live broadcast from 2029.
Together with AAP.
I’ve got 1 minute
Christa Pike is conscious and speaking after surviving two lethal injections last week.
Pike was sentenced to death for murder in 1996, at the age of 20, in the U.S. state of Tennessee.
“Despite the severe damage she endured to her arms, she is still handcuffed and shackled to the bed,” her attorney said.
Background
Pike (then 18), her boyfriend Tadaryl Shipp (17), and her friend Shadolla Peterson (18) tortured and murdered their classmate Colleen Slemmer (19) in 1995.
Slemmer’s body was found with multiple stab wounds, fractures, and a pentagram carved into her chest.
The court convicted Shipp and Pike of murder, and sentenced Shipp to life (because he was underage) and Pike to death.
Peterson was convicted of being an accessory to murder and put on probation.
What happened
Last week, she was set to become the first woman executed in 200 years in Tennessee.
However, the execution failed.
She was taken away by ambulance and has been in hospital since, where she is receiving critical medical care.
Reporting by Emily Donohoe.
Quick hits
🎧 On today’s TDA podcast, we talk about the failed execution of Christa Pike. Listen or watch on Apple here, Spotify here, or YouTube here.
🍿 Want to know why Love Island Australia is copping heat for an ad? Sign up to TDA Culture here for a breakdown in your inbox at 5pm.
I’ve got 2 minutes
Pornhub’s parent company Aylo has announced that it is restoring access to the website for adults in Australia.
It will first be made available to Apple users who have completed a new age verification process on an iOS device.
It comes after the site blocked Australians in March when new government age verification requirements for pornography websites came into effect.
Here’s what you need to know.
Background
In September 2025, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant announced new restrictions covering adult and violent content online.
Previously, users could simply click a button confirming they were 18 or older. Sites are now required to take steps to verify that users meet the age threshold.
The specific method is up to each platform, with options including photo ID, facial age estimation, credit card checks and other age verification methods.
Pornhub
Aylo initially responded by blocking Australians from accessing Pornhub, as well as its other sites RedTube and YouPorn.
On Wednesday, the company announced it was “taking a measured step to restore access to Pornhub for eligible adult users in Australia”.
The initial rollout will only be available to users who have verified their age on an iOS device using Apple’s new age verification process.
From last month, Australian Apple users over 18 have been able to access age-restricted services by confirming their age using a personal credit card, or by scanning their passport, driver’s licence or government-issued ID.
The feature was first rolled out in the UK and means child safety features are automatically enabled for users who have not verified that they are adults.
Aylo said the new system means access to Pornhub can be restored for verified adults, and called on Apple to “expand the UK and Australia deployments globally” and for Google and Microsoft to implement the same solution.
Reporting by Elliot Lawry.
With thanks to you <3
Gosh, we’re feeling very grateful for our TDA audience!
So far this week, 92 more of you have chosen to financially contribute to the future of TDA. Those contributions are directly helping fund more journalism to reach more Aussies.
If you want to help us get to 100 new contributors this week (we love round numbers), you can contribute to TDA here. You can do it once, or make it a monthly shout if you're feeling generous.
We appreciate your support so much!
Give me some good news
Australia’s first lunar rover is one step closer to the moon.
A new model of Roo-ver – a vehicle built to drive across the moon’s surface – was unveiled at Queensland University of Technology for World Space Week. The Australian-built rover is due to travel to the moon’s South Pole on a NASA mission in 2030. It will be controlled from Australia and carry a NASA instrument to analyse lunar soil, supporting plans for a long-term human presence on the moon. Australian Space Agency head Enrico Palermo said Roo-ver was “a representation of Australian ingenuity and innovation”.
Reporting by Pavitra Ravi.
TDA titbit
Photo: New York Times
Philadelphia has crowned its best parallel parker, because apparently parking is now a competitive sport (and one I would fail at miserably).
The city’s first parallel parking championship attracted more than 900 applicants, with 15 selected to compete across three rounds, including “Tight Squeeze” and “Under Duress” (cue the parking anxiety).
The winner was illustrator Mario Zucca, who beat a heavy equipment operator and a former driving instructor.
His prize? $US76 (the cost of a fine in Philadelphia) and a trophy made from a piece of street kerb.
Reporting by Pavitra Ravi.
TDA asks
