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Things I have in common with Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce: We’re all getting married this year. End of list.
The wedding of the decade (theirs, not mine) is rumoured to be taking place at New York’s Madison Square Garden (MSG) this 4 July Independence Day weekend. Here’s what we know so far:
A small rehearsal dinner is reportedly planned for Thursday night, ahead of the actual wedding at MSG on Friday night local time (Saturday morning AEST).
It’s really hot in the Big Apple right now. Mayor Zohran Mamdani even posted a PSA to social media, captioned: “What you should know about the historic heat wave headed our way. Especially if you’re (hypothetically) having your wedding at MSG this weekend.”
Several large trucks have been spotted unloading deliveries to MSG in recent days, including stage equipment, signs that read “Garden Party”, staircase railing and a large mirror ball.
Addressing media on Wednesday, New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch noted the NYPD would be present at an event at MSG later this week, with a road closure in place around the arena from 2-4 July.
Nothing, and I can’t stress this enough, has been publicly confirmed by the couple.
I’ve got 10 seconds
Quote of the week
“I'm a writer, but I'm standing here before you today, really, as a victim of crime… I've been building, slowly and painstakingly with a massive mortgage, a block of flats. Each book is a flat, and I rent it out, and the money that I get is royalties. These big tech bros have moved into my flats, kicked me out, and are charging rent for my work.”
Australian author Anna Funder, speaking to media from Parliament House today. Funder is one of dozens of creators calling for better protections for artists, after their work was used to train AI models without permission.
Stat of the week
$AU797 million.
The amount of medical debt wiped for more than 260,000 Californians by Australian supermodel Miranda Kerr and her billionaire Snapchat founder husband Evan Spiegel. The couple partnered with charity Undue Medical Debt, and posted a video to Instagram reassuring recipients that letters arriving in their mailboxes confirming the wiped debt were real.
Photo of the week
The designer of the iconic Charli XCX Brat album cover, Brent David Freaney, has shared his creative process and several draft covers at Config 2026, a global design and product conference.
Photo by Angad Bhalla via X
I’ve got 30 seconds
The group chat TL;DR
DC Studios’ Supergirl starring Aussie Milly Alcock is on track for a $US100 million loss ($AU145m). Alcock plays Supergirl, aka Kara Zor-El, in one of her biggest projects to date. However, the film has failed to make an impact at the box office, opening to just $AU91 million worldwide. The figure is well below expectations for a film that cost nearly $250m to make and another $175m to market. Insiders say the movie needs to pull in at least $435m globally to break even. Alcock, (House of the Dragon, Upright) was paid around $580,000 for her portrayal of Supergirl, and stood to earn only a small bonus from the film’s success. DC Studios co-chair Peter Safran told the New York Times: “While ‘Supergirl’ didn’t meet our box office expectations, it’s just one component of a broader, long-term strategy at DC Studios that we remain confident in.”
Performers are warning Australia’s musical theatre sector is in crisis, with multiple major productions cancelling shows in the space of weeks. Local productions of Broadway musicals Waitress and Beetlejuice have both cut their Australian tours short, citing rising production and touring costs, cost-of-living pressures, and softer ticket sales. The cancellations have left hundreds of performers, musicians and crew out of work, while Sydney's Capitol Theatre and Sydney Lyric will reportedly sit dark for around six months. Nine reported on Thursday that Anastasia: The Musical has also cancelled several Sydney performances. A production spokesperson told Nine organisers were “exploring all avenues to keep costs down.”
Canada will take part in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2027, organisers have announced. “Canada is the first new country to join the Eurovision Song Contest since Australia in 2015 and will compete in the semi-finals when they join the competition next year," the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said in a statement on Wednesday. Eurovision 2027 will be hosted in Bulgaria after it won the contest for the first time in May. Participation in the international competition is not strictly limited to geographic Europe but instead to members of the EBU, a broadcasting alliance that includes countries beyond the continent. Australian broadcaster SBS is an associate member, which enabled its original invitation.
I’ve got 1 minute
The ACCC is suing Amazon over claims more than one million Prime subscribers were unfairly charged to go ad-free.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is taking Amazon to court, alleging the tech giant unfairly charged more than one million Prime Video subscribers extra to watch without ads.
The consumer watchdog claims Amazon relied on “unfair contract terms” when it introduced ads to Prime Video in 2024, requiring customers to pay an additional fee to keep watching ad-free.
Amazon has said it is “reviewing the case”.
Background
Amazon was founded as an online bookseller in 1994 before expanding into streaming. It launched a video streaming service in 2006, rebranding it to Prime Video in the 2010s.
Then, in 2018, Amazon Prime arrived in Australia, offering access to Prime Video, free delivery and other member benefits.
A subscription costs $9.99 per month or $79 annually.
ACCC
On Tuesday, the ACCC announced it would take Amazon to the Federal Court, alleging its Prime subscription contracts included five unfair terms affecting more than one million annual subscribers.
The watchdog alleges Amazon relied on one of those terms to introduce ads to Prime Video in July 2024. Until then, the service had been almost entirely ad-free.
Subscribers who wanted to keep watching without ads were then required to pay an additional $2.99 a month.
“Consumers who wanted to avoid ads were left with no choice but to pay more to maintain the service they’d initially signed up for,” ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said.
The ACCC also alleges Amazon’s U.S. parent company, Amazon.com Services LLC, was “knowingly concerned” in the Australian arm’s conduct, including drafting the contracts and deciding to introduce ads globally.
The case is one of the first contested matters brought under the watchdog’s new penalty regime for unfair contract terms, which applies to contracts made or renewed from 9 November 2023.
Response
An Amazon Australia spokesperson told TDA the company was “reviewing the case filed by the ACCC in detail”.
“We have cooperated with the ACCC throughout its investigation and remain focused on providing the best experience for our Australian customers,” the spokesperson said.
The Federal Court is yet to announce a hearing date.
Reporting by Emily Donohoe.
Together with Avène
25-year-old French pharmacy cream is having a moment - and it's not hard to see why.
Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream has been a dermatologist go-to for 25 years, loved for calming and repairing sensitive, irritated skin. Made with Avène Thermal Spring Water and a gentle, clinically-tested ingredient, it visibly repairs skin within 48 hours and helps with everything from post-procedure sensitivity to everyday dryness and redness.
I’ve got 2 minutes
We’re halfway through the year. Here are the best shows of 2026 (so far).
Some people have real hobbies. Me? I like TV.
No, guys, I really like TV. It’s a disease. But now that we’ve officially reached the halfway point of 2026 (yuck), I thought I’d channel* my passion into something useful.
Here’s my list of the best shows of 2026, for your viewing pleasure.
*pun intended.
Feel good favourites:
Rooster: This HBO Max 10-parter stars Steve Carell as a successful author who signs up for a writer-in-residence gig at the fictional Ludlow College, where his daughter teaches.
This Is a Gardening Show: A surprisingly delightful oddball doco-comedy from Zach Galifianakis on Netflix. Zach interviews kids and experts about horticulture, farming and foraging, with a few history lessons thrown in, all in around 15 minutes per ep.
Shrinking: This beloved Apple TV+ series returned for a third season in 2026. While I’ll concede it wasn’t quite the masterpiece as season two was, there’s still so much to love about Shrinking. Packed full of heart, humour, and an all-star cast.
Heated Rivalry: In case you’ve been living under a rock, Rozanov and Hollander are waiting for you on HBO Max. Ditto for Off Campus. You’ll find Wellsy and Garrett on Prime Video.
High stress, high reward:
The Pitt: After an award-winning first season, the return of The Pitt this year somehow lived up to the hype. Beloved by all in the TDA team, check it out on HBO Max.
Your Friends and Neighbours: Jon Hamm plays an ex-financier turned suburban burglar. James Marsden was a brilliant season two addition. Watch now on Apple TV+.
Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed: Another gem from Apple TV+ (truly, as far as streamers go, I’m yet to find an Apple flop). A single mum (who works as a fact-checker at a newspaper) falls victim to a sextortion scam and launches her own investigation.
Scarpetta: Not for the faint hearted, but this gripping, gritty crime series on Prime Video stars Nicole Kidman as a forensics expert hunting down a serial killer. Also stars Aussie Simon Baker, alongside Jamie Lee Curtis, Bobby Cannavale, and Ariana DeBose.
I Will Find You: Another TDA team favourite, currently number one on Netflix’s global top 10. Need I say more?
Cream of the crop comedy:
Hacks: The fifth and final season of this iconic series left me speechless. Go find out what all the hype is about over on Stan.
Bad Company: This ABC six-parter created, written by, and starring comedian Anne Edmonds is set in an independent theatre as its chaotic artistic director (Edmonds) goes head to head with banker-turned-CEO Kitty Flanagan.
Jury Duty presents: Company Retreat: I loved Jury Duty, but never thought the format could be successfully reimagined. I was so wrong. Watch now on Prime Video.
Ground Up: Another great ABC comedy starring Sam Peng as an executive trying to develop Tasmania’s first AFL club and stadium.
Beef: Season two of this Netflix anthology series kept the same dark comedy tone as the first season with even more, well, beef.
In the mood for a good villain:
The Night Manager: Catch Tom Hiddleston in this British spy thriller on Prime Video. We only had to wait 10 whole years between seasons but it was worth it, I promise.
Rivals: This Disney+ comedy-drama set in the British Cotswolds in the 1980s made a triumphant return to our screens this year with more feuds, affairs and scandals. Part two of season 2 (eps 7-12) will be released in November and I’m counting down the days.
Ponies: Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) and Hayley Lu Richardson (The White Lotus) are unmissable in this Cold War spy thriller as two unlikely CIA operatives working together to unravel a major conspiracy in 1970s Russia. Now streaming on Binge.
Ouch my heart hurts:
Love Story: Nine episodes of slow heartbreak detailing the romance and tragic deaths of John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette. The Kennedy family criticised the series as pure fiction. That may be the case, but I still inhaled this one on Disney+.
Palate cleanser:
America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders returned to Netflix on 16 June and thank goodness for that y’all.
Reporting by Emma Gillespie.
Recommendation of the week
TDA Partnerships Manager Sera (and our in-house Bieber correspondent) wants you to listen to the live Justin Bieber Swag Coachella album:
“I don’t care if I’m biased, I need to know more about how they've made it sound so crisp – especially when it was recorded at a loud festival with thousands & thousands of people. The only thing that would make it better is if I could actually hear it live :) pls go on tour soon Justin.”
TDA asks
