In the lead-up to a handful of elections around the world, X users are no longer able to report misinformation about elections — which is typically a big issue for countries like Australia and the US. That’s according to research organization Reset.Tech Australia, which wrote an open letter to X (formerly known as Twitter) urging it to reverse its decision to disable a feature that allowed users to report misinformation. The “politics” category was removed from the reporting drop-down menu globally, except for in the EU, the organization says. X’s removal of the feature comes just weeks before Australia’s referendum on whether to establish an Indigenous advisory body to parliament and more than a year before the US presidential election, Reuters notes.

X’s commitment to mitigating serious misinformation is seen as concerning, as it has previously led to political instability, according to Alice Dawkins, Reset.Tech’s Australia’s executive director. Musk has promoted the “Community Notes” feature on the platform for fact-checking but these are only visible to the public when they are deemed helpful by various contributors with differing perspectives. Reset.Tech Australia also found that X failed to remove or label any posts containing misinformation about the Australian referendum.

The Writers’ Guild of America has finally set down its picket signs, after five months on strike, the Associated Press reports. This comes after a tentative agreement was on Monday, as of Tuesday night the strike was suspended, and the WGA union members have approved a new contract agreement with Hollywood studios. Writers are now able to start working on scripts, meaning that late-night talk shows will be back on air soon. Scripted shows may take longer to return, seeing as that actors are still on strike, with no talks scheduled with production companies.

The W: The WGA was able to raise the minimum pay increase from shows to 3.5% and 5% — studios had been lobbying for 2% and 4%. The union also negotiated a new residual payment plan based on shows’ popularity, and secured the requirement that TV shows with 13 or more episodes have at least six writers on staff, with the number adjusting as the number of episodes increases. Writers on shows in early development will now be ensured employment for a minimum of 10 weeks, and staff working on airing shows will secure three weeks of employment per episode. Most importantly, the use of AI will be regulated, meaning that screen credits will go to the writers.

ICYMI- WGA and SAG-AFTRA joined forces in May, striking together for the first time in 60 years in protest of unfair compensation in the face of inflation and cost-cutting by production companies following USD multi-bn investments in streaming. Studios have been exploiting the vague legalese of streaming services to avoid paying royalties to both writers and actors. The use of AI has been a sticking point for both unions — writers are concerned about being paid less to adapt scripts generated by a program, and actors feel at risk of having their digital likeness used without compensation.

Reaching net zero emissions by 2030s will cost the world USD 4.5 tn a year, says IEA: Global investment in clean energy technology and infrastructure needs to triple from USD 1.8 tn currently to USD 4.5 tn — roughly equivalent to the entire German GDP — per year over the next seven years, states a recent report by the International Energy Agency (IEA). According to IEA, two-thirds of the emissions reductions required by 2030 will come from solar, wind, electric vehicles, and energy efficiency, all of which are techs available at scale, though bolder action from governments is paramount. The report stressed the importance of countries working together to drive the transition and avoid severe climate impacts. IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said “the COP28 climate summit in Dubai is a vital opportunity to commit to stronger ambition and implementation.”

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