Good morning, team. Hope you all had great weekends. Let’s get it.

1. The infection numbers continue looking better in Victoria. The state recorded 114 new cases of COVID-19 and 11 additional deaths on Sunday. Nine of those deaths are linked to aged care. The deaths include one man aged in his 70s, five women and one man in their 80s and three women and one man in their 90s.

2. New South Wales reported 7 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday. NSW Health is “strongly advising” public transport commuters to wear masks at all times after two cases linked to the growing CBD coronavirus cluster travelled on a bus from the CBD to the eastern suburbs.

3. The Barefoot Investor shut down its subscriber-only Blueprint program at the end of last financial year as founder Scott Pape gave up his financial licence. While members were told of the decision a year in advance, many have been left frustrated as years worth of paid content disappeared overnight. With the business shutting down within a couple of weeks, some claim the removal of the backcatalogue wasn’t communicated properly and has left them empty-handed, as they struggle to get answers from Pape.

4. ABS data set to be released today will show the recession is disproportionately hurting Sydney and Melbourne. High numbers of COVID-19 cases between the two cities, the collapse of migration and the loss of tourism are likely to hit both cities very hard – possibly resulting in longterm changes to the economy.

5. Australia’s biggest buy now pay later platforms capped off the financial year strongly, hitting all-time highs last week. Zip, like Afterpay, managed to double its customer base despite heading into a period of economic uncertainty. Co-founder Peter Gray said it was a testament to the business model as it expands to the US and UK.

6. Neuralink, the neural tech company founded by Elon Musk in 2016, held a live demo Friday showing off its ability to read the brain activity of a pig with a surgically implanted chip that transmits data wirelessly. Musk described Neuralink’s AI-powered “brain chip” as “a Fitbit in your skull with tiny wires” and predicted the technology could one day give people telepathy, cure paralysis, or enable superhuman vision. But scientists who watched the demo said Neuralink didn’t show off anything that innovative, and that it’s still a long way from using the chip in humans or delivering on Musk’s ambitious claims.

7. Global marketing-as-a-service company Impact has acquired ACTIVATE, one of the world’s biggest influencer marketplaces. Impact’s Managing Director for the Asia Pacific Adam Furness said the purchase offers a new Influencer-as-a-Service product to Australian businesses, which could boost the local influencer marketing industry. A 2019 PwC report estimated the Australian industry was worth $240 million that year, as the industry shifts towards a focus on micro- and nano-influencers.

8. Filmmaker Michael Moore has warned that history may be repeating itself, and as in 2016 complacent progressives are ignoring the huge and fervent support President Trump has in battleground states. “I’m warning you almost 10 weeks in advance. The enthusiasm level for the 60 million in Trump’s base is OFF THE CHARTS! For Joe, not so much,” wrote Moore on Facebook.

9. Airbus’ Silicon Valley incubator Acubed is pressing forward with a data collection program that will support future autonomous flight operations. Yes, self-flying planes. Acubed’s Project Wayfinder just acquired a Beechcraft Baron 58 and equipped it with onboard cameras and instrumentation to be used as a flying lab for researchers. Successful test flights of a self-flying Airbus A350-1000 XWB proved the concept of self-flying planes viable with Project Wayfinder aiming to make it a reality.

10. Drama in the world of online sex work, which has become even bigger business through the coronavirus pandemic. Actress and former Disney star Bella Thorne has issued an apology after a backlash from OnlyFans creators for “gentrifying” the erotic content site. The 22-year-old, who signed up to OnlyFans on August 19, broke records by raking in $US1 million in her first 24 hours and $US2 million in less than a week.

BONUS ITEM

This sheep, named Double Diamond, sold at auction for £367,500. Diamond is a Texel sheep, and they often sell for five-figure sums, according to the Texel Sheep Society. The sheep was bought by three farmers, who hope to see returns on their investment by breeding.

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