☕️ Angus Taylor quits frontbench

The TDA team is doing our first offsite today with everyone! (Basically we just all spend some dedicated time away from our computers to discuss the future.)

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The quote: "We are only getting started."
Acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Todd Lyons, appearing before a congressional committee for the first time since ICE received a major funding boost amid the U.S. immigration crackdown.

The stat: 71 U.S. cents. The amount the Australian dollar has recently climbed to, its highest in years amid the ASX 200 rally.

The big question:

Yesterday’s results: 51% of you said you currently have a HECS debt. [2934 votes].

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At least ten people are dead following a mass shooting at a high school in a rural town in the Canadian province of British Columbia.

Among the dead are two people who were found at a home believed to be connected to the incident.

It’s understood the suspected shooter, who is believed to be a woman, died from self-inflicted injuries.

Another 25 were treated at the local medical centre.

It marks the second deadliest school shooting in Canadian history.

On Tuesday afternoon (local time) the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) responded to emergency calls at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School.

An active shooter alert was issued for the town and a large surrounding area.

The emergency alert described the suspect as a woman in a dress with brown hair. She was found dead at the scene.

Local residents were instructed to stay in place and seek shelter.

Police have confirmed all remaining students and staff were safely evacuated from the school.

There is no known motive for the attack at this time.

Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney said: “I join Canadians in grieving with those whose lives have been changed irreversibly today, and in gratitude for the courage and selflessness of the first responders who risked their lives to protect their fellow citizens.”

Following the incident, police confirmed that at least ten people had died, including the suspected shooter.

Most were found dead inside the high school, while one died on the way to the hospital.

An additional two people were found dead at a home believed to be connected to the incident.

Two people were airlifted to hospital with serious injuries. Another 25 were treated at the local medical centre.

Reporting by Elliot Lawry.

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Liberal MP Angus Taylor has stepped down from his Shadow Cabinet position, as speculation about a leadership challenge against Sussan Ley continues.

Taylor, who was serving as Shadow Defence Minister, is considered the top contender to replace Ley.

He refused to confirm if he plans to challenge her at a press conference announcing his resignation on Wednesday evening.

Here’s what you need to know.

In January, the Nationals broke from the Liberals when voting on a bill to reform hate speech laws following the Bondi terror attack.

Unlike the Labor Party, the Coalition does not require its MPs to always vote with the party, unless they are in the Shadow Cabinet. This is known as ‘Shadow Cabinet solidarity’.

After breaking solidarity, three Nationals tendered their resignations from the Shadow Cabinet to Opposition leader Sussan Ley on 21 January.

Following the Shadow Cabinet walkout, National Party leader David Littleproud announced the Coalition had split on 22 January.

In a statement, Littleproud said: “Remaining in a Coalition with the Liberal Party under the leadership of Sussan Ley is untenable and cannot continue.”

Two weeks later, on 8 February, Ley and Littleproud announced the Coalition had reformed “to hold an Albanese Government that is failing Australians to account.”

“The Coalition is back together and looking to the future,” they said.

Taylor has been the Member for Hume in Sydney’s south-west since 2013.

He has served in ministerial positions including energy and industry. Until today, he was the Shadow Defence Minister.

After former Liberal leader Petter Dutton lost his seat at the 2025 election, Ley won the position over Taylor, 29 votes to 25.

Taylor and fellow member Angus Hastie were contenders to challenge Ley’s leadership, until Hastie took his hat out of the ring on 30 January.

Hastie has previously questioned the future viability of the party under its current direction.

By stepping away from the frontbench, Taylor is effectively rescinding his Shadow Cabinet solidarity. This means he can publicly criticise Ley’s decisions.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday evening, Taylor said: “We can’t mince words. The Liberal Party is at the worst position it has been since 1944, when the party was formed. That is a confronting reality and we cannot ignore it.”

Taylor refused to confirm if he would run for the party leadership.

However, he said he doesn’t believe Ley “is in a position to be able to lead the party, as it needs to be led from here.”

Reporting by Emily Donohoe.

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The long-term study, funded by U.S. medical research agency the National Institutes of Health, tracked nearly 3,000 patients aged 65 and older over a three-year period. Those who completed consistent “speed training” sessions were 25% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease compared to those who didn’t use the training video game. Marilyn Albert, director of the Johns Hopkins Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centre called the results “very surprising”. Albert said the video game may create long-lasting changes in the brain, improving its ability to adapt throughout our lives.

Reporting by Emma Gillespie.

In case you missed it, Norwegian biathlete Sturla Holm Lægreid used his bronze medal victory at the Winter Olympics on Wednesday to make a desperate public appeal to win back the ex-girlfriend he cheated on.

The 28-year-old was in tears after finishing third in the men's 20km event on Tuesday, but not because he finished third.

In an unorthodox post-race confession to Norwegian media, Lægreid revealed he had been unfaithful to his partner, calling her a "gold medal in my life."

"Six months ago, I met the love of my life, the most beautiful and kindest person in the world," Lægreid said. 

"Three months ago, I made my biggest mistake and cheated on her. I told her about it a week ago. It's been the worst week of my life," he added.

"I hope that committing 'social suicide' might show how much I love her," he said. "I'm taking the consequences for what I've done. I regret it with all my heart."

Reporting by George Finlayson.