☕️ Radio host departs over Matildas comment

You’ll see below that we have a new addition to the 10-second section rotation (that is quite the mouthful).

Every Thursday, I’ll be sharing our favourite comment of the week from a TDA reader on one of our posts on Instagram. In the office, we’re often laughing at how creative people are in our comment section, and we thought it could be fun to share with you!

I hope you enjoy. Happy Thursday!

"They've trawled through every transaction of my life for, you know, my entire adult life and they've come up with the fact that we've bought and sold properties... There's no information I've been privy to that influenced any decision about any share that I've bought. I've conducted myself with integrity. Why would I be declaring every detail if there was something to be hidden?"
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton addressing news reports that he purchased shares immediately before the Rudd Government bailed out the major banks in the wake of the Global Financial Crisis. Dutton was on a parliamentary committee at the time, which some outlets have suggested meant he had access to insider information. He has vehemently denied this.

$1.1 million ($AU1.7 million)
The cost of an all inclusive ticket to Fyre Festival 2, organised by convicted fraudster Billy MacFarland. Tickets begin at $US1,400 ($AU2,212) for the festival, which is yet to secure any headlining artists. The first Fyre Festival, held in 2017, made headlines for advertising a luxury experience but was a renowned failure. The festival was made particularly famous thanks to a Netflix documentary about how it went so wrong.

"Felt overwhelmed, cried, sent memes, sent passive aggressive emails. Submitted timesheet."
A TDA reader in response to our piece about Elon Musk asking U.S. government workers to report what they'd done at work in the last week.

Apple shareholders have voted in favour of upholding the tech giant’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies during its 2025 annual meeting.

More than 97% of voters rejected a proposal to “cease DEI efforts”.

The vote comes amid a growing trend of American companies choosing to scrap or modify their DEI programs.

The National Center for Public Policy Research, a conservative think tank, proposed the ban.

The group includes what’s known as ‘shareholder activists’ — a person who uses their rights as a shareholder in publicly traded companies to push for changes.

The Center says it intends to hold companies “accountable for leftist policies that pose both legal and financial risks.”

In a statement accompanying its proposal to other Apple shareholders, the Center accused the company’s DEI programs of being “more radical than most”.

During Tuesday’s meeting, spokesperson Stefan Padfield argued DEI initiatives “routinely discriminate on the basis of race, sex, and other demographic categories.”

“The vibe shift is clear. DEI is out. America is in,” Padfield said.

Apple called the move “unnecessary” and said it would control the company’s management inappropriately.

During the meeting, CEO Tim Cook said Apple’s “strength has always come from hiring the very best people and then providing a culture... where people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives come together”.

Referring to U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to ban DEI in the government, Cook said Apple may reconsider its stance if “the legal landscape around these issues evolves”.

Last month, Trump signed an executive order to stop federal contractors from having DEI programs.

However, the executive order has been paused from coming into effect by a federal court in Maryland.

If successful, businesses working with the government would have to shut down their DEI programs.

Apple is a government contractor.

Reporting by Achol Arok.

Fourteen Queenslanders linked to a fringe religious group have been sentenced over the 2022 death of an eight-year-old girl.

Elizabeth Struhs died at her home in Toowoomba, Queensland, after her family failed to provide insulin or medical care for type 1 diabetes, believing she could be healed by God.

Queensland Supreme Court Judge Martin Burns found the defendants guilty of manslaughter last month.

Elizabeth was the third-youngest child of Jason and Kerrie Struhs. The couple had eight children and lived in Toowoomba in south Queensland.

At the time of Elizabeth’s death, the family were part of a religious sect founded in the early 2010s, called ‘The Saints’. The group was led by a man called Brendan Stevens, and initially included his family, Kerrie, and her children. Jason did not join until 2021.

According to court documents, the Saints considered “themselves simply... Christians who followed God’s Word.”

In 2019, Elizabeth became extremely unwell. Jason told police that year he knew he needed to take her to the hospital, but that it would be against Kerrie’s wishes. He eventually took Elizabeth to the hospital after she fell unconscious at home.

At the hospital, Elizabeth was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, which required her to take several insulin injections a day.

Doctors told the court she was malnourished and severely dehydrated, and that they attempted to explain her diagnosis to Kerrie.

Elizabeth was hospitalised for a month, after which Jason said he managed the six-year-old’s diabetes with her.

Jason and Kerrie were both charged with “failing to provide the necessaries of life” to Elizabeth in 2020. Jason pleaded guilty, gave evidence against Kerrie, and received a six month suspended sentence.

Kerrie pleaded not guilty and refused legal representation. In July 2021, she was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

While Kerrie was in prison, the Struhs’ second-oldest child Zachary (then 19) encouraged his dad to join the church. Kerrie was released on parole in December 2021.

Across 1-2 January 2022, Jason reduced Elizabeth’s insulin. At a Saints meeting on 2 January, Jason announced to the group that her diabetes was cured. He later told police “he had not planned to announce this; the words just ‘came out’”.

Elizabeth was given her last injection of insulin that night.

One of Elizabeth’s siblings, who was 13 in 2022, told police she soon became unwell. According to the child, Elizabeth was “sick, not keeping much down” and in and out of consciousness.

Texts between group members from 4 January show the sect believed Elizabeth would soon become well, and that “the flesh” would not “take hold”.

Instead, Elizabeth’s condition quickly deteriorated, and she died in the early hours of 7 January 2022, aged eight.

Authorities were not called for 36 hours because, as they told police, the group believed she would rise from the dead.

Judge Burns found the group continues to believe “Elizabeth will be raised from the dead in their lifetime.”

Jason Struhs and Brendan Stevens were charged with murder over Elizabeth’s death. 12 others were charged with manslaughter. All pleaded not guilty.

The group refused legal representation. During the trial, Stevens gave an opening statement on behalf of the entire group, accusing the court of “religious persecution”.

Jason and Brendan’s charges were downgraded to manslaughter, with Judge Burns concluding they “knew of the probability, as opposed to the possibility, of death.”

In court on Wednesday, Burns sentenced Jason to 14 and a half years in prison, and Stevens to 13 years.

Kerrie was sentenced to 15 years, in recognition of the fact that she was on parole when Elizabeth died.

All three must serve at least 80% of their sentences before they can apply for parole.

All 14 defendants will serve jail time, with Burns saying all were “in one way or another responsible” for Elizabeth’s “slow and painful death”.

Reporting by Achol Arok.

Got an hour to spare? Spend it in a chair! 

Donating blood really is that simple. In the time it takes to watch your favourite TV show, you can save up to three lives - and be rewarded with snacks at the end!  

You can donate if you have tattoos, have been travelling, smoke, vape or take regular medications. To learn more about eligibility, click here.

1 in 3 people need blood or blood products in their lifetime, but only 1 in 30 donates. Chances are it could be someone you love that needs blood.

So step up - then sit down - and become a blood donor todaybecome a blood donor today.  

🍊 Australia’s match against South Africa was washed out. More details.
🍊 The Kookaburras break a six-year drought. Against who?
🍊 Dončić makes history in Lakers v Mavericks match - as a Laker.
🗞️ Also in the Sport Newsletter: cricket, AFL, and more…

A team ​​of NYU paediatric cardiologists led the 75-minute breakthrough procedure on baby Mikey Oliveri, who was born prematurely in December with a rare heart condition.

There have been very few treatment options for babies like Mikey until now, as the number of newborns with heart complications is so low. Hospital staff said Mikey is now “thriving” at home, two months after receiving his new specially modified pacemaker. The American Heart Association said the device “addresses a vital unmet need for these small patients.”

Want more good news? Sign up to our weekly Good Newsletter here - we promise it’ll make your week better!

Reporting by Emma Gillespie.

Australia’s contestant for the 69th Eurovision Song Contest is hoping his milkshakes will bring him a win.

Go-Jo, who grew up in rural Western Australia, found fame on TikTok with his song ‘Mrs. Hollywood’. The track amassed 60 million digital streams and one billion views across various social platforms.

Now, Go-Jo is taking his song ‘Milkshake Man’ to Basel, Switzerland, where he is among 37 hopefuls representing their country at the annual competition.

Australia joined Eurovision in 2015. Our best result was in 2016, when Dami Im came in second with ‘Sound of Silence’.

The contest kicks off on 13 May.

Reporting by Rosa Bowden.

The nurse in the antisemitic video filmed at Bankstown Hospital earlier this month has been charged by NSW Police.

The 26-year-old woman was charged with three Commonwealth offences, and remains on bail until her next court on 19 March. In today's podcast, we explain what the video was about, what's happened since and the latest charges.