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Good morning!
It’s been a big week, so here are three Friday shower thoughts I have for you:
If you clean a vacuum cleaner, do you become the vacuum cleaner?
Which orange came first - the fruit or the colour?
If tomatoes are fruit, then is tomato sauce jam?
Anyway, we’ll never really know what it smells like underwater, so that’s that. Have an awesome weekend!
I’ve got 10 seconds
Quote of the day
"I very much want to see the ANU thrive into the future and for it to continue to be a remarkable place, and I don’t want to stand in the way of that."
ANU Vice-Chancellor Genevieve Bell in a statement resigning from her position at the uni, following significant pushback from staff over management issues, including job cuts.
Stat of the day
1 in 10
The proportion of children worldwide living with obesity, according to UNICEF. Obesity rates have increased from 3 per cent to 9.4 per cent, and now exceed the rates of underweight children in all regions of the world except sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The study used BMI, which categorises people based on height and weight. It was developed in the 1830s by a mathematician as a way to find the ‘average’ male body. In recent years, some doctors have advised against using it as a standalone tool to measure health.
Viral moment of the week
Sabrina Carpenter took to the Video Music Awards (VMAs) stage this week to perform her single ‘Tears’ for the first time. She paid homage to Britney Spears with a “dance break” as faux rain fell from the ceiling.
I’ve got 30 seconds
Some headlines from this morning:
Record-breaking downpours and strong winds are continuing in parts of NSW, with the SES confirming it’s received more than 850 callouts since Wednesday. Severe Weather Warnings for heavy rainfall and damaging winds are in place across the state’s east from the Illawarra to the Northern Tablelands and Hunter region. Daily rainfall records for September have been broken in multiple inner and outer city suburbs, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. It comes after two tornados were observed in the NSW South West Slopes yesterday. Heavy rain led to a surge in calls to emergency services. The SES has called for impacted residents to remain vigilant, particularly on the roads.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has found Triple M violated broadcasting standards when it aired sexist comments by Marty Sheargold earlier this year. Sheargold was removed from Triple M’s presenter lineup in February after he compared the Matildas to “Year 10 girls” and made a crude joke about the Asian Cup. ACMA has now deemed Sheargold’s comments sexist, demeaning, and beyond acceptable levels of decency. The breach was aired across four stations, prompting widespread listener complaints. ACMA is now considering formal sanctions, which could include staff training or warnings.
Recommendation of the day
Transparency: This is a sponsored section of the newsletter. It's the best way we can keep this newsletter free for you
Theatre, reimagined: Belvoir’s 2026 season is here 🎭
Belvoir St Theatre is back with a new season of bold new works, reimagined classics and international plays. It’s one of Australia’s most loved stages, where artists and audiences come together to create the rough magic of live theatre.
Grab your 2026 tickets before December 2 and you’ll go in the running to win a Hunter Valley holiday.
I’ve got 1 minute
Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has been removed from the shadow ministry over comments about Indian migrants
Country Liberal Party Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has been removed from the Coalition frontbench following comments about Indian migrants to Australia during an ABC interview last week.
Price suggested the Government allows “large numbers” of Indian migrants into Australia because of their “Labor-leaning” political views.
The move comes after a week of mounting pressure from Coalition members for the Senator to apologise.
Price, who has not yet apologised, said she was disappointed her colleagues had “disregarded [her] key point”.
Removal
On Wednesday afternoon, Price gave a press conference where she said her comments had been “clumsy,” but that her concerns about the level of migration to Australia still stood.
She also refused to confirm she had confidence in Ley’s leadership.
Later that afternoon, Opposition Leader Sussan Ley asked Senator Price to step down from her role as Shadow Defence Industry Minister.
Ley said Price had failed to “uphold the standard” she expected of Coalition members.
“Despite being given sufficient time and space to do so, [she] has failed to apologise... the Liberal Party I lead will respect, reflect, and represent modern Australia,” Ley said.
“She also refused to provide confidence in my leadership of the Liberal Party and sadly, that has made her position untenable in my Shadow Ministry,” Ley added.
Price’s response
In a statement, Price called the move “a disappointing episode for the Liberal Party”.
“I never intended to be disparaging towards our Indian community. And I wish no ill-will whatsoever to the Indian community... My concern is not migration itself — it’s the magnitude of migration,” Price said.
Reporting by Achol Arok.
I’ve got 2 minutes
Here’s what we know about the fatal shooting of U.S conservative activist Charlie Kirk
Federal authorities are searching for the person who shot conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a Utah university on Tuesday (local time).
The attack took place at an outdoor event where Kirk was addressing a crowd of more than 3,000 people.
The 31-year-old was shot in the neck, and confirmed dead at a nearby hospital.
Authorities have described the incident as a “political assassination”.
Charlie Kirk
Kirk was considered an influential figure in conservative politics and a close ally of U.S. President Donald Trump.
He was a podcaster and the founder of Turning Point USA, an organisation aimed at promoting conservative politics to young people. Kirk had given talks at thousands of high schools and universities across the U.S.
Over the years, he amassed a large following on social media, with more than five million Twitter followers.
Kirk had previously supported the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which includes “the right to bear arms”.
In the moments before he was shot, Kirk was answering a question about gun violence.
He is survived by his wife and two children.
Shooting
Kirk was shot in the neck and transported to a nearby hospital, where he was confirmed dead.
The stage where Kirk was speaking was in the centre of the Utah Valley University campus, surrounded by buildings. Authorities believe the attack was “a long-distance shot from a roof.”
Plain-clothed police officers and Kirk’s private security team were among the first responders as crowds of people fled the scene.
Suspects
Police have interrogated two people.
One was arrested and released, while another remains in custody on charges related to “obstruction of justice.”
Authorities said there was “one shot fired, and one victim.”
Reactions
In a statement to social media, Turning Point USA asked supporters to “keep [Kirk’s] family and loved ones in [their] prayers.”
In a video statement, U.S. President Donald Trump said he was “filled with grief and anger at the heinous assassination“.
“An assassin tried to silence him with a bullet, but he failed because together we will ensure that his voice, his message, and his legacy will live on for countless generations to come,” Trump said.
Utah Valley University says it is continuing to work with authorities investigating the “unspeakable attack”.
The university said it will increase police presence on campus to ensure community safety and provide mental health support for students and safety.
The FBI has established a tip line, urging the public to provide any information that could lead to an arrest.
Violence
Kirk’s murder was the second shooting on a school campus on the same day, following an attack that wounded two high school students in Colorado.
It is also the latest in a series of political attacks, including two assassination attempts against Trump.
In June, a 57-year-old man was charged with the murder of state Democrat Melissa Hortman and her husband in their Minnesota home, and the non-fatal shooting of state Senator John Hoffman and his wife, also a Democrat.
Reporting by Achol Arok.
A message from carsales
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Ready to love every move?
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🍊 Another athlete has joined the Enhanced Games. Who are they?
🍊 The Wallabies have named the lineup for this weekend.
🍊 Which Aussies will be at the athletics world championships?
🗞️ Also in the Sport Newsletter: tennis, soccer, and more…
Give me some good news
A group of Aussie surfers has come together to raise awareness for mental health.
OneWave is a not-for-profit community surf group pushing to reduce mental health stigma. According to a recent report from the organisation, “surf therapy has been shown to reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and PTSD.” OneWave found that people who engage in water-based activities like surfing reported higher levels of happiness and lower levels of stress. The group ran a special event to mark R U OK? Day, which saw dozens of surfers braving the rain and cold to paddle out dressed in fluro at URBNSURF Sydney. OneWave founder Grant Treblico said the community event aims to “bring more colour to mental health… and start more conversations.” He added: “I’ve found the best place to talk about mental health is with your mates out in the surf. It’s all about connection and community.”
Want more good news? Sign up to our weekly Good Newsletter here - we promise it’ll make your week better!
Reporting by Emma Gillespie.
TDA titbit
NASA says its Perseverance rover may have found evidence of past life on Mars.
The rover collected a sample from a crater with odd "spots" made of minerals commonly linked to microbial life on Earth.
The sample is an important sign, but researchers say it is still to be determined if it is evidence of extraterrestrial life, since there could be other explanations for the spots.
The finding does bring scientists closer than ever before to answering one of humanity's greatest questions: is there life on Mars?
Reporting by Rosa Bowden.
Want more from The Daily Aus? Listen to our podcast!
Starting this month, Australia’s music charts will focus on albums and songs released in the last two years, transitioning away from older releases that had long been taking up space.
It is the biggest change to the ARIA charts since the introduction of streaming figures over a decade ago.
When this new system came into effect last week, a viral hit from Aussie artist Keli Holiday jumped to the top spot on the Australian Singles Chart.
On today’s podcast, we chat with Holiday - whose real name is Adam Hyde - about how it feels to go to number one with an independent release, and what these chart changes mean for the future of the Australian music industry.
TDA asks
