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Good morning!
Looking for something to watch? Here’s a recommendation from the TDA team: ‘Famous Last Words’ on Netflix.
It is a Netflix docuseries where well-known people sit down for a final interview, recorded with the understanding it won’t be released until after they die. It’s not known who has been interviewed for the series, until after the interviewees have passed.
The most recent episode was released over the weekend, after the passing of actor Eric Dane. We recommend – and yes, grab the tissues.
I’ve got 10 seconds
The quote: “You might notice Jackie is not here. I spoke with her yesterday. She wants a couple of days off to gather her thoughts.”
Radio host Kyle Sandilands on air on Monday, in reference to his co-host Jackie O. It comes after the pair, who have been working together for more than 20 years, had an argument during their show on Friday over Jackie O’s commitment to the show.
The stat: 91. The number of storeys planned for the new Trump Tower on the Gold Coast, due to be constructed by the end of the decade. It will be the first Trump Tower in Australia.
The big question:
Yesterday’s results: 44% of you said you are doomscrolling more than four times a week [1,500 votes].
I’ve got 30 seconds
Some headlines from this morning:
The Opposition wants to make it a criminal offence to help anyone with ties to ISIS return to Australia. It comes as debate intensifies over how to deal with a group of 34 Australian women and children with links to IS who plan to return home. A new proposal from the Coalition would make it illegal to assist people who have travelled to a declared terror hotspot or who have committed a terrorism offence. The offence would carry penalties of up to 10 years behind bars. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese dismissed the plan, which has also been criticised by aid groups. Save the Children CEO Mat Tinkler said “any attempt to criminalise advocacy for Australian children stranded overseas would be extraordinary. Instead… politicians should be focused on finding ways to protect them.”
The search for an abducted grandfather has been expanded to thick bushland, NSW Police has confirmed. It’s now been 11 days since 85-year-old Chris Baghsarian was taken from his home in Sydney’s northern suburbs. Investigators believe kidnappers were targeting someone else when they took Baghsarian by mistake. Neither his family nor police have received any ransom demands relating to the case. In an update on Monday, Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Marks said: “This whole case has not been our normal kind of investigation in relation to kidnapping and a hostage”. Police are now focusing their efforts on a semi-rural suburb on the fringes of far north-west Sydney, near a national park and remote properties. A vehicle linked to the case was seen in the area more than 40 hours after the elderly man's disappearance.
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I’ve got 1 minute
The Victorian Health Department has announced an increased risk of measles in the state, particularly in Melbourne.
There is currently a global measles outbreak. Many destinations popular with Australian tourists, such as Indonesia and Thailand, have recorded a high number of cases.
Most states and territories have also announced new measles cases.
Reports of the disease have increased in recent years, from roughly 10 in 2022 to more than 170 in 2025.
Measles
Measles is a highly contagious illness that causes rashes all over the body.
In some cases, it can lead to serious health complications, including pneumonia and inflammation of the brain.
Measles often begins with flu symptoms, such as a fever, cough and runny nose, before developing into a red and blotchy rash.
Health professionals recommend vaccinations to prevent measles.
Cases
On Sunday, the Victorian Department of Health said there is an “increased risk of measles [in the state]… especially in metropolitan Melbourne.”
It said the illness had been detected among people who had not recently travelled overseas.
A Federal Government database shows 12 recorded cases of measles in 2026 so far. There were 36 recorded cases in Victoria in 2025.
According to the same database, NSW has recorded 20 cases of measles and Queensland has recorded nine in 2026.
Reporting by Annabel Whitehouse.
Quick hits
🎧 On today’s TDA podcast, Emma explains the former NRL star caught in a gang war.
💶 What’s a unicorn? Sign up to TDA Finance here to find out on Wednesday morning.
Sun fact of the day
Weekend sport sidelines = sneaky sun time. Long sleeves, wide-brimmed hats, SPF50+, and shade make a big difference over a season – protection is your skin’s MVP.
*Transparency: This is a sponsored part of the newsletter - the best way to keep the newsletter free for you.
I’ve got 2 minutes
Australia is among the nations set to face 15% tariffs announced by U.S. President Donald Trump over the weekend.
The decision comes after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the existing tariff structure was illegal.
Trade Minister Don Farrell said Australia is “not happy” with the announcement.
Here’s what you need to know.
Tariffs
A ‘tariff’ is a tax on imports. It’s applied to foreign-made goods brought into another country, and paid by the importer.
For example: Country A and Country B make the same product. Country A wants its citizens to buy its own version of the product, not Country B’s, so it applies a tariff.
Importers in Country A now pay the tax when they bring in B’s product, and pass on the cost to consumers, making this version of the product more expensive to buy.
Arrangement
Since his second presidency began, Trump has announced a range of tariffs on internationally imported goods, including from Australia.
25% tariffs: Cars, trucks, truck parts, advanced computer chips, and bathroom and kitchen materials.
50% tariffs: steel, aluminium, some copper and copper-containing products.
At a press conference last year, Trump said: “We’ll bring back our industry and we’ll bring back our jobs”.
In 2005, Australia and the U.S. entered a free trade agreement (AUSFTA), meaning many products have zero tariffs.
Since 2025, Trump has introduced tariffs on Australian products including steel and pharmaceuticals (if manufacturers do not have U.S. factories).
Australia has not charged tariffs on U.S. imports.
Supreme Court
Last week, the majority of the nine Supreme Court justices determined that Trump’s use of tariffs had been unlawful.
The Court determined Trump was not authorised to invoke a certain law, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), to impose tariffs.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh (appointed by Trump) disagreed with the verdict, and raised concerns that the U.S. “may be required to refund billions of dollars to importers who paid the IEEPA tariffs”.
Announcement
Following the Supreme Court decision, on Friday (local time), Trump announced a new tariff of 10%, to apply to most goods imported to the U.S, regardless of their country of origin.
The tariff was applied under a different piece of U.S. legislation.
Two days later, he increased the tariff to 15%, saying countries had been “ripping the U.S. off for decades”.
The tariff will apply for 150 days, and comes into effect at 12:01am on 24 February (D.C. time).
Response
In a statement, Trade Minister Don Farrell said Australia will “examine all options” in relation to the tariffs that it has “consistently advocated against”.
Farrell told Sky News on Monday that he would discuss the announcement on an upcoming visit to Washington D.C.
“It’s not consistent with the way allies should be treating one another,” he said.
Nationals leader David Littleproud called the move “inflationary,” adding that “the people who ultimately pay for this is the consumer”.
Reporting by Emily Donohoe.
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Give me some good news
For the first time in nearly 200 years, tortoises are roaming the Galápagos island of Floreana.
The Floreana Giant Tortoise was driven to extinction in the mid-1800s, but the Galápagos National Park Directorate led a rewilding project after tortoises with Floreana ancestry were found on Wolf Volcano, the highest peak in the Galápagos Islands. After decades of scientific research, genetic studies, and breeding programs, a total of 158 juvenile giant tortoises were released into their ancestral habitat this week. Hugo Mogollón, President and CEO of Galápagos Conservancy said: “We are returning this species to its island in a form that closely reflects the original lineage, laying a critical scientific foundation… [to restore] ecosystems”.
Reporting by Emma Gillespie.
TDA titbit
The Japanese city of Osaka has received an anonymous donation of gold bars worth 560 million yen ($AU5 million) to fix its water pipes.
According to international media, Osaka Mayor Hideyuki Yokoyama said: “Tackling ageing water pipes requires a huge investment. So I have nothing but appreciation”.
The benefactor is also believed to have gifted 500,000 yen ($AU4,500) in the past to develop the city’s water infrastructure.
Reporting by Annabel Whitehouse.
TDA asks
