The US Federal Reserve is “no rush” to cut interest rates, according to CommSec’s Tom Piotrowski. Mr Piotrowski said the US markets were “under pressure” before the Federal Reserve released the minutes from their latest meeting. He noted the central bank indicated there are “risks” associated with moving too quickly when it comes to rate cuts. “So that makes sense in the context of the hotter than expected inflation figures that we have seen most recently,” he told Sky News Australia. Presented by CommSec.

Sky News host Caleb Bond says a school in NSW has been distributing a textbook that follows the “transgender agenda”. The textbook talks about gender problems like, having a vulva “doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a woman”. “We know that male and female is binary, and it is assigned at birth,” Mr Bond said. “There is nothing you can do about that. “Take your kids out of schools if this is what they are being taught.”

Sky News Australia host Paul Murray has reacted to the left blaming Donald Trump for Alexei Nalvalny’s death. The Russian opposition leader died in a Russian prison on Saturday where he was serving time for extremism charges. “Who do you think that Biden would blame for it all? That the media would blame for it as well?” Mr Murray responded. “Oh yeah, Donald Trump. “It’s just defensive. “The idea that he is responsible for what Putin’s goons did to the opposition leader in Russia is madness.”

Sky News host Paul Murray has drawn attention to a poll on cost-of-living issues which should put Anthony Albanese “flat on his backside”. “The number of people saying cost-of-living is going up compared to where it was 12 months ago,” Mr Murray said. “It is almost six out of ten voters now as opposed to 5 out of ten. “If the Prime Minister thinks he is out of the woods on cost-of-living, that poll should put him flat on his backside. “The numbers speak to what we have talked about here.”

Business columnist Terry McCrann has labelled the government’s economic celebrations as “absurd” after wages outpaced inflation by 0.3 per cent in the December quarter. “You’d have to think the champagne corks are popping all round Australia – particularly in the working-class suburbs,” Mr McCrann told Sky News host Sharri Markson. “In a sense, it would be very silly for the government to claim credit for this because those wages rising more than four per cent is precisely the biggest threat for homeowners to see their interest rates stay at the very high levels. “The Reserve Bank Governor has made it absolutely crystal clear that four per cent wage increases and higher is incompatible with getting inflation down. “We have got a government which is so focused on destroying productivity in IR, in energy and all the other parts of the economy.”

Sky News host James Macpherson says Queensland politicians “coping” with the cost-of-living crisis have been given an increase for their travel and vehicle allowances. “Do you ever lie awake at night worrying about your local MP and how he is coping with the cost-of-living crisis,” he said. “I know I do but we want to assure you tonight that your local politician is doing just fine. “Queensland MP’s have a base salary of about $203,000 but now they have been given an increase in their vehicle allowance. “That gives them thousands of dollars more than it actually costs to run a car.”

Sky News host Paul Murray slammed the Victorian Greens for suggesting the government should have the power to set supermarket prices. The Greens called on the Albanese government to use its powers under the Essential Services Commission Act to declare supermarkets a regulated industry. Greens MP Aiv Puglielli spoke outside of parliament holding Woolies groceries, demanding the government to take action on prices. “The Greens have yet again shown us that they are the party of protest," Mr Murray said. “Holding up stuff and saying how expensive it is, is not an argument as to why the state should step in and start setting price controls.”

Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci is stepping away from his role and Sky News host Paul Murray says he is “happy he’s gone”. “Apparently it had absolutely nothing to do with external forces, such as the spin out of the company today,” Mr Murray said. “It had nothing to do with the fact that on Monday night the CEO was storming out of interviews with the ABC. “The idea that he walked away, well it all resulted of course in him now losing the job. “He’s not going to be around for much longer on the job.”

Former Speaker of the House Bronwyn Bishop says the Greens Party are “truly communist”. Ms Bishop told Sky News host Paul Murray that communism is their “particular version” of socialism. The former Speaker of the House said the Greens “pretend” to be about conservation and the environment. “Literally, the worst possible person we can have in the Parliament. “They are communists, and they should wear the label.”

Nationals Senate Leader Bridget McKenzie says Labor’s approach to border security is “failing”. On Friday, around 40 men from Pakistan and Bangladesh were discovered near a small Indigenous community in Western Australia. The federal budget shows a decline in spending for the Border Force each year. Ms McKenzie told Sky News host Sharri Markson that it is a “signal” to people smugglers. “I just think Australians need to be very, very cautious about anything this government says on border security.”

Former Australian prime minister Paul Keating has “still got his marbles” after describing the current tax rate as ‘confiscatory’, says business columnist Terry McCrann. “They are not only punitive for the taxpayer, but it means less tax revenues actually flow to the government,” Mr McCrann told Sky News host Sharri Markson. “One of the great lessons we should have learnt in the second half of the 20th century is that lowering the tax rate actually increases the tax harvest. “You get more production, you get more income, you get more taxes. “The brackets won’t be indexed, so we get inflation going up, we’ll get wages going up – we get that tax hike going up.”

Israel has “incredible support” from its politicians and public to continue its offensive against Hamas and to rescue the hostages still held in Gaza, says International Human Rights Lawyer Arsen Ostrovsky. “Israel is a country where there is no shortage of disagreement,” he told Sky News host Rita Panahi. “But on this, there is overwhelming consensus and unity from across not just the political spectrum but people on the street as well. “There is an expectation that Israel must do everything possible in order to not just defeat Hamas and rescue the hostages but to ensure this will not and cannot ever happen again. “Right now there is incredible support for the government, for the military forces to do everything necessary to rescue the hostages and to finally dismantle Hamas once and for all.”

Six fire bans declared for Victoria, Peter Dutton blasts Victoria’s bail laws, Mark Haydon granted parole after 25 years, John Mullen appointed as the new Qantas Chairman, two men charged with murder over Super Bowl Parade shooting, Nikki Haley confirms she will stay in the US presidential race, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese gifts a lucky fan tickets to one of Taylor Swift's Sydney shows. See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

Sky News host Peta Credlin says there is “big news” from the corporate world as Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci steps down after eight years. “Big news today from the corporate world – the CEO of Woolworths, Brad Banducci, stepping down after eight years,” she said. The Woolworths Group Board announced his decision to step down later this year following the release of the company’s annual financial results in September. The move coincides with the retailer announcing a half-year net loss of $781 million. Ms Credlin said it also comes after a “trainwreck” interview on ABC’s Four Corners earlier in the week.

Sky News host Rita Panahi reacts to a clip of American television host Stephen Colbert’s spirit being “broken” by “Trump derangement syndrome”. In an episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the American comedian went on a rant about the former president and his legal cases. “I know how numb we have become but it’s not normal. No other candidate for the presidency has ever had to pause his campaign and defend himself in multiple courts,” he said. Colbert added that no one in the public “doubts he did all these things”. “By the way, Stephen, if you think no one doubts he did all these things then your circle is pitifully small,” Ms Panahi said. “There is a reason why he is leading in the polls.”

Hungary has twice blocked a European Union consensus statement against the Israeli Defence Force’s military offensive against Hamas in Rafah. “Hungary just gets it,” International Human Rights Lawyer Arsen Ostrovsky told Sky News host Rita Panahi. “They understand the security threat Israel is facing, they understand the strategic threat Israel is facing. “They certainly have a keen awareness of history and I think they have a firm belief in the power of democracies and sovereign nations to do as they need in order to thwart the security challenges they’re facing. “You have to remember, Israel wouldn’t be going into Rafah if Hamas would just release the hostages and surrender.”

Sky News host Rita Panahi reacts to Travis Kelce’s “cringe” moments on camera following the Chiefs' win at the Super Bowl. Mr Kelce tried to channel his inner Garth Brooks when attempting to sing “Friends in Low Places” at the Chiefs' Super Bowl LVIII victory parade on, February 14. “Blame it all on my roots, I showed up in boots and ruined the niners affair,” he belted out. “The last one to know, we were the last one to show, we were the last ones they thought they’d see there.” Sky News host Rita Panahi questioned whether pop star Taylor Swift was second-guessing her decision on dating the NFL player after seeing his singing performance. “His girlfriend Taylor Swift … surely she’s having second thoughts after seeing this,” Ms Panahi said.

Donald Trump confirmed on Tuesday that Vivek Ramaswamy, among other candidates, is on his shortlist of potential vice presidents. The former US president made the remarks at a town hall on Tuesday hosted by Fox News host Laura Ingraham in Greenville, South Carolina. The other candidates revealed to be on his shortlist are Ron DeSantis, Kristi Noem, Byron Donalds and Tulsi Gabbard. Speculation has long persisted Vivek could be Trump's number one pick for the VP slot. Former President Trump sparked rumours of Vivek's potential 2024 VP candidacy after the pair arrived at a gala dinner at Mar-a-Lago two weeks ago. Earlier in the day, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley affirmed her commitment to stay in the race for the Republican nomination. She clarified that she has no interest in being Trump's vice president, expressing a sentiment of independence by saying she feels "no need to kiss the ring." When questioned by Ingraham about considering Nikki Haley as a running mate, Trump firmly stated that he would not. “She’s losing bigly,” Trump told the Fox News host. "You shouldn’t lose your home state.”

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has reacted to the latest data on the wage price index. Australian wages have grown for the third consecutive quarter. Wages rose 0.9 per cent over the December quarter and 4.2 per cent for 2023. “What we’ve been able to do and what these new numbers show; wages up, inflation moderating, and tax will be down from the 1st July,” Mr Chalmers said during a media conference on Wednesday. “These are really important outcomes – very encouraging, very pleasing, very welcome outcomes in the wages data today. “Real wages growth is back in our economy after a long absence.”

A push by the Queensland Government to change the name of Magnetic Island National Park to Yunbenun has been met with backlash. The proposed name change comes just after the Queensland government last year decided to rename Fraser Island to K'gari, the name used by the traditional owners, the Butchulla people. Menzies Research Centre's Nick Cater joined Sky News host Rita Panahi to discuss the proposed name change of Magnetic Island. "It's quite crazy ... it's become a real sort of symbolic thing they have to do," Mr Cater said. "I think that they've got to really take stock and just say come on, let's just be sensible about this. "Let's not keep changing names and confusing people."