14 December 2024 - Saturday Squiz

December 14, 2024

T’was the week before the one when we break for Christmas, and if you’re feeling a bit exhausted and finding yourself overexplaining things, you’re in good company with Raygun… This week if you have a TV show that’s your guilty pleasure, a great sauce to recommend, or anything else you want to share, hit reply.

⏱️ Reading time: 8 minutes

🎧 Get the Weekly Wrap podcast with Kate Watson and Claire Kimball

🤷‍♀️ IDK: Who our person of the year is…

This week's top stories

Streem Leading News Stories - 7 December - noon 13 December

1. Antisemitism and terror raise their ugly heads - Last Friday’s arson attack on a synagogue in Melbourne’s southeast last week along with this week’s anti-Israel graffiti and torched car in the upmarket Sydney suburb of Woollahra saw PM Anthony Albanese under pressure over his response - his critics say he’s been too slow to act against antisemitism this week and across the year.

2. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out … - Bashar al-Assad, one of the world’s worst dictators of the current era, has fled with his family to Russia after rebels took the capital of Damascus on Sunday. What happens next for Syrians is uncertain because the rebels are far from cuddly characters - but they are celebrating…

3. Murder mixed with online fame - Last week, the boss of UnitedHealthcare - a man named Brian Thompson - was shot and killed in Manhattan. He held one of the most powerful roles in America’s healthcare industry. The man accused of murdering him - 26yo Luigi Mangione - has been tracked down. The whole thing has drawn out some pretty unsavoury themes…

4. How many zeros? - Everything’s relative - you might not think $331 billion is a lot of money… Yesterday, Coalition leader Peter Dutton unveiled the estimated cost to build 7 publicly-owned nuclear plants and then run ‘em. He says they will deliver net zero emissions electricity by 2050 and cost $263 billion less than Labor’s renewable energy rollout. It’s a bit of an understatement to say Labor’s absolutely not onside…

5. Waving down a flag debate - Speaking of Dutton, he says he would only speak in front of the Australian national flag if he became PM because having multiple flags symbolises division. PS Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags have been displayed at Albanese’s events since 2022. PPS This story was bigger than Albanese’s childcare and PNG/NRL announcements where $1.6 billion was committed. #justsayin’…

S’Quiz me real good…

Reckon you know what the #1 search term Aussies googled in 2024? Have a crack at the Squiz Quiz.

Picture of the Week

It’s President-elect Donald Trump’s second go at being Time’s Person of the Year. There’s nothing like being elected leader of the free world to rocket you up the list…

Squiz Recommends

Buying - This Deborah Hutton/Canopy Bay hat. There’s a whole range, and we could have bought a couple TBH… But this one is nice and neutral, and the elastic inside the rim means a good fit is guaranteed. We’re not particularly big-headed (in size or attitude…), but the M-L size fits us great.

Reading - US women’s basketball player Caitlin Clark has been named Time’s Athlete of the Year - and for good reason. It’s quite a long read, but it covers a lot of ground, from her basketball career so far to the influence of media, not making the cut for the US Women’s Olympics Basketball team and her goals for the future.

Listening - To a podcast called Harsh Reality that looks into the controversial British reality television show There is Something About Miriam. It makes you stop and think about what entertained us in the early 2000s.

🎄Some Christmas picks…

We’re here to help this Squiz’mas with Christmas Day and gifting ideas for those you love - or maybe a cold treat just for you. Make sure you check out these hot brands:

🍷Taylors Wines - Your go-to for a crowd-pleasing drop. Their Sparkling stole the show at our Squiz event.

🍦Sundae Whipped Shower Foam - It might be the most fun you’ll have in the shower.

🥭No’sh Seltzers - These light and fruity sips are on our summer Christmas drink list. Think: refreshing with hints of summer fruits...yum.

🍻Yenda Beer - The MVP of backyard catch-ups. Their Session Ale is a standout – crisp and refreshing, it's ideal as the weather heats up.

*Our thanks go to these brands for supporting our recent event.

In the Kitchen

Julius Roberts anchovy crema under a bed of potatoes. It’s delightful for many reasons, but our favourite part is making extra to eat on toast or as a sauce for meat. The recipe is from his cookbook Farm Table - it’s one of our favourites.

From your home office to the boardroom

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What we’re Squizin’

Syria’s ousted President Bashar al-Assad - The end of his rule in Syria was almost unthinkable just a couple of weeks ago, but rebel fighters have made a big push against his regime, bringing an end to the Assad family’s 54-year dictatorship. Listen to this Squiz Shortcuts to get across what happened. 

Understanding underlying inflation - This is so much better than it sounds… The Reserve Bank held the cash rate at 4.35% this week for the eighth consecutive time, so if you’re wondering why, this Shortcut is terrific… Plus, it’s only 5 minutes. Watch it on YouTube here.

Squiz the Week

Saturday - Australia v India begin the third men’s Test cricket match of the series at 11.20am at the Gabba in Brisbane, tune in live on Kayo

Sunday - It’s been 10 years since the beginning of the Lindt Cafe siege in Sydney that saw 18 people taken hostage and 2 losing their lives. This is a fascinating read to refresh your memory of what happened

Monday - You’re permitted to pretend Barbie and Barney - or any popular character in your house - do not exist for Barbie and Barney Backlash Day…

Tuesday - It’s National Maple Syrup Day in North America, but don’t let that stop you from making a stack of pancakes and dousing it in the good stuff… 

Wednesday - There’s a State Funeral for champion tennis player Neale Fraser in Melbourne. He sure had a distinguished career…

Thursday - At 9am the women's cricket ODI between Australia and New Zealand starts in Wellington and live on Kayo

Friday - It’s National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day, but it might be a bit sweaty to do that here…

*Times in AEDT

Double-Tapping

Mocha Mousse is PANTONE’s Colour of the Year 2025… But we know someone else who’s been sporting that colour for quite some time…