22 June 2024 - Saturday Squiz

If you’re feeling anything like us after a big week, let’s hope the weekend is full of rest, recovery, and rejuvenation. This Saturday, if you’ve celebrated a win, made a ripper birthday cake, or have anything else you want to share, hit reply.

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🤷‍♀️ IDK: What the Squiz Today newsletter would look like in cake form - until this week…

This week's top stories

1. Reheating the energy debate - It’s not a federal election cycle without a debate on how we’re going to power the nation while reducing greenhouse gas emissions… This week, Coalition leader Peter Dutton furthered his nuclear energy pitch, outlining where the proposed sites will be.

2. He came, he saw, he panda’d - That’s China’s Premier Li Qiang - the 2IC to President Xi Jinping. Yes, we’re getting a new pair of bears, but the visit was dominated by a run-in his officials had with former jailed journalist Cheng Lei.

3. BFFs forever - That’s Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Ears pricked up in the West when they signed a new mutual defence pact that means both sides would provide assistance in the face of "aggression". It was Putin’s first visit to the Hermit Kingdom in 24 years.

4. Questions of Israel’s handling of the war in Gaza simmered - Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu announced the formal dissolution of his war cabinet after one of its key members resigned. On top of that, the nation’s military spokesman questioned the goal of eliminating Hamas from Gaza. 

5. And breathe… - Until the next Reserve Bank board meeting, anyway… The official cash rate remained at 4.35% this week, but the central bank remains concerned about high inflation. Some analysts reckon an interest rate hike is more likely than a fall at this stage…

S’Quiz me real good…

Reckon you know what astronomical event occurred this week? Have a crack at the Squiz Quiz.

Picture of the week

Carpool karaoke, Russia and North Korea edition…

Question of the week

Do you have a pet AKA a conscious being?

Turns out Squizers are big on pets - but as always, they’re not for everyone. There was a lot of love for furry (and feathered) friends in the comments, but here are a couple of pet-perspectives…

Now that’s a crew - “Our dogs are Banjo and Lucy, our cat is Hugo, and our chickens are Stella, Pluto and Luna (space-themed for our silly astronaut-looking silky chickens).“

Get your pet fix where you can - “We’re travelling Australia in our caravan and get the puppy fix by doing house/pet-sitting along the way.”

Some truth here… - “I understand the joy some get from pets, but I get my happiness from a clean and tidy home and no smelly lumps on the grass.“

In the Kitchen

With a significant birthday in the office this week, cake has been in abundance. These coconut and pineapple cupcakes were a massive hit thanks to Squizer/the birthday girl’s mate Will, who whipped up a batch of these for Team Squiz to enjoy. One review: “I think my life just changed…”

What we Squized this week

A warm and fuzzy News Club on the Olympics. With all the inspirational moments that came out of this year’s Olympic swimming qualifiers, we wanted to help get you across some of the notable stories - from swimming coach Dean Boxall (remember this celebration?) to the inspirational story of Paralympian Alexa Leary. Catch up on the newsletter here and click here to get News Club in your inbox weekly.

Your Shortcut to the European Parliament. The recent European parliamentary elections saw far-right parties make big gains, so much so that French President Emmanuel Macron called a snap election. This Shortcut will get you across what happened and how the European Parliament works. Have a read or a listen here.

We want to hear from you…

As you might know, Squiz Kids has a media literacy program called Newshounds, which aims to help kids aged 7-12yos to become critical consumers of news and information.

Yesterday, a federal parliamentary inquiry into social media and its effects on Australian society kicked off. We’ll be making a submission to that inquiry, and we want to put some data around what our audience thinks and does to ensure our kids get ready to navigate the brave new world of social media, news, and information. So, if you’re a parent, guardian, or teacher - here’s the survey link. If you’ve got 5-7mins to spare, we’d really appreciate it.

And if you’ve already done the survey - onya legend. 

Squiz the Week

Saturday - The National Photographic Portrait Prize exhibition opens at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra. And at 11am, get your judgy pants on… the World's Ugliest Dog Contest begins in California  

Sunday - Logies nominations are announced. And it's a day to celebrate women in STEM with International Women in Engineering Day 

Monday - They’re back in the nation’s capital - both the House of Reps and Senate are sitting until Thursday 

Tuesday - It’s the Day of the Seafarer - cheers for helping ship our goods across the world. And at 5pm, Celine Dion's doco premieres on Prime Video 

Wednesday - The Bureau of Stats releases its inflation update. And the second Men’s State of Origin Game is being played in Melbourne at 8.05pm, and live on Nine 

Thursday - And because too much rugby league is barely enough, NSW and Queensland will battle it out for the title in the Women’s State of Origin in Townsville at 7.45pm, and live on Nine

Friday - Strap yourself in... The first US presidential debate is here - Joe Biden and Donald Trump get ready to rumble at 11am. And well done Victorian and Western Aussie students - they say see-ya to Term 2 and hello to holidays 😎 

*All times in AEST

Double-Tapping

We said we had a lot of cake… Our morning editor Larissa Huntington (aka @littlepudding on Instagram) made this cake/newsletter for our founder Claire’s big 5-0 this week. Sweet…