23 August 2025 - Saturday Squiz

Our ambition for this weekend - a clean house and time to watch this doco on the Jussie Smollett saga. Wish us luck, particularly on the cleaning front… This weekend, if you have a preferred potato presentation, a 5-star review to give, or anything you’d like to share, hit reply.

⏱️ Reading time: 8 minutes

🎧 Listen to the Weekly Wrap with Claire Kimball and Jodie Speers

Before we start

The idea of you missing out on our daily email makes us sad, but that’s been happening for some Apple Mail users recently after changes to the way the inbox works. We’ve heard that the Squiz has been popping up in 'Updates' tab instead of the main tab of your inbox. If this is happening to you or someone you know, here’s what you can do if you’d like to ensure the Squiz appears in your main inbox.

On iPhone/iPad (iOS 18.2+):

•  Open any Squiz email (even if it’s in Updates).

•  Tap ⋯ (top right) → Categorize Sender → choose Primary → Continue.

•  Done. Future Squiz newsletters go to Primary.

On Mac (macOS Sequoia 15.4+):

Open a Squiz email → Hover over our sender name (The Squiz) and click the little drop-down arrow → Categorise Sender → Primary.

One more thing - you may need to do this for every Squiz email you’re subscribed to: so Squiz Today, Shortcuts, and News Club in addition to Saturday Squiz. Get to it…

This week’s top 5 news stories

The week’s most mentioned news stories in Australia across TV, radio and print, according to media analytics firm Streem…

1. A breakdown in the Aus-Israel relationship - Things have been tricky since the Australian Government announced last week it’d soon recognise a Palestinian state, and then we stopped far-right Israeli politician Simcha Rothman from entering the country. On the war front, the Israeli Defence Force has launched its offensive to occupy Gaza City, forcing thousands to flee. 

2. Talks for peace in Ukraine - It started with some diplomatic momentum and ended with Russia's biggest attack on Ukraine for a while. US President Donald Trump says he’s bowing out of facilitating talks between Russia and Ukraine’s leaders, so there are fears that momentum will now stall…

3. A wrap-up on the Roundtable - Treasurer Jim Chalmers rounded out the 3-day discussion on Thursday with a list of 10 “quick wins”. Addressing intergenerational inequity is a big area that they’ve identified, with Chalmers saying he wants a "fair go” for working people and coming generations. Let’s see where the conversation goes next…

4. Wet’n’wild NSW - We didn’t cover this story this week, but it was all we could complain about in the office. Heavy rain lashed NSW and caused major flooding of roads and towns, prompting several rescues by State Emergency Services. With parts of the state claiming the wettest month in 126 years, it looks like warmer days are coming…

5. An NDIS surprise - On Wednesday, Federal Health Minister Mark Butler announced a new ‘Thriving Kids’ program at the Press Club to move kids with autism and developmental delays off the scheme. It was a shock to the states that will be asked to contribute equal funding, but it’s part of a shake-up to address some of the NDIS’s many issues.

The Big Threat Episode 4 - War Footing

In this week’s episode of The Big Threat - a new podcast series examining the global information wars - our Squiz Kids host extraordinaire Bryce Corbett travels to Estonia and Finland. They are 2 countries that know first-hand how fake news threatens democracy, given their proximity to Russia. Read the highlights or tune in to the podcast.

It’s you against the news…

Reckon you know which Aussie company copped a record $90 million fine this week? Test your knowledge with this week’s Squiz Quiz.

Tribute of the Week

A well-deserved review… Last Friday the beloved Australian film critic David Stratton died at 85yo and no review could sum up his impact on Australian culture. As one half of the iconic film-reviewing duo with Margaret Pomeranz, his family asked fans to celebrate his life by “watching David’s favourite movie of all time - Singin’ in the Rain”.

Wrapped in Comfort From Day One

Love To Dream’s newborn swaddle collection has become a go-to for parents wanting safer, better sleep for their babies. Now, it’s got the tick of approval from The Royal Hospital for Women Foundation, which supports 20,000 women and babies across NSW. If you’re expecting - or know someone who is - it's a good one. Explore the collection here.

In the Kitchen

Emma from our Squiz Kids team in Brisbane made this Eton mess in keeping with Ekka’s strawberry theme. To quote her: “it’s super easy and looked impressive on a big platter”. It’s safe to say the distance between Sydney and Brissie has never felt further…

What we Shortcut for you this week

Where are peace talks up to between Russia and Ukraine? - There’s been a flurry of meetings over the last week between leaders from Russia, Ukraine, the US and Europe to try to end the war in Ukraine, so we thought it would be helpful to pull it all together for you. Read that here or listen here.

How Aimee Betro went from a dating app to an assassination plot - A bizarre court case over a botched suburban assassination attempt by an American woman named Aimee Betro has been making headlines in the UK and the US. If you’re a true crime devotee, it’s a news story to know about. Read our wrap-up here or listen here.

Squiz the Week

Saturday - Australia’s Wallaroos will play Samoa at the Women’s Rugby World Cup in Manchester from 8.30pm, watch on Stan Sport. And Stage 1 of the Vuelta a España sets off in Turin at 9pm, on SBS On Demand.

Sunday - At 1.10am, Australia will play South Africa in round 2 of the Men’s Rugby Championships in Cape Town - watch on Stan Sport. From midday, nationwide marches for Palestine will take place. And the US Tennis Open kicks off in New York from 11.30pm, available on Stan Sport or 9Now.

Monday - Erin Patterson’s pre-sentencing hearing gets underway at the Supreme Court of Victoria in Melbourne. It’s a sitting week for both houses of federal parliament. And in the morning, 2 sporting legends will be inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in Melbourne - who they are is currently a mystery…

Tuesday - It’s monthly consumer price index data time. The Australia-ASEAN Business Forum will get underway in Adelaide. Andrew Giles, Minister for Skills and Training, will address the National Press Club (NPC) on ‘Skilling Australians’ Future’. And the United Nations’ Expo will head to Osaka for 2025 - check out the Virtual Expo here.

Wednesday - There might be developments in the Linda Reynolds-Brittany Higgins defamation case. That wrapped up in the Western Australian Supreme Court last September, and we're waiting on the verdict. And La Tomatina, the Spanish tomato festival, gets saucy in Buñol, Spain.

Thursday - Star Entertainment Group, Wesfarmers, Qantas, and South32 will release their 2025 financial year results. Professor Carolyn Evans, Chair of Universities Australia and Vice-Chancellor of Griffith University, will speak at the NPC. And a movie adaptation of Richard Osman’s popular crime novel The Thursday Murder Club premieres on Netflix.

Friday - Tax Office whistleblower Richard Boyle will face sentencing in Adelaide. And popstar Sabrina Carpenter will release her new album Man's Best Friend.