29 June 2024 - Saturday Squiz

We’re taking the start of a new financial year on Monday as a trigger to reset some bad habits as we intended to 6 months ago - which means bring on a salty/sugary/carby/stay-up-late weekend… This Saturday, if you’ve been terribly lost, have a family favourite recipe, or if there’s something else you want to share, hit reply.

⏱️ Reading time: 7 minutes

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

🤷‍♀️ IDK: If any circumstance would see us do a shoey…

This week's top stories

Not on this week’s list is the huge reaction to the first US presidential debate from yesterday. Cue speculation the Democrats will try to replace President Joe Biden as its candidate against Donald Trump after his poor showing…

Streem (radio, print and TV mentions) - 21 June to noon 28 June

1. A hero/villain returns home… - Depends on your view about Julian Assange, really… After years of legal wrangling, an agreement was struck, and things moved quickly for his release from London’s Belmarsh Prison, transfer to Saipan (where?), a quick trial there, a private jet to Canberra, and a frantic press conference. Next stop = freedom.

2. The nuclear debate simmers - This made the top 5 because as we went through last weekend and into Monday, the Coalition’s continuing push to profile its policy was the dominant story. The thing to point to this week is the AEMO - our energy market operator - said the “possibility that replacement generation is not available when coal power stations retire is real and growing”. Yikes…

3. Footy fever - Of the rugby league variety… NSW creamed Queensland in the men’s State of Origin game, with a record broken along the way. For the women’s, congrats to Queensland for their soggy series win. And how about Dami Im’s national anthem…

4. Another bad time at the shops - Violence inside Marion Westfield - Adelaide’s largest shopping centre - sent shivers down spines on Sunday. It was later revealed to be a brawl involving young people - 2 teens were later charged with assault, affray and aggravated robbery.

5. Greg Lynn gets one of each - The Victorian received a guilty (for the murder of Carol Clay) and not guilty (for Russell Hill) verdict this week. Following one of the state’s biggest missing persons investigations and a case involving many twists and turns, Lynn will be sentenced next month. Now, there’s a spotlight on the death of Lynn’s first wife in 1999…

S’Quiz me real good…

Reckon you know which legendary Aussie swimmer retired this week? Have a crack at the Squiz Quiz.

Picture of the week

This is California man Lukas McClish after 10 days lost in the Santa Cruz Mountains. He’s 34yo, and despite the experience taking a toll (and 13kg…), he said he wasn’t worried. “I think it was just somebody watching over me.”

Question of the week

How do you move it move it?

So most of you like to move it, and Squizers confirmed that impulse is irrespective of talent. Here are 3 responses… 

Beauty in the dark - “One of my favourite things is going to No Lights No Lycra - a global movement of community dancing in a pitch-black room. No joke - the lights are off and we all cut loose."

Just stay upright please… - “I just swing from side to side like a pendulum on a grandfather clock.”

When you know, you know - “I’ve got no sense of beat, so no matter how hard I try or how much I want to, I’ve gotta say I’m just not a dancer.”

Squiz Recommends

Reading - We enjoyed this Ebon Moss-Bachrach interview in The Guardian. He’s the guy who plays ‘Cousin’ in the hit TV show The Bear. It’s a lovely read as he talks about his career, family, food, and what The Bear has brought to his life… Did we mention season 3 dropped this week on Disney+? 

Listening - The Work by Bri Lee on Audiobooks. She’s known for her non-fiction writing, but this is her fiction debut. The story follows 2 characters in the Australian and New York art scene and their navigation of wealth and power. Thumbs up.

Watching - This 3-part series on SBS The Hospital: In the Deep End is a look into how major hospitals in Australia are operating and the challenges they’re facing at the moment. All 3 episodes are available now.

In the Kitchen

If you’re looking for kudos, this lamb tagine will get you there. It requires a bit of time to cook but nowhere near as long as a slow cooker, and results in the same tenderness and flavour. The recipe recommends serving it with cous cous, but we opted for flatbread and that worked perfectly.

What we Squized this week

News Club on going nuclear. Coalition leader Peter Dutton’s nuclear policy is not a typical move from an opposition in the lead-up to an election. Get our curated list of reads here and click here to get News Club in your inbox weekly.

Your Squiz Shortcut to the tobacco wars. The rising cost of cigarettes in Australia has led to a thriving black market and an explosion in crime. So, in this Shortcut, we get you across what’s happening in the industry, how vaping plays in, and what’s being done to bring things under control. Have a read or a listen here.

Squiz the Week

Saturday - The 2024 Tour de France begins for the first time in its 111-year history from Florence, Italy and you can watch it live on SBS from 8pm

Sunday - Roll on from Saturday into the Men’s Cricket T20 final between South Africa and India - it’s on from 12.30am, live on Prime. And happy EOFY…

Monday - Happy Territory Day to Top End Squizers, and it’s the Coming of the Light festival celebrated by Torres Strait Islanders… And for tennis fans, Wimbledon begins in London

Tuesday - The Big Red Bash begins in Birdsville… Yeehaw 🤠. And we’ll get some insight into the health of the nation with the latest data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW)

Wednesday - Oo la la the National Press Gallery hosts the Federal Parliamentary Mid-Winter Ball

Thursday - UK citizens are headed to the polls today for their general election

Friday - In FNQ, the Townsville 500 (aka the Supercars) begin… And that’s a wrap on Term 2 for ACT, NSW, South Aus and Tassie schools 😎 

*All times in AEST

Double-Tapping

Yep. That’s a baby pygmy hippo getting a bath. Cute as. You could be forgiven for thinking the white stuff is soap, but it’s actually a slime they produce that protects them from the sun… The more you know, eh.