9 March 2024 - Saturday Squiz

Note to Squiz: plan something for next year’s birthday. We didn’t even have a celebratory cuppa - that’s how much we enjoy getting on with the work. (That eye-roll you can feel is Team Squiz saying “would a cake kill you, Claire?”…) This weekend, if you have a new sporting season you’re excited about, a favourite protein to obliterate in the air fryer, or anything else you want to share, hit reply.

⏱️ Reading time: 7 minutes

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

🤷‍♀️ IDK: But we think the oven may become redundant…

This week's top stories

Do you know what many news consumers enjoy? The start of footy season… With both the NRL and AFL now into the 2024 season, life has returned to normal for fans. And if that’s not you, jog along…

1. Charges laid over the disappearance of Samantha Murphy - Patrick Stephenson, a 22yo from Scotsburn (16km from Ballarat), faced court yesterday morning after police charged him with killing Murphy at Mount Clear on the day she went missing while out for a run. On Thursday, there was a suppression order in place that prevented the publishing of Stephenson’s name, but that’s been lifted.

2. Viva Las Vegas - Taking the NRL to the bright lights of the US market was hailed a success, even if the TV audience there was a bit lacklustre… Also getting a lot of attention was the Sydney Roosters’ Spencer Leniu’s racist remark towards the Brisbane Broncos’ Ezra Mam - he’ll front the judiciary on Tuesday.

3. Sam Kerr in hot water - Last year, the Matildas captain was sick in a cab after a night out in London before she allegedly racially harassed a police officer who had been called to the scene to intervene. Whether her comment was racist is being hotly debated…

4. The AFL’s season is underway - And the opening round is being held entirely in NSW and Queensland in a bid to attract new fans… Collingwood are the reigning premiership champs, but footyheads say the Brisbane Lions are a hot tip to take out this year’s title.

5. Show us the money… - We didn’t cover this one this week, but the digital currency briefly hit a new all-time high of more than US$69,000. Who knew it was still a thing…

It’s the Squiz Quiz…

Reckon you know what item has gone missing from supermarket shelves in recent weeks? Have a crack at the Squiz Quiz.

Picture of the week

The Aussie 2024 Paris Olympic uniforms were unveiled this week... Green - tick. Gold - tick. The uniforms also include Indigenous and Japanese designs, and if you want to know a little more about that, this Guardian article is a good one.

Question of the week

Yesterday was our 7th birthday and there are proud moments galore…

For the record, it’s all of the above, but Squizers getting the song lyrics is a favourite because it points to the deep/nuanced connection we have with you. It’s pretty cool… Squizers also said:

Squizing with the next generation - “Best thing for me is sharing the link with my granddaughter (now 14yo) who keeps up with the news, can discuss with me, and understands the real way the news is presented.”

From little things… “From an idea to a thriving and respected news (and community) service.”

It’s a team sport - “Congratulations to the team. Fantastic group effort.”

Winners are grinners 🥳 

Wondering what you can get us for our birthday? Referring your people to sign up to The Squiz is the best present ever… Each person who signs up to the Saturday Squiz newsletter using your unique link by 17 March gets you into the draw to win a $1,000 Flight Centre voucher. Bon voyage...

Your link: https://saturdaysquiz.thesquiz.com.au/subscribe?ref=PLACEHOLDER

PS: Your friends must confirm their email to guarantee entry into the draw. This competition ends at 11.59pm AEDT on 17 March, and the winner will be drawn on 18 March 2024 and contacted via email. Prize value in AUD. Go forth…

Squiz Recommends

Reading: One Hundred Years of Dirt* by Rick Morton. It has its dark moments, but if you enjoy a good Aussie story, it’s worth a read.

Reading - Like heaps of people, we discovered F1 via Drive to Survive on Netflix so we sped towards this GQ profile on Aussie driver Daniel Ricciardo. He’s had a rough trot in the sport of late, but he reckons he’s on the way back…

Watching - Three Women is a brand new series on Stan. It’s based on the 2019 book* which follows the story of (you guessed it…) 3 women over a decade. All 10 episodes are available to watch right here right now.

*Buy using this link and The Squiz might get a little commission.

In the Kitchen

This air fryer roast chook - just look at it... It’s easy, takes just over an hour to cook and gives you results on par with an oven-roasted one. Top tip: make sure you buy a chicken that fits in your air fryer (don’t ask…).  

Staying connected with ConnectedAU

ConnectedAU do great work to combat loneliness through connection and community via their Letterbox Project. It safely matches you up with a new friend to write to, no matter where you are located in Australia. But that's not all - they also have some wonderful online clubs and in person events where you can connect over books, cooking, gardening and more. Find out about how to get involved in this community here.

What we Squized this week

A Squiz Shortcut on the disappearance of MH370 - Yesterday marked the 10th anniversary of the disappearance of this flight. We looked at the timeline, the evidence and theories about how MH370 could have vanished and what might be next in the search. Have a read or listen here. 

The Unmade podcast with The Squiz - We mixed things up this week with Claire Kimball and Kate Watson getting behind Unmade's mic. Host Tim Burrowes is an Australian media/marketing expert, so it was a great discussion about how The Squiz has grown and our prospects for the future. Have a listen here.   

News Club tackles perspectives on the gender pay gap - There has been so much chat about the Workplace Gender Equality Agency’s data on Australia’s private sector companies’ pay gaps... So in News Club this week, we curated the best coverage for you to get a rounded view of the issues and opinions. Have a read or listen here.

And International Women’s Day was yesterday so we continued the gender pay gap conversation with Jamila Rizvi, the Deputy Managing Director of Future Women. Have a listen on Apple or Spotify.

Squiz the Week

Saturday - The 44th Golden Raspberry Awards (aka the worst of the film industry) will be unleashed 

Sunday - It’s International Bagpipe Day, but it’s also a Sunday so think before you wail

Monday - Good on ya ACT, South Oz, Tassie and Victoria - you’ve got a public holiday… Maybe you can tune into the Oscars at 11.00am on Seven/7Plus 

Tuesday - It’s the anniversary of the Foundation Stone being laid in Canberra…

Wednesday - Greece's former Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis will give an address to the National Press Club. And NAPLAN testing begins in schools across Oz - good luck kids 

Thursday - It’s Pi Day, and if you don’t know what Pi is, as long as you know what the other pie is, that’s ok    

Friday - A ‘World Day’ type of day… with World Speech Day, World Consumer Rights Day and the World’s Greatest Shave 

*All times in AEDT

Double-Tapping

Tenacious D (or B should we say) is alive and well… There is a lot going on in this video, but they’re having a blast, and we’re here for it.