Smoky skies and spring chickens

Well, we're a bit bummed out after waking up this morning and reading that Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness are splitting. It's been a bumpier transition into the weekend than this guy’s… This Saturday, if you have a dream job in mind, a gift you kept for yourself, or anything else you want to share with us, hit reply.

⏱️ Reading time: 7.5 minutes (1,300 words)

🤷‍♀️ IDK: If we could squeeze more Taylor Swift content in if we tried… #hatersgonnahate

Prefer us in your ears?

Today's listening time: 20 minutes

This week's top stories

There’s a lot happening in Oz, but it was world news that dominated the week. Some notable stories that didn’t make the cut included the twin natural disasters in Morocco and Libya, the Voice referendum debate heating up, and the meeting between Russia’s Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.

1. The clock ticks for Ukraine - A top US General warned that Ukraine has about 6 weeks before the onset of winter. There have been wins claimed on both sides over the past 4 months, but progress has been hard to come by.

2. The elephant in the G20 room - They came, they talked, they stopped short of condemning Russia over its invasion of Ukraine… That was at the G20 leaders summit in India last weekend, where the African Union gained permanent member status.

3. AFL considers concussion rule changes - We didn’t cover this one, but the AFL is considering rule changes after Collingwood's Brayden Maynard was cleared of rough conduct over a collision that knocked out Melbourne's Angus Brayshaw. It was shocking to see, but outgoing AFL boss Gill McLachlan said there was no avenue for an appeal.

4. A win for Team Albanese - It took some back and forth with the Greens, but their legislation for the Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF) passed this week. The $10 billion fund aims to support the building of 30,000 new homes over 5 years.

5. And more headwinds for Qantas - Qantas’ bad month got worse after the High Court upheld previous rulings that the airline illegally outsourced some 1,700 jobs. It means Qantas will have to pay millions in compensation to its sacked workers for unfair dismissal.

Picture of the week

Sydneysiders might have woken up to this sight on Monday morning and wondered if they’d gone back in time to late 2019… A blanket of smoke descended as firefighters prepared for what’s being predicted to be a tricky bushfire season.

Question of the week

The question: What's your dream job, and why?

The story: A US media outlet's job listing for a 'Taylor Swift reporter' went viral this week.

Angela Darr, lady of luxury - “International resort and spa reviewer. Imagine being paid to travel the world and stay in the most lush places while being pampered. That or Henry Cavill’s masseur…”

Louise Ingall, a job to love - “Quality control for strawberries and cream at Wimbledon. Entry without queueing, sampling product from various locations over the day, and watching tennis in between. Repeat over 14 days.”

Clare O'Brien, professional cuddler - “Panda nanny. Have you seen the videos?!”

Squiz Recommends

Reading - This New Yorker essay by Joe Garcia, an incarcerated man from California, went viral a couple of weeks ago. It details his journey as a Swifty aka Taylor Swift fan, which began after he was sentenced to life behind bars. It’s compelling…

Listening - And if that isn’t enough Taylor Swift content for ya, we enjoyed a Vox podcast episode about the business model behind her brand. Host Peter Kafta is completely ignorant - or at least pretends to be - of the juggernaut that she is, so he has some great info on how the whole machine works. You can listen on Apple, Spotify, or most podcast platforms.

Buying - We bought a candle from Mecca for a mate’s birthday, and we ended up keeping it because we liked it so much. It’s a Replica candle by Maison Margiela - the scent is Lazy Sunday Morning. It’s on the pricier side, but it burns for hours, and you can get it in perfume form, too.

Watching - The Sixth Commandment on Foxtel/Binge. It’s a 4-part true crime series by the BBC that we devoured this week - it’s based on the real-life story of how a relationship between a teacher and his charismatic young student turned into one of the UK’s most complex criminal cases. We won’t spoil it, but it’s chillingly good…

In the Kitchen

Much of the country is set for a warm one this weekend, so if you’re not cracking out this long standing Aussie classic we recommend this delicious Vietnamese noodle bowl with lemongrass chicken. Like all the recipes we’ve tried so far from RecipeTin Eats, it’s an absolute winner. It’s packed full of fresh flavours and is easy enough to pull together on a weeknight. We added some premade spring rolls to ours for a crunchy treat…

What we squized this week

A Squiz Shortcut on Morocco’s earthquake - The death toll has risen to nearly 3,000 after a powerful earthquake hit the African nation last week. Our latest Shortcut gets across why Morocco is vulnerable to this type of disaster and what can be done to mitigate earthquake risks. Have a listen or read here.

And our latest episode of Ask the Squiz… Our second ep explores why some people say the Voice will bring about legal challenges, existing Indigenous bodies, and more about the voting process. Have a listen here, and if you have any burning questions you want us to answer, shoot ‘em through by hitting reply.

Education Minister Jason Clare gets grilled by Squiz Kids - The team behind our kid-friendly weekday news podcast for 8-12yos put Federal Education Minister Jason Clare in the hot seat this week... Cheeky upstarts they are... He was a good sport, answering listeners' questions about why politicians get a bit shouty, and our favourite - what's the deal with homework? You can check it out here.

Squiz the week

Saturday - Today marks the first anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini, which sparked widespread protests in Iran (2022) #SquizShortcut

Sunday - There are a few events for walking enthusiasts this morning… Walk for Yes starts at various times in a number of cities, and the virtual Bravery Trek begins in support of Aussie veterans

Monday - It’s Michele Bullock’s first day as Reserve Bank Governor. And the return of Neighbours premieres on Amazon Freevee and Network Ten

Tuesday - Defence Minister Richard Marles addresses the Submarine Institute of Australia conference in Adelaide at 11am. And the NSW Government hands down its Budget

Wednesday - The rates of pensions/payments are raised today. And the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare releases a report on endometriosis

Thursday - It’s World Alzheimer’s Day. And the 2023 ARIA Award nominees are announced

Friday - It’s the last day of term for public schools in NSW, the ACT, the Northern Territory, and Western Oz. And get ready to groove as Kylie Minogue releases her new album Tension

Double-Tapping

@eholmes - This writer’s Insta is fun for quality royal fashion content, from Princess Kate’s latest looks to Diana’s black sheep sweater sale. And no, she’s not that Elizabeth Holmes…