Squiz Today – Friday, 7 October

THE SQUIZ
If you feel like you’ve been drenched in hyperbole by our weather presenters for the last few weeks/months/years about it being abnormally wet in parts of the country, it’s now extra real. Despite there still being 85 days of 2022 to go, it’s officially the wettest year ever recorded in Sydney with more than 2,200mm of rain falling at Observatory Hill since 1 January. The previous record was set in 1950 when 2,194mm was measured over 12 months. For comparison, our second most populous capital Melbourne recorded its wettest year in 1916 with 967mm… Apart from being downright annoying, the persistent precipitation continues to threaten communities and livelihoods across eastern Oz, with dams and rivers already full. And those concerns won’t ease up anytime soon with more rain expected.

IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT SYDNEY?
No way – there’s a lot of rain coming to so many places. In NSW, Wollongong is almost as wet as Sydney, as are many towns north and south of the capital. And the state’s northwest is expected to be super wet this weekend, which is a problem for campers headed to the Bathurst 1000 motor race. Canberrans can expect a drenching today and over the weekend, and there are flood warnings for southern Queensland. Melburnians will likely see a few heavy showers, but the rest of Victoria might get a lot more than that. Tasmanians are facing flooding and winds in the north, and it’ll be hot and stormy across Darwin. South Oz is expected to get away with some light drizzle, the lucky ducks. And while northern Western Oz is also facing storms, Perth and those in the south of the state should enjoy some sun tomorrow. Good luck to ‘em…

GEEZ LA NIÑA’S A PAIN…
You’ve got that right – the 3rd time is not a charm… But there are other reasons for the soggy conditions, including a negative Indian Ocean Dipole. What the what? It’s a bit like the El Niño-La Niña cycle, but in the Indian Ocean rather than the Pacific. And when it’s negative, we get wetter than normal conditions in the continent’s east. Another issue is a positive phase of the Southern Annular Mode, which in the summer cycle brings more rain to – you guessed it – eastern Australia. Can whoever broke the mirror/walked on the crack/crossed paths with a black cat please apologise so we can all move on, please?

Locking our data down

PM Anthony Albanese flagged changes to our data laws in the wake of the massive Optus breach, and yesterday we got a look at the first cab off the rank. Optus will be allowed to temporarily share sensitive data like driver’s licence, Medicare and passport numbers with financial services and government agencies to monitor fraudulent activity. After 12 months, that info will need to be destroyed. But it’s not where things end… The government is also preparing new cybersecurity laws that include a new national digital identity system so we don’t have to hand over sensitive ID. Meanwhile, a 19yo who got his hands on 93 customers’ details was arrested yesterday after trying to blackmail them. “We are doing whatever we can, working around the clock to protect Australians whose details have been released,” said Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Justine Gough.

Russia forges ahead despite military setbacks

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed the paperwork to annex 4 Ukrainian provinces – Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson – which formalises Russia’s illegal seizure. The Kremlin has declined to confirm the borders of the annexed territories, saying there are certain parts “still to be returned” to Russia. On the battlefield, the invaders continue to face significant setbacks in Luhansk in the east and Kherson in the south. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says his troops are making “fast and powerful progress”, and Putin gave a rare acknowledgement of the situation, insisting Russia would “stabilise” the situation. Meanwhile, insiders say US intelligence points to Ukraine’s involvement in the August car bomb attack near Moscow that killed Darya Dugina, the daughter of a prominent Russian nationalist. Kyiv denies it, but US officials fear it could see Russia retaliate.

Déjà vu all over again for Star

Queensland’s Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman said the Star Entertainment Group is unfit to hold a licence for its Gold Coast and Brisbane venues. Less than a month after NSW’s gaming regulator handed down the same finding for Star’s Sydney casino, an independent review into the company’s activities in the Sunshine State highlighted “major failings”. That included a “serious dereliction” of its anti-money laundering responsibilities, misleading the regulator, and overseeing a poor corporate culture. Twelve recommendations have been accepted by the government. Star has been given 21 days to explain why it should stay open in the state or risk having its casino licenses binned. All that puts the fate of Star’s $3.6 billion casino development in Brissie on the line – it’s due to open next year.

The battle of the fat bears

Fat Bear Week is one of the year’s gems, and it kicked off in Alaska this week. For the uninitiated, it’s an annual competition where the public votes for their favourite chunky brown bear in the Katmai National Park and Preserve. The portly mammals haven’t been letting themselves go – they’re bulking up ahead of their winter hibernation. How they can stay healthy despite being overweight and sedentary for months has long puzzled scientists. New research has identified particular proteins in bear blood that increase during hibernation and allow them to maintain their muscle mass while shedding the kilos – a finding that could one day be used to treat diabetes and other metabolic disorders in humans. But back to the fat bears – there are 12 in the running for the crown, including 4-time winner Otis, the 635kg Bear 747, and the aptly named Chunk the Hunk. May the best bear win…

How about a bit of cultcha? This Twitter thread with one painting from every year of the 1900s is so enjoyable. ‘Menin Gate at Midnight’ by Will Longstaff from 1927 is a favourite – you can see it at the Australian War Memorial. And King Charles rounds out the century…

If you need to find us tonight/tomorrow, we’ll be watching Derry Girls. The 3rd season has finally arrived after it aired in the UK in April, and we can’t wait to catch up with Erin, Orla, Clare, Michelle and James. Oh, and Sister George Michael… Tune in on Netflix.

By now, we’d hoped to be moving into the BBQ/salad phase of the year, but it’s pretty miserable weather where we are. So this weekend, we’ll keep the BBQ’d meat part of the program and supplement it with this Colcannon (aka Irish mashed spuds in honour of the Derry Girls…) and this zucchini and tomato bake (that tastes so much better than it looks…).

8.00pm (AEDT) – Nobel Peace Prize announced

The Reserve Bank releases its half-yearly Financial Stability Review

ABS Data Release – How Australians Use Their Time 2020-21 financial year (First release)

World Smile Day

Birthdays for author Thomas Keneally (1935), Russian president Vladimir Putin (1952), cellist Yo-Yo Ma (1955), Radiohead lead singer Thom Yorke (1968), and comedian/musician Tim Minchin (1975)

Anniversary of:
• the establishment of KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines), the world’s oldest airline (1919)
• the birthday of Anglican Archbishop of South Africa/human rights activist Desmond Tutu (1931)
• News Corp boss Rupert Murdoch and executive Roger Ailes launch Fox News (1996)
• the beginning of the US invasion of Afghanistan (2001)
• the launch of Spotify (2008)