Squiz Today – Friday, 1 November

SQUIZ SAYINGS

"Bingo boarding"

Is the name of London Gatwick airport’s trial to have passengers board their plane in accordance with their seat number. What will queue jostlers do with their nervous energy now?

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BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD FOR AGED CARE

THE SQUIZ
The interim report by the Aged Care Royal Commission was released late yesterday, and it didn’t pull its punches. “This cruel and harmful system must be changed. We owe it to our parents, our grandparents, our partners, our friends. We owe it to strangers. We owe it to future generations. Older people deserve so much more,” is the starting point. The inquiry is looking into the quality and safety of the sector - and the Commission points to widespread deficiencies on both measures.

WHAT ARE THE KEY POINTS?
While it’s unusual for Commissioners to make recommendations at this point in the process, there are three areas they deem super-urgent. First is that more home-care packages (where support is provided for older people to stay in their homes) are required immediately. Second, the "over-reliance" on chemical restraints to manage difficult nursing home residents should be reined in. And third, a plan to deal with the issue of young people in aged care homes is needed ASAP. Beyond that, the report says “a fundamental overhaul of the design, objectives, regulation and funding of aged care in Australia is required.” The Royal Commission’s final report is due this time next year. Until then, if you know an older person or plan on being one, this Twitter thread is worth a read.

IT WAS A BIG DAY FOR BIG HEALTH REPORTS…
It sure was. The Productivity Commission yesterday flagged that significant structural changes need to be made to the mental health system. The draft report found mental-ill health and suicide is costing Australia a staggering $180 billion a year. That’s $500 million a day in lost economic participation and productivity... The current system is not designed to cope with the one in five Aussies experiencing mental ill-health in any given year, the report found. Early intervention to ensure kids don’t “miss opportunities to develop the skills they need for long-term academic outcomes and post-school opportunities” is essential, it said.

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SQUIZ THE REST

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CONGRESS MAKES TRUMP IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY OFFICIAL

Ever since Democrats announced the investigation into allegations US President Donald Trump tried to pressure Ukraine into investigating corruption claims against his political rival Joe Biden, the White House has demanded the process made official. That box has been ticked with the House of Representatives passing a resolution overnight. The resolution also covers what the public phase of the impeachment inquiry looks like with witness testimony so far happening mostly behind closed doors. Open hearings will start in the coming weeks. Trump maintains his denial of any wrongdoing, tweeting “The Greatest Witch Hunt In American History!”

And if you want to get across what’s going to be a continuing big news story, our Squiz Shortcut on impeachment is just the ticket.

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DEADLY TRAIN FIRE

At least 74 people have died in a train fire near Rahim Yar Khan in the south of Punjab province of Pakistan. The train was travelling between the cities of Karachi and Rawalpindi when a gas cylinder, which passengers were using to cook breakfast, exploded. The blaze spread to at least three carriages, and reports say that many victims died as they tried to jump off the burning train. Officials say the number of victims will likely rise.

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MEGA METH BUST

A consignment of 768 Sriracha sauce bottles from the US concealing 400kg of the drug methylamphetamine (aka ice) worth $300 million was seized by the Australian Border Force a couple of weeks ago, it disclosed yesterday. Police say the organised crime syndicate used “sophisticated” chemistry skills (cue Walter White references...) to suspend drug crystals inside the bottles. Four men have been arrested in the year-long investigation. "Our officers have seen drugs in all forms hidden in everything you can possibly imagine; from clothing to furniture, machinery, electrical items, paint, and now we have chilli sauce,” said Border Force Commander Matt O’Connor.

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WATCH OUT, DANGEROUS CONDITIONS ABOUT

Victoria’s Health Department has confirmed that the flesh-eating buruli ulcer epidemic has spread from the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria to Geelong and the Surf Coast. And scientists do not know how the bacteria spreads or how to stop it. There were also concerns in Queensland last month with the transmission area spreading to the Atherton Tablelands. Meanwhile, residents in Sydney, and NSW’s Central Coast and Hunter Regions are wheezing through “very poor” air quality after smoke from bushfires on the state's North Coast were blown southwards. The blazes - which have burned through thousands of hectares of koala habitats - have sent smoke as far south as Wollongong and Nowra. NSW Health recommends limiting outdoor activities (in case you need a reason to cancel your PT session).

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TWITTER PULLS THE POLLIE-WAFFLE

Political advertising will be banned on Twitter - the crankiest of all the social media platforms… CEO Jack Dorsey tweeted (of course) that as of 22 November, all ads related to political issues won’t have a place in the Twittersphere. The move comes as Facebook faces criticism over its decision to exempt political ads on its platform from third-party fact-checking. In a go at Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s 'free speech' position, Dorsey said; “This isn’t about free expression. This is about paying for reach. And paying to increase the reach of political speech has significant ramifications that today’s democratic infrastructure may not be prepared to handle.” Note: Sunday marks the one-year countdown to the US presidential election…

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FRIDAY LITES - THREE THINGS WE LIKED THIS WEEK

The Queen’s chief dresser/milliner/long-time aid Angela Kelly has a book out today* on her intimate role with HRH. Some gems so far: her diamonds are kept in gin and water to keep them sparkling (but then gin keeps everything sparkling…). And, like most women we’ve come across, the Queen likes pockets.

Lady Gaga’s Golden Globes dress is up for auction this morning if you’re interested? And how it got to market is an interesting story…

And a giant cheese soufflé. As home cooks, anything requiring a finer touch is not our thing. Like our nemesis, the sponge… But this Jill Dupleix recipe has been a success on a few occasions. And with a zesty salad, it's a great Sunday lunch.

* If you purchase this book (or another book on this site) using this link, The Squiz will receive a little commission

SQUIZ THE DAY

Friday
7.10pm (AEDT) - T20 Cricket - Australia v Sri Lanka - Melbourne

ABS Data Release - Gender Indicators, November; Producer Price Indexes, September

Healthy Hips Day

Let your lip-hair run free… It’s the start of Movember

All Saints’ Day

National Days for Algeria, and Antigua and Barbuda

Saturday
8.00pm (AEDT) - Rugby World Cup Final - England v South Africa

Horse Racing - Derby Day - Flemington, Melbourne

International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists

David Schwimmer’s birthday (1966) 

Sunday
2.30pm (AEDT) - T20 Cricket - Australia v Pakistan

National Days for Dominica, Micronesia and Panama