Squiz Today / 17 July 2020
Squiz Today – Friday, 17 July
SQUIZ SAYINGS
“Bathroom carpet”
Two of the most terrifying words in the English language when used together. Actress/podcaster Demi Moore had to defend the home decorating choice when a picture of her makeshift studio went viral this week. “That originally was a Bruce Willis choice, not to put it off on him,” she said of her former husband while putting it off on him...
VICTORIAN TEST COMES IN A WEEK
THE SQUIZ
Victoria reported 317 new coronavirus cases yesterday - the largest daily increase for any state since the start of the crisis. Two men in their 80s died upping the national toll to 113. The state's health officials also confirmed there are 109 people in hospital, and 29 of those are in intensive care. Yesterday’s jump takes the state’s number of active cases to 2,126. For context, the next closest state is NSW with 44 locally acquired COVID-19 cases.
SO, IS THE VICTORIAN OUTBREAK UNDER CONTROL OR WHAT?
The state’s leader Daniel Andrews said that despite the increase, there was "relative stability" in the rate of new infections. And the big test will come next week. That’s because the stay-at-home restrictions that were reinstated across much of Melbourne are just more than a week old, and experts believe the virus’s maximum incubation period is about two weeks. So they will need to slog it out a bit longer before they’ll know if they “start to see a pattern” of new case numbers reducing, Andrews says. With that in mind, he says it’s "way too early" for the state to be moving to a harsher level of restrictions that would crush the local economy.
SPEAKING OF OUR STRUGGLING ECONOMY…
The latest official unemployment figures are enough to make you wanna put your virus-proof pants on… The bad news: Australia’s jobless rate climbed to a 22-year high of 7.4% in June - up 0.3% from May. Because of the definitions of what the Bureau of Stats counts as 'unemployed', Treasurer Josh Frydenberg says the true unemployment rate is probably closer to 13.3%. The good news: 210,000 jobs were created last month as the economy started to re-open. PM Scott Morrison said he expects July’s numbers to be impacted by what’s happening in Victoria. But he cautioned Aussies against getting too down in the mouth about it, saying “as difficult as these times are, let's not look down, let's look up, let's lift our heads. Today's employment figures shows there is hope.” Bring on a vaccine (that hasn’t been hacked by the Russians)…
SQUIZ THE REST
SARA CONNOR RELEASED FROM BALI JAIL
Byron Bay woman Sara Connor was yesterday released from Kerobokan Prison after serving more than three years of a five-year sentence for her part in the death of Bali police officer Wayan Sudarsa in 2016. Her British DJ boyfriend David Taylor, who remains in jail, received a six-year sentence for ‘group violence causing death’ after he confessed to the brutal bashing of Sudarsa in August 2016. The couple believed he had stolen Connor’s bag, and a fight between the men broke out. Taylor said he acted in self-defence, and Connor said she tried to break it up. Connor handed herself in after her driver’s licence and credit cards were found next to the body. Her teenage sons and ex-husband live in Byron Bay, and while her next steps haven’t been confirmed, she will be deported from Indonesia to Oz, possibly today.
TWITTER HACK ATTACK ON HIGH PROFILE ACCOUNTS
The Twitter accounts of several high-profile individuals including Elon Musk, Barack Obama and Kim Kardashian West, and companies like Uber and Apple, were targeted on Wednesday by hackers in a Bitcoin scam. Twitter said the “coordinated” attack saw hackers gain "access to internal systems and tools" to get into the verified accounts. From there, they posted requests for Bitcoin donations. The hackers, whose identities are still unknown, reportedly received $160,000 from 300 people within the first half-hour of the scam. In response, Twitter suspended verified accounts from posting for two hours and said it was taking "significant steps" to investigate. "Tough day for us at Twitter. We all feel terrible this happened," Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey tweeted.
TRUMP OUSTS CAMPAIGN MANAGER
A failed rah-rah rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma and disappointing polls have seen US President Donald Trump dump his campaign manager Brad Parscale. He will remain on board and look after the campaign’s “digital and data strategies”, Trump said yesterday. Described as a “brash” bloke standing more than 200cm tall with a “dramatic red beard”, Parscale has stayed close to the President through his friendship with Trump’s sons, pundits say. Replacing him is Bill Stepien, a longtime staffer who is said to be more “low-key”. He has his work cut out for him with the latest polls showing Democratic candidate Joe Biden widening his lead over Trump. #TrumpShortcut #BidenShortcut
VAPING INCREASING FOR AUSSIE YOUTHS, DRUG USE SURVEY FINDS
While young Aussies are less likely to take illicit drugs, smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol than previous yoofs, more are vaping, according to the latest National Drug Strategy Household Survey. In 2016, more than 2.5% of people aged 18–24yo had tried vaping, or e-cigarettes, but in 2019 that number had doubled. The survey also found almost half of all Australians have used an illicit substance in their lifetime, with cannabis being the most commonly used drug across all age groups. And while cigarette and alcohol consumption was down overall, cocaine use was at a 20-year high due to greater availability. The survey, run by the Australian Institute for Health and Welfare, collects data from 23,000 Aussies aged 14yo and over every three years.
AND THE MILES FRANKLIN WINNER IS…
...Tara June Winch for her book The Yield. Centring on an Indigenous woman who returns home for the funeral of her grandfather who was compiling a dictionary of the language of his ancestors, Winch describes her novel as “a handbook for truth”. It took her a decade to complete, and tackles some big themes including colonisation, dispossession, the environment and intergenerational trauma. But it was a “bittersweet” win for the 36yo after she beat her mentor Tony Birch to take home the $60,000 prize. Winch is the fourth Indigenous writer to win the country’s most prestigious literary award.
FRIDAY LITES - THREE THINGS WE LIKED THIS WEEK
We’re in a gift-giving rut. But this guide has some good suggestions that we’re keeping on hand for any one of our mates who enjoy wine. Check out the wild Champagne glasses…
If you’re looking for a movie to relax with, you might enjoy Bad Education. Starring Hugh Jackman and Allison Janney, it’s based on a real scandal from the early 2000s when megabucks were embezzled by a New York school administrator.
The Guardian’s ‘How To Make The Perfect…’ series is cooking column we enjoy. We’ll be revising the perfect cheese scones recipe tomorrow - the mustard powder to cheese to chives ratio = perfect.
SQUIZ THE DAY
Friday
Captain Tom Moore to be knighted by the Queen - Windsor
Special European Union summit focusing on a coronavirus crisis recovery plan
World Day of International Criminal Justice
Birthdays for Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (1947) and German Chancellor Angela Merkel (1954)
Anniversary of:
• the execution of Russian Czar Nicholas II, his wife and their five children by Bolsheviks (1918)
• the opening of the first Disneyland in Anaheim, California (1955)
• the death of Billie Holiday (1959)
• the downing of MH17 over Ukraine (2014)
Saturday
Nelson Mandela International Day on the anniversary of his birthday (1918)
Birthdays for Dennis Lillee (1949), Richard Branson (1950), Shaun Micallef (1962), Vin Diesel (1967), Elizabeth Gilbert (1969) and Kristen Bell (1980)
Anniversary of:
• the death of Jane Austen (1817)
• the publication of Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf - the original title was Four and a Half Years (of Struggle) Against Lies, Stupidity and Cowardice (1925)
• Kim Jong Un being appointed Supreme Leader of North Korea (2012)
Sunday
Next stage of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial begins - Jerusalem
Birthdays for Brian May (1947) and Benedict Cumberbatch (1976)
Anniversary of:
• the premiere of Man Men (2007)
• Despacito becoming the most-streamed song ever - it’s now been streamed 6.8 billion times (2017)
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