Squiz Today – Tuesday, 12 September

SQUIZ SAYINGS

“When I heard scrunchie, I was like, ‘Ahhhhhhh!’ It is my nightmare.”

Laurent Philippon from fancy hair brand Bumble & Bumble speaking on behalf of fashionistas everywhere. Scrunchies have been banned since the early 90s for anyone with a modicum of fashion-sense. But fancy bag brand Mansur Gavriel’s New York Fashion Week show featured a US$35 version that has the beautiful people gasping in shock. For full disclosure, we recently bought one because we thought it brought some polish to our slippers/trackie-dack ensemble. The shame…

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IRMA WREAKS HAVOC ACROSS FLORIDA

THE SQUIZ
Irma has crossed into Georgia as a tropical storm with winds of 100km/hr leaving behind as yet untold damage and injury in Florida. On its current trajectory, it will head towards Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee over the next couple of days. At its peak, Irma was more than 640km wide bringing strong winds and rain across the region. Experts say the US has never seen a storm like Irma. And it’s the first year on record that the continental United States has had two Category 4 hurricane landfalls in the same year.

WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY?
After making landfall as a Category 4 storm on Sunday night, Irma was downgraded to Category 1 by Monday but not before inflicting 200km/hr winds on the Florida Keys and lashing mainland Florida. The key points:

• After being hit with high winds, the danger for the low-lying Florida Keys = sea surges and flooding rains. Much of the island chain remains cut off by road and phone so the extent of the damage is not yet known.

• Heading up the Florida coast, Irma’s strong winds pulled the sea back making coastal areas look eerily bare and leaving some sad-looking manatees stranded. However, the water quickly returned in surges believed to be as high as five metres. 

• And while Irma moved west sparing the city the worst of it, Miami was still significantly impacted by tornados and flooding. "Miami didn't dodge a bullet, we dodged a cannon," said Mayor Philip Levine. 

IS THE WORST OVER?
Irma is weakening but is still dangerous. More than 65% of Florida – that’s +6 million residences and businesses - is without electricity, and there are predictions it will take weeks to reinstate basic services. Meanwhile, the Caribbean region is starting to come to grips with the scale of the recovery and repair job ahead. If the sorry state of Sir Richard Branson’s Necker Island is any indication, it’s going to be a huge job. 

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SQUIZ THE REST

AGL KICKS LIDDELL OPTIONS TO THE BOARD
PM Malcolm Turnbull met with AGL boss Andy Vesey yesterday afternoon to discuss the future of its coal-fired power station near Newcastle that is due to close in 2022. The outcome: Vesey wants 90 days to take a proposal to the company’s board to keep the generator going until 2027 or to sell it. The government wants Liddell to keep-on-keeping-on for the next decade while other sources of dispatchable power are developed. Last week, AGL said it’s “getting out of coal” and, of course, the board could put the kybosh on those options. But Vesey got through the day in one piece, and sometimes that's all you can do.

NORTH KOREA PROMISES RETALIATION FOR NEW SANCTIONS
The UN Security Council will meet Monday evening local time to consider new sanctions designed to get North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to abandon his reckless missile and nuclear tests. The new draft sanctions have been watered down following discussions between the US and China over the weekend. Gone are the proposals of a full oil embargo and freezing Kim’s assets (come on people, let’s keep this above the belt please…). Instead, they're going for a cap on oil and a ban on gas imports, as well as bans on new visas for North Korean labour and textile exports. North Korea made its views known ahead of the meeting saying if the sanctions were passed, it would be ready to retaliate to; “cause the US the greatest pain and suffering it had ever gone through in its entire history." 

HERO DIES TRYING TO SAVE KIDS AT WOLLONGONG BEACH
Shaun Oliver, a 32yo Victorian father of three, died on Sunday afternoon while trying to help a child caught in a rip at the unpatrolled Wollongong City Beach. A family with four children got into trouble while swimming in dangerous conditions. While the children’s father was able to get two of the kids out, and a third was dragged in by another man, Oliver was dragged out to sea while trying to save the fourth. Surfers ultimately came to the aid of the child, but Oliver drowned and was unable to be revived after he was pulled ashore. Oliver was in Wollongong for work and was taking an afternoon walk on the beach. Police said he was a hero, and reminded people to only swim at patrolled beaches. Oliver leaves behind a wife and three children.

HELP FROM THE OLDIES TO BUY A HOME NOT A GOOD SIGN
Research released by the Reserve Bank yesterday said a third of homebuyers who got financial support from their parents later found it hard to pay back their mortgage and other bills. Ten bucks says the researchers are baby boomers who bought homes when they were affordable. Or maybe they’re currently being hit up by the kids for some help to get on the property ladder. Either way, we’re sus. And investment bank UBS threw in its 10 cents’ worth saying they reckon a third of Aussie mortgages are made on the basis of inaccurate information. The prevalence of ‘liar loans’ was deduced by surveying 900 people – a list the banks would probably like to get their hands on ASAP.

NADAL ON TRACK TO BE THE BEST EVER?
Isn’t it terrific to see tennis greats like Rafael Nadal get the most out of their maturing tennis careers? Nadal dominated the US Open men’s singles final yesterday taking down South African Kevin Anderson in straight sets. There’s speculation Nadal will overtake Roger Federer’s record of 19 grand slam titles – Nadal has 16 titles and is just 31yo to Federer's 36yo. But you can't discount Federer yet after winning two slams this year. What a great time to be a tennis fan.

SACKED WORKER WINS COMPO AFTER ‘FESSING UP ABOUT HER BIG DAY OUT
Picture this: you’re out having a good time – but what about work tomorrow? Avril Chapman, a factory worker at salmon producer Tassal, decided to take the honest route by leaving this message on her boss’s phone: “Hi Michelle, it’s Avril, one of your most loved pains in the arse. Um, it’s Anzac Day, my birthday, and I admit I have over indulged so I’m taking into account one of the golden rules: be fit for work. And I’m not going to be fit for work so I won’t be there. But, um, love ya, catch ya on the flip side.” And she was sacked for it. Yesterday the Fair Work Commission said that was too harsh and awarded her more than $8,000 in compensation. For the record, we have a ‘do the crime, do the time’ policy.

SQUIZ THE DAY

ABS Data Release - Overseas Arrivals and Departures, July

National Australia Bank Business Survey for August

United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation (we don't know what that means either...)