Squiz Today / 11 April 2018

Squiz Today – Wednesday, 11 April

SQUIZ SAYINGS

"Parkinson’s can affect anybody in our community, the cause is not known and there are no treatments that can slow, stop or reverse the condition.”

Which is why, on World Parkinson’s Day, we asked keen Squizer Steve Sant, CEO of Parkinson’s Australia, to tell us more in a Three Minute Squiz. PS he’s a Bee Gees fan…


ZUCKERBERG FACES THE MUSIC

THE SQUIZ
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has started his two-day stint before US Congressional committee hearings on privacy and data mining. While it was the Cambridge Analytica scandal that prompted the summons to Washington DC, Zuckerberg is expected to be quizzed on a range of issues including: disinformation and hate spread via the social media platform; foreign interference in elections; and whether its business model causes harm, particularly to kids.

WHAT’S EXPECTED TO HAPPEN?
He’ll say that he’s sorry. He’s been saying that quite a bit in the last couple of weeks. And the already released opening statement for Wednesday's hearing repeats Zuckerberg’s commitment to step up, take responsibility for the mistakes, and ultimately fix things. You can also expect Zuckerberg to be out of his comfort zone. This is his first time in front of Congress. Given the impact Facebook has had over the last 15 years, it’s clear this is a guy who has tried to keep a low profile with regulators. But right now, all eyes are on him.

WHERE IS THIS GOING?
One of the themes for 2018 is ‘tech-lash’, and this is bang on target. On matters of trust, the big US tech companies are under pressure with their users, government and the market. Which is why Zuckerberg will be looking the spread the pain over the next couple of days. “I realise the issues we’re talking about today aren’t just issues for Facebook and our community — they’re challenges for all of us as Americans,” he will say. For his lack of experience at the political game, that’s a quality deflection.

And while we have you... in case you haven’t seen a privacy notice in your Facebook feed, this article tells you how to check.


SQUIZ THE REST

SYRIA UPDATE
The US is still considering its response to the chemical attack on Syrian civilians in Douma at the weekend – an attack that is suspected to have been undertaken by Syrian government forces. Trump has cancelled a trip to Peru to stay at the White House and work on it. Meanwhile, the global chemical weapons watchdog said it would go to Douma to inspect the area soon.

CHINA TALKS UP A MORE OPEN ECONOMY
China has taken the first steps to apply the brakes to a trade war that could career towards a cliff like a 90s Nissan Skyline that hasn't been serviced for years. President Xi Xinping yesterday said car import tariffs would be cut and requirements on foreign investors would be relaxed. "Paying attention only to one's own community without thinking of others can only lead into a wall. And we can only achieve win-win results by insisting on peaceful development and working together," Xi said. Does he have someone in mind, do you think?

TRUMP LAWYER DRAWN INTO RUSSIA PROBE
In what has been described as an extraordinary development, the FBI has raided the home and offices of US President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer Michael Cohen. He’s Trump’s long-time Mr Fixit and the guy who personally paid adult actress Stormy Daniels for her silence over an alleged affair with Trump. It’s understood the raid is part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into the Trump campaign’s alleged connections to Russia. Trump is furious. And everyone else has a million questions about how Cohen could be connected to the Russia probe.

NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK ALLEGEDLY DEFRAUDED
Human Group, a Sydney events and executive services company, was raided by police yesterday as part of an investigation into the alleged fraud that saw the National Australia Bank millions of dollars worse off. The allegation: former senior staffer Rosemary Rogers may have been receiving kickbacks for approving payments to Human Group above the value of the contract. Rogers left the bank at the end of last year.

COMM GAMES UPDATE
• Our women’s and men’s swimming 100m relay teams won in thrilling style last night. It capped off our most successful Comm Games ever for our swimming team winning 73 medals including 28 gold.

• With so much negative news recently about our sporting culture, how brilliant was it to see the three Aussie 10,000 metre runners - Celia Sullohern, Madeline Hills and Eloise Wellings - wait for several minutes for Lineo Chaka from Lesotho, the runner in last place, to finish? "We're there for each other and we're out there having a go,” said Sullohern. Words to live by.

• And scandal! A cling-wrapped PM Malcolm Turnbull didn’t sing along with the team to the John Farnham classic You’re the Voice at the swimming last night sparking a social media meltdown. The only way he can come back from that to perform it a capella at a press conference today…

THE DEFINITION OF TORN
This has thrown us. Fleetwood Mac fired band cornerstone Lindsey Buckingham from the band following a disagreement over its upcoming tour. Boo! But legendary Crowded House/Split Enz genius Neil Finn (and Mike Campbell of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers) will replace him. Yay! Buckingham and collaborator/former partner Stevie Nicks, along with Mick Fleetwood and Christine McVie have had a long and tempestuous musical history. Tour dates haven’t been announced but bring on Finnwood Mac.

SQUIZ THE DAY

12.30pm (AEST) - Josh Frydenberg, Minister for the Environment and Energy, to address the National Press Club on 'Powering Forward: The National Energy Guarantee' - Canberra

World Parkinson's Day

Have you hit a work wardrobe wall this week? What you need is a classy silk short from The Fable. This week, if you read the email every day you’ll go into the draw to receive a shirt worth $149. Wardrobe issue/news briefings sorted.

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