Squiz Today / 15 July 2020
Squiz Today – Wednesday, 15 July
SQUIZ SAYINGS
“I still love sharks. Sharks are beautiful!”
Yelled 29yo bite survivor Anika Craney to reporters as she was wheeled off a rescue helicopter in Cairns after a close encounter yesterday. It was her day off from filming a documentary - on sharks. Wonder how she feels about giant trevally?
10,000 CORONAVIRUS CASES AND NO END IN SIGHT
THE SQUIZ
It’s a milestone we’d prefer not to have reached, but yesterday Australia passed the 10,000 coronavirus cases mark after 284 new cases were logged. We start today with a total of 10,251 cases since the crisis started. Yesterday, 270 new cases were recorded in Victoria, and NSW registered 13 cases as both states continue to battle local outbreaks. One new case in Western Australia was from an overseas traveller in hotel quarantine. And two people died from COVID-19 in Victoria yesterday taking the national death toll to 110. To round out the numbers: there are currently 1,864 active cases - 1,803 are in Victoria. More than 7,600 people have recovered from the virus since cases were first detected here in February.
WHERE ARE THE LOCAL OUTBREAKS UP TO?
With new cases in Victoria continuing to rise, the state’s Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton says they “haven't turned the corner yet”. There are concerns too in NSW where an outbreak in Sydney’s southwest saw cars queue for more than a kilometre as their passengers waited to get tested. Queensland yesterday responded to that spike in cases by banning residents from the Campbelltown and Liverpool areas from crossing their border. And South Australia has delayed the easing of travel restrictions for those from NSW and the ACT.
AND FURTHER AFIELD?
The US, which has recorded 3.35 million cases and 135,000 coronavirus deaths, is seeing 60,000 new cases a day. That’s led California to once again shut down restaurants, movie theatres and bars. Other big states, including Florida and Texas, are also reinstating restrictions. In Asia, many countries are slowing the reopening of their economies after new outbreaks. That includes Singapore which yesterday said it’s in a recession after recording its biggest economic contraction on record. Eastern Europe is seeing a wave of new cases and unrest. And hopes of a quick economic recovery are fading in the UK. It’s enough to make you want to rush out for a doughnut...
SQUIZ THE REST
MAXWELL PLEADS NOT GUILTY
Ghislaine Maxwell, the former flame/accused child sex procurer for the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, will stand trial this time next year. Overnight, she has pleaded not guilty to charges of trafficking minors as young as 14yo between 1994-97. She will remain in custody with her legal team's offer of more than $7 million for bail rejected because she is considered an "extreme" flight risk. Prosecutors say they expect several victims to testify at her trial. If found guilty, she could be jailed for up to 35 years.
And while we have you… Daniel Lee has become the first person to be put to death under America’s federal justice system in 17 years. He was executed overnight after legal challenges delayed proceedings. He was convicted of killing a family of three in 1996, including an 8yo girl. Two more federal executions are slated to proceed later this week.
GLEE STAR SAVED SON, POLICE BELIEVE
Naya Rivera, who went missing in California’s Lake Piru last week, "mustered enough energy" to push her 4yo son back onto a boat before she died, authorities believe. The death of the 33yo, who is best known for playing cheerleader Santana Lopez on the hit musical series Glee, was confirmed yesterday after her body was located following a six-day search. The cause of her death is yet to be confirmed by the coroner. Fans and former cast members took to social media to express their condolences. "Rest sweet, Naya. What a force you were," tweeted Jane Lynch.
CHINA COPS IT FROM THE US AND UK
America has rejected China’s claim over territory in the disputed South China Sea. In recent years, Beijing has defied international law by building islands and increasing its military presence in the region. But in a statement yesterday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called China’s claims “completely unlawful”. In turn, Beijing accused the US of trying to heighten tensions. Meanwhile, the UK has backflipped on a decision to allow Chinese telco Huawei to participate in the rollout of their 5G mobile network. Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden has told the parliament overnight that mobile providers will be banned from buying new Huawei 5G equipment after the end of this year, and they must remove any kit already installed by 2027. The US and other nations, including Australia, have concerns about Chinese espionage via Huawei's equipment - accusations the company and China have rejected. Wanna know more? Get into our #SquizShortcuts on the South China Sea and Huawei.
KIWI OPPOSITION IN CHAOS
Just weeks after being elected to the top job and fewer than 10 weeks away from an election, New Zealand’s National Party leader Todd Muller has quit over health concerns. While PM Jacinda Ardern passed on her best wishes, Deputy PM/NZ First leader Winston Peters said Muller’s resignation showed the Nationals were “an incompetent lot”. Current polling is pointing to a comfortable win for Ardern’s Labour Party when the country heads to the polls on 19 September. Fun fact: Ardern became the leader of her party just a couple of months out from the 2017 election.
QUEEN NOT ADVISED OF WHITLAM’S DISMISSAL AHEAD OF TIME
Queen Elizabeth had a kind of “I told you so” moment yesterday with the release of correspondence between Buckingham Palace and its representative here, Governor-General Sir John Kerr, as the country lurched towards a constitutional crisis back in 1975. The Palace has long maintained it/she had nothing to do with the dismissal, but the letters show it was very interested in events. To recap: As the Liberal-Nationals opposition denied the Labor Whitlam Government ‘supply’ (aka money) by voting down its budget, Kerr was characterised by National Archives boss David Fricker as a “chatty correspondent” who kept Team QEII updated about the situation. What Kerr didn’t keep them in the loop about was his decision to give Prime Minister Gough Whitlam the chop on 11 November 1975. The move was described by her private secretary Sir Martin Charteris as displaying "admirable consideration for Her Majesty's position." Monash Uni Professor Jenny Hocking, who’d fought long and hard for the 200-plus letters’ release, said they were a “bombshell”. Check them out yourself why don’t you…
LOCKDOWN’S CREATIVE OUTLET
What do you do when you have a bunch of fun oldies, a camera, some computer skillz, and some iconic music moments in your heart? You recreate classic album covers, that’s what…
SQUIZ THE DAY
China launches Mars rover to detect signs of present and past life on the planet
Anniversary of:
• the discovery of the Rosetta Stone, which was the key to deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs (1799)
• the birthdays of Dutch painter Rembrandt (1606), British suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst (1858)
• the founding of the Boeing Company (1916)
• Honky Chateau becoming Elton John's first No. 1 album in the US (1972)
• the divorce of Prince Charles and Princess Diana (1996)
• the killing of Gianni Versace at the front of his home in Miami (1997)
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