Squiz Today – Wednesday, 5 September

THREE MINUTE SQUIZ

"My friends know my diet consists exclusively of icing and fudge.”

Kerri Elstub - one of the first people to read The Squiz every morning - has a big job. She's the digital editorial director of Nine's lifestyle, news and sport websites. No wonder she's mainlining sugar… Please welcome Kerri to the Three Minute Squiz.

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TENNANT CREEK CRISIS DEEPENS

THE SQUIZ
Northern Territory Police have charged a 50yo man for assaulting a toddler last Friday in the troubled town of Tennant Creek. The alleged perpetrator is believed to be a relative of the victim. Reports say while the child’s family is known to child protection authorities, the child has been returned to its care and removal is not being considered. It is the second serious assault of a young child in the town this year.

BACK IT UP A BIT…
Tennant Creek has been in the spotlight this year for all the wrong reasons. Former PM Malcolm Turnbull visited seven weeks ago for talks with government agencies and locals about better protecting the kids of the town and addressing issues like alcohol abuse and inadequate housing. They also discussed a plan put forward by Tennant Creek elders that would give them powers to banish troublemakers from the town. But despite tens of millions of dollars in funding to support the town and to improve the child protection system - and with all the goodwill in the world – locals say things aren't improving.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
PM Scott Morrison yesterday said the situation in Tennant Creek “makes your heart just cry” and urged law enforcement agencies to do their jobs. He echoed former PM/Special Envoy for Indigenous Affairs Tony Abbott’s calls to get kids to school as a first step towards lasting change. Meanwhile, the media regulator reprimanded Seven’s Sunrise yesterday for a segment it ran earlier this year on the removal of indigenous children from unsafe family situations. The Australian Communications and Media Authority said the segment “directed very strong negative feelings towards Indigenous people”. Seven said that’s censorship and vowed to take it to court.

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SQUIZ THE REST

YOU LITTLE BEAUDY!
Usually we'd put sport further down the order but John Millman’s victory over Roger Federer at the US Open yesterday is just too exciting. Some commentators said it was the biggest upset in tennis history given the 29yo Queenslander was unseeded in the tournament and Federer is considered the best player the world has ever seen. Millman is described as a journeyman – he turns up and plays, but he's never beaten a top 10 player before. “I’m probably in a little bit of disbelief,” he said after the win. Millman faces legend Novak Djokovic on Thursday (US time) in the quarterfinal.

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM…
And not funny haha… Kiwi TV journo Barbara Dreaver was detained and released yesterday for not following the proper process for interviewing a refugee while on Nauru for the Pacific Islands Forum. "I think it probably shows that things are a wee bit sensitive here,” Dreaver said. The restrictions placed on the media while covering Forum by Nauru's government – including the refusal to grant visas to journalists from the ABC – have been the subject of criticism.

WHAT A DISASTER…
Two different cases:

SYRIA - Reports say Russian planes have commenced bombing in Syria’s Idlib province despite US President Donald Trump warning yesterday that such moves would be a “grave humanitarian mistake”. The United Nations also warned that an attack on the last major rebel-held area would put hundreds-of-thousands of lives at risk. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said "terrorists" must be wiped out of the area.

JAPAN – Typhoon Jebi – the strongest to hit the country’s mainland in 25 years - has killed at least six people and injured 160 after making landfall late yesterday. A million people have been evacuated, and tens-of-thousands have been left without power. A tanker that came loose from its moorings damaging a bridge in Osaka. Hundreds of flights have been cancelled.

BANNON BACKLASH
It’s hard work being a right-wing movement leader these days… Steve Bannon, the divisive former chief strategist to US President Donald Trump, has been bumped by The New Yorker from appearing at an event the mag was hosting after a wave of protest. Editor David Remnick said he changed his mind, and Bannon called him “gutless”. ABC’s Sarah Ferguson participated in some excellent trolling of The New Yorker pointing out her interview with Bannon for Four Corners that aired on Monday night. Which is worth a watch, by the way.

And talking of people leaving the scene… GG Sir Peter Cosgrove has told The Australian (paywall) that he will depart the plum job when his term is up in March. Let the games begin…

WESTPAC COPS RECORD FINE
It'll cough up $35 million in a record fine for failing in its duty to properly assess 10,500 home loans between 2011 and 2015. While not admitting that any of the loans that were made were inappropriate, the bank agreed a credit officer should have run an eye over thousands of loans that went through an automatic approval system. The bank was preparing to fight the corporate regulator’s claims in court but instead decided to admit it had breached consumer protection laws and take the fine.

And while we have you… The Reserve Bank left official interest rates unchanged yesterday. Nothing to see here, move along…

ON BRAND
Earning consumers’ trust and dollars is hard. So retail brands are working hard to stand out from the crowd. We have three interesting items to consider:

• Nike is using Colin Kaepernick as one of the faces to front its latest ‘Just Do It’ campaign. Colin who? He was a leading figure in the 2016 protests highlighting racial injustice where NFL players took to one knee during the American national anthem. “An interesting choice,” said marketing experts.

• Singer Lionel Richie has gone into the sheets and towels business with US retailer JC Penney. Because nothing says quality manchester like a 69yo bloke with puns like; “Hello, is it zzzs you’re looking for?”

• And Victoria Beckham – who knew she had a sense of humour? Her video with UK Vogue marking 10 years of her fashion label is a must for Spice Girls fans or anyone looking for a smile today.

SQUIZ THE DAY

Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting

12.30pm (AEST) - Heather Ridout AO, Professor Ian Chubb & Professor Anne Tiernan address the National Press Club on 'Rebooting Australian Democracy; renewing faith with voters' - Canberra

ABS Data Releases - Australian National Accounts: National Income, Expenditure and Product, June; National Offence Index, 2018

UN International Day of Charity

Anniversary of Freddie Mercury's birthday (1946)