Friday, 14 August - These words are my own

Good morning, it’s Friday, 14 August. In your Squiz Today…

• A NSW aluminium smelter gets bailed out

• Another near miss at Sydney Airport

• And a Melbourne teen wins the World Youth Scrabble Champs… 🔠

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🙋🏻‍♀️ This newsletter was written by Andrew Williams, Anna Pykett, and Larissa Huntington

Squiz the Weather

Squiz Sayings

Said NFL player Travis Kelce (AKA Mr Swift) in his first public comments since his wedding to Tay Tay last month… but when it comes to getting a sticky beak at the Dior dress she wore, we’re still none the wiser…

Tomago gets a bailout

The Squiz

The country’s biggest aluminium smelter has been thrown a $2.5 billion lifeline as the Federal and NSW Governments have agreed to bail it out. We’re talking about the Tomago facility in Newcastle, owned by Rio Tinto - which had warned that the rising cost of renewable and coal-fired power could force it to close. PM Anthony Albanese says the deal is in the country's “national interest” - but some have questioned if it’s a good use of taxpayer money. It’s the latest in a string of government bailout packages aimed at keeping major industries operating.

Back it up a bit

This deal has been in the works for months - it’s a joint effort between Rio Tinto and the two governments to keep the plant afloat. The smelter is the largest electricity user in Oz and consumes about 10% of power supplies in NSW - and this is how we got here… Rio Tinto said if prices continued to rise, the plant would not remain commercially viable, so it would shut it down - meaning 1,000 workers would lose their jobs. The sticking point has been around who paid what - and how it’s worked out is that the NSW Government is going halves with the Federal Government, but the catch is the NSW contribution will be capped at 50% over 10 years. However, this isn’t the case for the Albanese Government…

Tell me more…

This means if the smelter becomes more expensive to run, more taxpayer dollars (paywall) could end up being spent on the facility. But on the flipside - the Federal Government will also be able to recoup some funds if the plant makes a profit (although we don’t have all the detail around how that’ll work)... The deal also includes Rio Tinto chipping in $1.1 billion on top of the taxpayer funding to reduce its energy usage and gear it toward renewables. PM Albanese says Tomago is an important part of the country’s industrial base and sovereign capability - and the unions and local community are happy because the deal means workers will get to keep their jobs. But Coalition Leader Angus Taylor says the agreement shows that the Federal Government’s energy policies aren't working.

Take a chance on sleep

Picking a new mattress without lying on it first is a bit of a gamble - comfort's hard to judge from a photo. It hasn't put off thousands of Ergoflex customers, though - Australia's original mattress-in-a-box, backed by reviews to match. Its Afterpay Day sale covers the memory foam range, bed frames, pillows and protectors, with a trial period if it's not the right fit for you. Prices vary by size, and the sale won't run forever - find out more here.

Squiz the Rest

Another near miss at Sydney airport

The transport watchdog is investigating a third runway incident in recent weeks at the nation’s busiest airport. This one involved a Qantas plane crossing the path of a Virgin aircraft that was about to take off, before air traffic controllers cancelled the Virgin plane's clearance four seconds later. It happened hours after a Jetstar plane had to slam its brakes on during take-off to avoid hitting a Qatar Airways plane on 9 August, and another last month involving two Qantas planes that nearly collided. These incidents follow recent workforce shortages and rostering issues which have contributed to delays at Sydney Airport. Transport Minister Catherine King met with the boss of Airservices Australia Rob Sharp, earlier this week, which says it’s bolstering its roster of air traffic controllers.

One of Trump’s top aides says ta-ta

The White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has announced she’s stepping down to spend more time with her young family. The 28yo was the youngest person to hold the high-pressure role, as well as the first woman to be pregnant while doing it… It involves travelling all over the world with the President and acting as the administration’s official mouthpiece. She’s called it a “bittersweet decision”, and it’s a tough gig to fill - when she was on mat leave recently, no one officially replaced her. She’ll finish up at the end of August, but Donald Trump says she’ll stay on as one of his top advisors. It’ll be a busy few months for whoever does the job next, with the US midterms not too far off - they’re happening in November.

The UK’s bin-election

People have been voting in a by-election in England’s east, in which Nigel Farage’s main challenger is Count Binface, who you might have seen pictures of on socials - if not, check them out here (you’re welcome). The vote was triggered by the Reform UK leader’s resignation last month over a financial scandal involving a donation that he didn’t declare. While there were 34 candidates on the ballot paper, there weren’t any from the major parties, because they say Farage resigning was a "political tantrum" to distract attention from the ongoing investigation into his finances. As far as Binface is concerned - he’ll be hoping to do better than the 95 votes he bagged in the UK’s last by-election where he stood against now British Prime Minister Andy Burnham…

The Logies are upon us…

…and it’s the increasingly busy Robert Irwin who’ll be hosting Oz TV’s big awards night on Sunday. At 22yo, he’s the youngest-ever host of the awards, and a bit of a change from previous host Sam Pang in that he’s not a professional comedian. The Dancing With The Stars US winner has promised a few dance moves for the event, and maybe a wild animal or 2… Along with hosting, Irwin is also one of the nominees for the Gold Logie - along with I’m a Celebrity co-host Julia Morris, ABC presenter Lisa Millar, Tipping Point host Todd Woodbridge, A Current Affair’s Ally Langdon, Masterchef’s Poh Ling Yeow and Pang himself. The broadcast begins at 7pm - that’ll include the red carpet, which has thrown up some memorable moments in the past…

The chairman of the board game

A Melbourne-based 14yo was the big winner at this year’s World Youth Scrabble Champs, beating 140 other contenders to win the title. Dineth Fernando moved here from Sri Lanka earlier this year, and he was the only Oz representative at the event in Nairobi, Kenya. English is his second language, but he’s been playing Scrabble since he was 8yo, and he studied 200 words a day from the game’s official dictionary to prepare for the competition, which paid off big time. Here’s a tidbit for you - Scrabble is a very popular activity in countries like Sri Lanka, India and Malaysia, but not so much in Oz, where only one school has it on the curriculum - Cabramatta Public School in Sydney. Local enthusiasts want it rolled out in more schools, so we could produce more W-I-N-N-E-R-S (10 points)...

Friday Lites - 3 things we liked this week

We’ve been enjoying British actor Gemma Arterton playing an MI6 agent in Secret Service on Stan. It’s a fast-paced drama that sees her juggle being a mum with some pretty dicey espionage and political action. So grab your snacks; it’s perfect viewing for chilly winter evenings on the couch…

You know we're newsletter people, and for our sins, we're also political junkies. So we're rubbing our hands together in anticipation for Politico's launch on Monday next week of the Canberra Playbook - a digestible weekday briefing on what's what in Aussie politics. If it sounds like something you'd like to try, you can sign up for free.

We’re ending the week on a virtuous note with this warm winter salad that takes advantage of the cheap cauliflower around in Oz at the moment. Roast up some florets and toss them with chickpeas, zingy cranberries and mint, then top it with pan-fried halloumi and you’ve got a veggie side or dinner done.

Squiz the Day

Friday
9.00am (AEST) - Senate Committee inquiry hearing on strengthening enforcement of the U16 social media ban - Canberra

9.00am (AEST) - Pre-trial hearing for former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann after Toowoomba detectives charged him with 2 counts of rape over an incident in October 2021- Brisbane

9.00am (AEST) - More public hearings by a Federal Parliamentary Committee are being held into consulting firm KPMG - Canberra

9.15am (AEST) - Full-year results for Baby Bunting and QBE (earnings)

9.30am (AEST) - Reserve Bank Governor Michele Bullock is appearing at a Federal Parliamentary Committee hearing on the RBA's 2025 annual report - Canberra

9.30am (AEST) - Inspector of the National Anti-Corruption Commission, Gail Furness SC, to speak at a Committee hearing on aspects of its performance - Canberra

A Senate inquiry report into the Federal Government’s overhaul of the NDIS to be tabled - Canberra

Foreign Minister Penny Wong to give a speech, warning that the rise of populism threatens Australia's national security at the Lowy Institute - Sydney

Adelaide will host a River Night Walk arts event

Pakistan Independence Day

The World's Ugliest Dog contest is on in California

Birthdays for actor Steve Martin (1945), writer Danielle Steel (1947), basketball legend Magic Johnson (1959), swimmer Kieren Perkins (1973), and actors Kate Ritchie (1978) and Mila Kunis (1983)

Anniversary of: 

• the birthday of David Crosby (1941)

• Germany’s Cologne Cathedral - the largest Gothic church in northern Europe - being completed (1880) 

• Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt winning the 100m race at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, becoming the first person to win the event in 3 consecutive Olympics (2016)

Saturday
10.30am (AEST) - A funeral for Kumanjayi Little Baby will be held at Alice Springs Garden Cemetery - Alice Springs

3.00pm (AEST) - Rugby Union Test Match: Wallabies v Japan - North Queensland Stadium, watch on Stan Sport

5.00pm (AEST) - NAIDOC Awards celebrating 50 Years - Alice Springs

The FIH Hockey World Cup begins (until 30 August) - watch on 7Plus 

The Padel Invitational will be held at the Sydney Opera House (until tomorrow) - the first-ever ‘showcase padel event’ (a fast-growing racquet sport) in Oz - Sydney

National Science Week begins (until 23 August) 

Ferragosto, a public holiday in Italy

Anniversary of Victory In the Pacific Day (VP) or Victory over Japan Day

Independence Day in India

International Homeless Animals Day

National days for Liechtenstein and the Republic of the Congo

Birthdays for Princess Anne (1950), philanthropist Melinda French Gates (1964), and actors Ben Affleck (1972) and Jennifer Lawrence (1990)

Anniversary of:

• the opening of the Panama Canal (1914)

• the first Rugby Test Match between New Zealand’s All Blacks and Australia’s Wallabies (1903)

• the end of WWII, after Japan’s surrender to the Allies (1945)

• the opening of Woodstock Music Festival (1969)

• the release of musical atrocity the Macarena by Los del Rio (1995)

• the Taliban taking control of Afghanistan after the capture of the capital Kabul (2021)      

Sunday
7.00pm (AEST) - The Logies 2026, hosted by Robert Irwin - Sydney, watch on Channel 7

Birthdays for director James Cameron (1954), pop star Madonna (1958), actor Steve Carell (1962), and director Taika Waititi (1975)

Anniversary of: 

• Sports Illustrated’s first edition being published (1954)

• the marriage of Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi (2008)

• Wikileaks founder Julian Assange being granted political asylum by Ecuador (2012)

• the deaths of British TV personality Michael Parkinson (2023), baseballer Babe Ruth (1948), and music legends Elvis (1977) and Aretha Franklin (2018)