Friday, 17 January - You can kiss my ...

January 17, 2025

Good morning, it’s Friday, 17 January. In your Squiz Today…

  • US President Joe Biden warns of a rising “tech industrial complex”

  • Time’s a’tickin for TikTok

  • And a citrus-y (yes, that’s a word…) cake to whip up on the weekend 🍰

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Squiz the Weather

Squiz Sayings

“Think inside the box.”

That was the approach taken by Apple TV+ for its Severance season 2 promo, with the cast put inside a plexiglass cube at New York’s Grand Central Station for 3 hours. While in character, they burned the time with paper planes and carpet sweeping. That’s dedication…

Bye bye Biden

The Squiz

With the clock running out on his time in the White House - and his 5 decades in politics - US President Joe Biden has delivered some final rousing words - but they weren't all positive… He said he'd taken the reins during "one of the toughest periods" in US history and warned about the need to protect the country’s democracy. Specifically, Biden said a “dangerous” and powerful oligarchy was taking shape in America - one of “extreme wealth, power and influence”.

Name names…

He didn’t do that but said there was a risk of the “tech industrial complex” that is accumulating unchecked power. That’s a none-too-subtle barb at incoming President Donald Trump and his tie-up with campaign donor/adviser/the wealthiest man in the world, Elon Musk… Trump is also getting snuggly with other tech billionaires with Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg and Musk set to sit together at his inauguration next week. Biden says the issue is Americans "are being buried under an avalanche of misinformation and disinformation enabling the abuse of power” and predicts that will worsen under Trump.

What else did he say?

He said leading the country out of the pandemic, infrastructure spending and passing new gun safety laws were some of the things he’s most proud of. And his foreign policy legacy is also being reflected on by global analysts, particularly his responses to the Ukraine and Gaza wars. On the latter, he talked up his leading role in negotiations in the ceasefire deal. Over the last 15 months, he’s copped criticism for his response from both Israeli and Palestinian supporters. Just on the ceasefire, it’s set to come into effect on Sunday… US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says he is confident it will happen despite Israel deferring a vote to formalise the agreement and its ongoing military operations in Gaza. The countdown is on…

If you want to delve deeper on Joe Biden’s presidential legacy, our latest Squiz Shortcut has you covered. Check it out here…

Your fresh market update…

At the Squiz, we’re all about giving you the useful stuff. So, we’ve teamed up with Woolies to share their top weekly fruit and veg picks. Here’s what to grab this week:

🍑 Peaches - The hot, sunny weather has produced excellent fruit this season. We're feeling peachy-keen…

🥭 Honey gold mangoes - Ditto. If you're a mango lover, these are the ones to grab this week.

🥬 Oakleaf lettuce - These have big, ruffled leaves and a mild nutty flavour. And lettuce be real, these are perfect for salads…

Squiz the Rest

Waiting on an election result

Electoral officials in Vanuatu are counting the votes after polling wrapped up in yesterday’s election. But we might not know the results for several days, thanks to challenges posed by collecting ballots from the nation's many outlying islands… In November, the election was called after a no-confidence motion against President Nikenike Vurobaravu and PM Charlot Salwai. It's also happening against the backdrop of the deadly earthquake that struck the capital, Port Vila, in December - leaving 14 dead, 210 injured, and thousands displaced. The nation’s political instability is also said to have locals feeling fatigued, with 4 PMs in as many years and a referendum on government reforms last May… Regardless, a new parliament must sit within 21 days of finalising the election results - so more change is on the way.

Aussies are part-time lovers

The Bureau of Stats says there are 56,300 more of us in the workforce as of last month, and part-time work is behind the boost. Aussies working part-time rose by 80,000, but those in full-time roles dropped by 23,700, leading to the overall gain. And despite a slight uptick in unemployment from 3.9% to 4%, Oz's workforce participation rate (aka the number of people in or looking for work) is over 67% - its highest level in a decade. Economists say that while it's good news that lots of people have jobs, it could be bad news for anyone sweating on an interest rate cut in February, as a strong jobs market will make the Reserve Bank less inclined to do any snipping. But the stock market is still backing a cut, predicting a 70% chance of one next month.

The countdown’s on for TikTok

It’s T-minus 2 days until the video app goes dark in the US thanks to a ban from the federal government over national security worries. The app’s Chinese owner ByteDance has been given until January 19 to sell it to a non-Chinese owner - it’s fighting that deadline in the Supreme Court without luck so far. One possible saviour is incoming President Donald Trump - he’s said he wants to save TikTok after proposing a ban himself in his first term. The catch? He’ll only have the power after it happens - he’s inaugurated on the 20th. And as time runs out, Americans hunting for an alternative to their TikTok fix have been switching to a similar Chinese-owned app called RedNote. Slight snag - RedNote's default language is Mandarin, so many are brushing up. Easier said than done…

A speedy win for the Demon

The biggest homegrown chance at the Aussie Open is #8 seed Alex De Minaur, and he absolutely bulldozed his way through his second-round match yesterday, defeating American Tristan Boyer in straight sets. And to keep going on the Aussies - after her emotional first-round victory, Destanee Aiava was unable to progress to the third round. She went down last night to American Danielle Collins, who turned super-villain when she didn’t appreciate the crowd’s support for the local. Oh, and Nick Kyrgios/Thanasi Kokkinakis are “cooked”... Casting our net further, #2 men's seed Carlos Alcaraz has looked unstoppable, and #2 women's seed Iga Świątek has looked similarly formidable. See you on Monday for week 2 of the tournament…

An astronomically rare opportunity

If you’ve been thinking about treating yourself to a telescope, now might be the time… Over the coming months, stargazers will be able to see almost all of the planets lined up in the night sky simultaneously. And experts reckon the best time is Tuesday evening when the moon isn't so bright. If you're in an open area/away from a city, you could have a clear view of Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn with the naked eye - and Neptune and Uranus with a telescope. Mercury fans will have to wait a bit longer - it will be fashionably late to the formation in February. Astronomers say it's unusual to have all the planets aligned like this, so it's an excellent time for stargazers. If you'd like to get involved, this app and website have you covered.

Wanna be in the Saturday Squiz?

A UK pizzeria is charging customers big bucks to deter them from ordering pineapple on their pizza. It’s got us wondering what you reckon about the divisive combo…

Does pineapple belong on pizza?

Click to cast your vote and leave a comment while you're there. We'll share 3 responses in Saturday's newsletter.

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

Friday Lites - 3 things we liked this week

It can be tough going, but mini-series Lockerbie (streaming on BINGE) is a compelling watch. It follows Colin Firth as Dr Jim Swire, whose daughter died in the bombing of flight Pan Am 103, as he investigates how such a tragedy could have happened.

If you missed it mid-week, you might like to check out this outstanding piece of cricket from Aussie star spinner Alana King - she had a special game bowling us to victory in the second ODI of the Women’s Ashes, but this delivery was the standout highlight…

It’s no secret that a cake is looked upon favourably at Squiz HQ, and this Turkish yoghurt cake recipe hits the spot. Think citrus-y cheesecake, but a bit lighter… Don’t take our word - 98yo reviewer Betsy Sue says she makes it for her great-grandchildren, and they go crazy for it.

Squiz the Day

Friday

10.05am (AEDT) - Women's Cricket 3rd ODI: Australia v England - Hobart, and broadcast live on Kayo

11.30am (AEDT) - Human Rights Watch World Report 2025 will be released - Thailand

2.00pm (AEDT) - US President Joe Biden’s final interview with anchor Lawrence O'Donnell will air on MSNBC

The Tamworth Country Music Festival (on until 26 Jan) - Tamworth 

Santos Tour Down Under (on until 26 Jan) - Adelaide

Birthdays for Aussie netball legend Liz Ellis (1973), actor Jim Carrey (1962) and former First Lady Michelle Obama (1964)

Anniversary of the start of the 13-year-long prohibition on alcohol in the US (1920)

Saturday 

National Winnie The Pooh Day - US, commemorating author A.A. Milne's birthday (1882)

A birthday for former PM Paul Keating (1944)

Anniversary of:

  • Captain James Cook coming across the Hawaiian Islands, which didn’t end well… (1778)

  • the first group of ships from the First Fleet arriving in Botany Bay (1788)

Sunday

The federal ban on TikTok in the US is set to take effect

Midsumma Carnival (on until 9 Feb) - Melbourne

A birthday for Dolly Parton (1946)

Anniversary of:

  • ABC's Triple J broadcasting for the first time (1975)

  • the birthdays of rocker Janis Joplin (1943) and rapper Mac Miller (1992)

  • the death of former Aussie cricketer David Hookes (2004). His untimely death led to national discussions on organ donation