Friday, 19 September - You're hot to go

September 19, 2025

Good morning, it’s Friday, 19 September. In your Squiz Today…

  • We’ve got our new emissions target for 2035

  • US talk show host Jimmy Kimmel is abruptly pulled off air

  • And some fish cakes that will have you going back for more… 🐟

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Squiz the Weather

Squiz Sayings

“Love all those that continue to believe in the little festival that could.”

Said promoter Danny Rogers while dropping the line-up for next year’s Laneway festival, which will be headlined by newly minted music superstar Chappell Roan. Listen closely, and you can hear the collective screams of her overjoyed fans…

An emissions target is set

The Squiz

The Albanese Government says Australia will commit to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 62-70% over the next decade, speeding up efforts to reach net zero emissions by 2050. That will be formally shared alongside other nations’ climate targets at a United Nations meeting in New York next week. It also comes days after a new climate risk assessment outlined some grim warnings for what could happen if we don’t put more effort into limiting climate change. Announcing the target and our new, longer-term plan to get to net zero yesterday, PM Anthony Albanese said it’s based on Climate Change Authority advice, describing it as the “world’s best practice”.

I need some background…

The first thing to know is that when the government says “cut our emissions”, the starting point is our 2005 levels, which were particularly high. In the 20 years since, we’ve cut our emissions by 27%, and based on our current commitments, we’re on track to cut them 51% by 2035. That means we’ll have to step it up to hit the new target… With that in mind, the Albanese Government also announced funding for a range of measures - including $2 billion for the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and $5 billion for a new Net Zero Fund within the National Reconstruction Fund to help industrial facilities decarbonise. Matt Kean, the Climate Change Authority Chair, says they did “extensive analysis” to arrive at the 62-70% target, and reckons “it is ambitious but it is absolutely feasible”.

And what’s the response been?

It’s a mixed bag… Innes Willox from the Australian Industry Group, the body representing local business, was on board - albeit slightly less confident about achieving the target, saying it won't be "straightforward". But several environmental groups/advocates said it should be more than 70% to have a chance of keeping global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Independent Senator David Pocock was one - he said it's "not ambitious enough to allow us to go to the world stage and to push big emitters … to do better". As for the Coalition, it won't support legislating the target. Leader Sussan Ley called it "unrealistic", and Nationals leader David Littleproud agreed, saying there wasn't enough detail about how we'll reach it. With the Coalition yet to announce its own net zero policy, we’re likely to hear more from them…

Sweet dreams are made of this

Sleep is the best, right? If you’re tossing and turning over picking a new mattress, Sleep Republic is a top choice for comfort and support. Recommended by CHOICE and backed by the Australian Spinal Research Foundation, their award-winning 'mattress-in-a-box' is all about comfort. Experience the Sleep Republic difference with a 100-night trial, and get ready to dream.

Squiz the Rest

A US talk show gets pulled off the air…

…because of recent comments by US comedian Jimmy Kimmel about the reaction to right-wing activist Charlie Kirk’s murder. On his show Jimmy Kimmel Live!, which airs on Disney-owned ABC, Kimmel said "The MAGA gang (is) desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them". That comment attracted the attention of Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr, who was appointed by US President Donald Trump - he accused Kimmel of intentionally spreading misinformation. That was followed by local television stations saying they'd pull his show, and soon after that, it was suspended indefinitely. It’s caused a storm in the US, with critics calling it an attack on free speech, but US President Donald Trump celebrated the suspension, saying he hopes Kimmel’s fellow late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers would be next.

A not so sub-tle Royal hint…

King Charles has taken the opportunity during his speech at a Windsor Castle state banquet held for US President Donald Trump to remind the guest of honour of the importance of the AUKUS security alliance. The defence pact between the US, UK and Oz is currently under review by the US, but the King lent his weight to it and reminded Trump of the history between their countries, saying it was the "closest defence, security and intelligence relationship ever known". He went on to say, "Our AUKUS submarine partnership, with Australia, sets the benchmark for innovative and vital collaboration". The outcome of America’s review of the deal is expected to be known within weeks, and with PM Albanese a chance to meet with Trump next week, it’ll no doubt be high on the agenda…

A $30 billion deal goes up in smoke

This is the bid for Oz gas giant Santos by a consortium out of Abu Dhabi, which would have been the biggest ever cash takeover in our history. The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), which is state-owned, announced in June that it wanted to buy Santos, which is the biggest natural gas supplier in Oz. The deal needed to be ticked off by our Foreign Investment Review Board and Treasurer Jim Chalmers, but before they got the chance, ADNOC pulled out. As for why, the foreign investment arm of ADNOC says that its due diligence had turned up things that led it to reconsider Santos' value. They haven't specified exactly what that was, but investors in Santos weren't thrilled - the company's share price dropped by almost 12% over the course of the day.

Close but no cigar…

…for a couple of our most exciting sprinting prospects at the World Athletics Champs in Tokyo last night, with both Gout Gout and Torrie Lewis missing out on the 200m final. 17yo Gout ran fourth in his semi with a time of 20.36, which wasn’t enough to see him through to the final - but he said he “couldn’t be prouder” of himself - he’s now going back to Australia to do his exams, which is a change of, um, pace… 20yo Lewis also ran fourth in her semi, and while her time of 22.69 also wasn’t quite enough, she said her 2 personal bests for the meet meant she was “happy with her championships” so far - she’s still got the women’s 4x100m relay to come. Also to come, a record 3 Aussies will run in the women’s 800m semi-finals tonight, and 2 in the women’s 5000m final tomorrow night. Go team…

A restaurant review for the ages

Going viral isn’t always a good thing, but it was a “wonderful experience” for North Dakota woman Marilyn Hagerty, who died at 99yo this week. You might remember Hagerty as the newspaper columnist who wrote a glowing review of a newly opened Olive Garden in her area - for reference, Olive Garden is a family Italian restaurant chain (sorta like Sizzler). Which is to say, not a place that usually gets the restaurant review treatment, but Hagerty took her task seriously, and her review went viral, with people both delighted by and ridiculing her efforts. But she took things in her stride, and her authentic review led to the attention of Anthony Bourdain, who published a book of her work. She was a beloved figure in her community following decades of writing, and her daughter Gail remembered her as a "journalist at heart". A local legend… 

Friday Lites - 3 things we liked this week

You know we love a bit of Fat Bear Week at the Squiz, and this year the competition is twice the size, with a mini-bracket this week of younger competitors called Fat Bear Week Junior before the main event gets underway next week. It’s the most wonderful time of the year…

We are Only Murders in the Building tragics, so we've been lapping up the fifth season of mysterious happenings in New York's 'little murder building', The Arconia. This time, Mabel, Oliver and Charles are investigating the untimely end of their beloved doorman - and the mafia's involved. Stream it on Disney+...

Sometimes we get a craving for retro comfort food, and these Old School Fish Cakes by Mike McEnearney are just the ticket. They're a good way to get those important Omega-3s in, and even fussy eaters will devour them. Serve with a big leafy salad and prepare to be asked for seconds…

Squiz the Day

Friday
9.00am (AEST) - A man who was sentenced to 21 months in prison for bringing a gun into the MCG is appealing his sentence - Melbourne

10.00am (AEST) - Bruce Lehrmann will appear in court over charges of stealing a car - Hobart

10.00am (AEST) - Former member for Kiama, Gareth Ward, will face a sentencing hearing after he was found guilty of sexually abusing 2 young men - Newcastle

11.00am (AEST) - Governor-General Sam Mostyn will hold a ceremonial welcome for King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipau’u of Tonga at Government House - Canberra

7.40pm (AEST) - Aussie rules: Geelong v Hawthorn in an AFL preliminary final at the MCG - Melbourne, watch on Channel 7 and Kayo

Talk Like a Pirate Day, supporting families affected by childhood cancer

Birthdays for British model Twiggy (1949) and late-night TV host Jimmy Fallon (1974)

Anniversary of:

  • New Zealand becoming the first country to grant all women the right to vote (1893)

  • the first documented use of emoticons by computer scientist Scott Fahlman (1982) :-)

  • the death of Slim Dusty (2003)

Saturday
Oktoberfest, the world’s largest folk (and beer) festival, begins in Munich (until 5 October) 

4.00am (AEST) - Rugby: Women's Rugby World Cup semi-final 1 - New Zealand v Canada - Bristol, UK, watch on Stan Sport

7.30am (AEST) - The Kokoda Challenge, a team endurance event based on the Kokoda Track, makes its debut in Sydney

8.00am (AEST) - Over the weekend, thousands of musicians aged 5-25yo from the Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide Youth Orchestras will turn the streets of their cities into concert venues in The Big Busk 

10.00am (AEST) - People in Melbourne, Brisbane and across the Pacific will protest for bolder climate action from world leaders and to Draw the Line at 1.5 degrees Celsius of global warming - Melbourne and Adelaide

2.30pm (AEST) - Rugby: NRLW finals kick off with Newcastle v Gold Coast at McDonald Jones Stadium - Newcastle, watch on Channel Nine and Kayo

5.15pm (AEST) - Aussie rules: Collingwood v Brisbane in an AFL preliminary final at the MCG - Melbourne, watch on Channel 7 and Kayo 

6.00pm (AEST) - Women's cricket: Game 3 in the ODI series between Australia and India (2 weeks before the Women’s ODI World Cup) - Delhi, India, watch on Kayo

7.50pm (AEST) - Rugby league: Raiders v Sharks in an NRL semi-final at GIO Stadium - Canberra, watch on Channel Nine or Kayo

Changes to Centrelink payments are set to come into effect

Birthdays for actor Sophia Loren (1934), A Game of Thrones author George RR Martin (1948), and musician Tim Rogers (1968)

Anniversary of:

  • the 'Battle of the Sexes' tennis showdown between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs (1973) 

  • Australian service in Timor-Leste (1999)

  • the release of Carly Rae Jepsen's single Call Me Maybe (2011)

  • Hurricane Maria, which resulted in 2,975 deaths in Puerto Rico (2017)

Sunday
Start of National Pain Week (until 27 September)

12.30am (AEST) - Rugby: France v England in the Women’s Rugby World Cup semi-final - Bristol, UK, watch on Stan Sport

4.05pm (AEST) - Rugby league: Panthers v Bulldogs in an NRL semi-final at Accor Stadium - Sydney, watch on Channel Nine or Kayo

8.00pm (AEST) - F1 - Azerbaijan GP race - Baku, Azerbaijan, watch on Kayo

Climate Week 2025 begins in New York City (until 28 Sep) - New York, US

Zero Emissions Day

National days for Armenia, Belize and Malta

Birthdays for author Stephen King (1947), actor Bill Murray (1950), former Aussie PM Kevin Rudd (1957), actor Billy Porter (1969), musician Liam Gallagher (1972), and reality TV personality Nicole Richie (1981)

Anniversary of:

  • the passing of a proclamation announcing the formal abolition of the French monarchy during the French Revolution (1792)

  • the publication of JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit (1937)

  • the publication of a genomic study finding Indigenous Australians are the oldest known civilisation on earth in Nature (2016)

Monday
04.00am (AEST) - A funeral and memorial service for assassinated conservative political activist Charlie Kirk will be held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, with US President Donald Trump among the notable figures expected to attend - Arizona, US