Friday, 29 May - One potato, two potatoes

May 29, 2026

Good morning, it’s Friday, 29 May. In your Squiz Today…

  • The Commonwealth launches a massive lawsuit over forever chemicals

  • A surprise result in the men’s singles at the French Open

  • And the ice hockey phenomenon goes musical…

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

Squiz the Weather

Squiz Sayings

“Anna Wintour better sleep with one eye open.”

Said one fan about Scottish singer Susan Boyle’s recent glow-up. She’s treated fans to some fresh pics on Insta showing her back in the recording studio with quite the makeover - Wintour-esque hair and sunnies included…

A cleanup clash

The Squiz

In the largest legal claim ever brought by the Commonwealth, the federal government is suing a manufacturing giant for $2 billion in damages over the PFAS chemicals in its firefighting foam. Attorney-General Michelle Rowland says the company, 3M, withheld lab test results showing adverse effects from the chemicals, leading to the contamination of 28 defence bases across the country and causing “economic and environmental harms”. The lawsuit is to recover the costs to Defence - and taxpayers - of investigating and cleaning up the sites, as well as compensating people who were affected. But 3M is gearing up for a fight in court - it says the government kept using the foam for years after it stopped selling it…

Remind me about PFAS…

You might’ve heard them called ‘forever chemicals’ - they’re a group of around 15,000 lab-made chemicals that are known for their ability to resist heat, grease and stains. And while they’re not used in firefighting foams anymore, they are in everyday products such as outdoor gear, non-stick cookware, cosmetics, and even contact lenses. The downside is that they don’t break down naturally - instead, they build up in the environment, as well as inside human and animal bodies, and in high concentrations, they’ve been linked to some cancers, infertility and low birth weights. Here’s our Shortcut to them for more info… 3M has faced several lawsuits worldwide over PFAS contamination, but this is the first major one in Oz.

So this is big…

Yep, and it has a long history… PFAS firefighting foams - like the one produced by 3M - were used at Defence bases since the 1970s because they were handy for putting out liquid fuel fires. Claims over their toxicity began surfacing here in the early 2000s, and the foams were phased out between 2003 and 2012. The government has since spent $1.3 billion to investigate and clean up the bases, including $408 million to settle lawsuits over the contamination of homes, land and waterways around them. As for 3M, it says Defence kept using the foam after it stopped selling it 2 decades ago, but the government says it wasn’t told that the product was toxic. We don’t have any dates yet, but the case will be heard in the federal court…

Winter fabrics fixed…

Merino wool and cashmere sound fab - until your jumper pills or loses its shape by lunchtime. Australian brand Paire has gone back to the fibre itself, changing how it’s made so your garment breathes better, holds its shape, and feels lighter than you'd expect. The AW26 collection is available now.

Squiz the Rest

A deal on the table

There are reports this morning that the US and Iran have reached a deal to extend the ceasefire between the 2 countries - but it still needs signoff from US President Donald Trump. As we mentioned at the start of the week, the deal is called a Memorandum of Understanding - and it would involve opening the Strait of Hormuz, lifting a US blockade on Iranian ports, and beginning a 60-day negotiation period on Iran’s nuclear program. The goal there: the US wants Iran to hand over its stockpile of enriched uranium, and prevent it from ever having a nuclear weapon. Sources quoted in this morning’s reports have all been clear that this deal going ahead is down to Trump - and it’s no sure thing, so that’s a watch today…

Terrorism charges for an ‘ISIS bride’

Police arrested 34yo Rayann El Houli in Melbourne yesterday and have charged her with entering and remaining in a declared conflict zone, and being a member of a terrorist organisation. Both carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Police say El Houli returned to Oz last year from Lebanon, but she had previously been detained in a Syrian refugee camp along with other members of the group known as the ‘ISIS brides’. She’s currently in custody - with her lawyer saying she plans to apply for bail. This follows the return of 2 groups of women and children from another Syrian camp earlier this week - none of them were arrested, but they remain under investigation.

Getting antsy at Aunty

The national broadcaster named a new director of news yesterday, with Reuters news exec Simon Robinson getting the nod. He’ll replace Justin Stevens, who resigned on Wednesday following 4 years leading what he described as the most “complex news organisation” in the country. The ABC’s new(ish) Managing Director Hugh Marks was queried about the sudden nature of Stevens’ departure at Senate Estimates yesterday and whether he’d asked for him to step down. He denied that, but said he had known Stevens was “potentially leaving” for months. It means the ABC has appointed a new Chair (Kim Williams), MD (Marks) and News Director - all in the space of just over 2 years… 

Winners ain’t Sinners

There’s been a monumental upset at the French Open, with world #1 and heavy favourite Jannik Sinner knocked out of the men’s singles in the second round. As we mentioned yesterday, Europe is currently going through a heatwave - and Sinner was one game away from wrapping up an easy 3-set victory overnight when he was hit with cramping and dehydration. His opponent, Argentinian Juan Manuel Cerundolo, then won 18 of the next 20 games to take the win. Sinner and Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz have won the last 9 majors between them, but Alcaraz is injured and isn’t playing this tournament - so Novak Djokovic now has a big chance to win his 25th Grand Slam title. No such upsets in the women’s State of Origin last night, though - NSW won Game 3 to sweep the series 3-0.

I should be so puck-y

With the National Hockey League’s Stanley Cup finals underway and the hockey-themed series Off Campus a hit on Prime Video, ice hockey is everywhere - including the theatre. There’s a musical parody of the sexy ice hockey show Heated Rivalry playing in New York at the moment - if you’re unfamiliar with the show, it’s the story of 2 male ice hockey players from opposing teams who develop a secret romance - and it’s been enormously popular. So popular that it’s getting the musical treatment - putting it in the same league as Titanic and, uh, Raygun… Apparently, it’s a lot of fun - you can read one of the reviews here. Sadly, a ticket for us here in Oz will also involve a return airfare to New York, but if it’s a hit, maybe it’ll make its way Down Under…

Friday Lites - 3 things we liked this week

We’ve been loving the Emmy-winning show Hacks, which follows the relationship between an aging comedian and the Gen Z writer hired to freshen up her act. HBO Max confirmed Season 5 will be the last, and the final episode is likely to be as tear-jerking as it is funny. You can watch it on Stan from 12pm AEST.

We also barrelled through the most recent crime novel from Irish author Dervla McTiernan, who currently lives in Perth. It’s called The Unquiet Grave, and it features her regular knack for great twists and unsettling villains… 

Tomorrow is International Day of Potato, which, let’s be real, is every day at The Squiz… In its honour, we’re recommending this delicious potato pizza. Garlic, olive oil, mixed herbs, and potatoes - what’s not to love…

Squiz the Day

Friday

12.30pm (AEST) - James Valentine memorial radio show live from Town Hall - Sydney

3.00pm (AEST) - The 65th Federal Council of the Liberal Party of Australia, where former PM Tony Abbott's appointment as the next federal Liberal Party president is expected to be confirmed (until 30 May) - Melbourne

ABS data release: Deaths due to acute respiratory infections in Australia, April 2026; Provisional mortality statistics, January - February 2026

Birthdays for Oasis singer Noel Gallagher (1967), Aussie radio announcer and TV personality Myf Warhurst (1973), Spice Girl Mel B (1975) and actor Laverne Cox (1972)

Anniversary of:

  • the birthday of former US President John F Kennedy (1917)

  • Bing Crosby recording White Christmas, which would become the world's best-selling single with over 100 million copies sold (1942)

  • Kiwi mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay becoming the first people confirmed to reach the summit of Mount Everest (1953)

  • Space Shuttle Discovery completing the first docking with the International Space Station (1999)

  • Western Oz Premier Mark McGowan resigning after more than 6 years in the top job (2023)

  • David Koch announcing his resignation from Channel 7's Sunrise show after 21 years of 3am starts (2023)

Saturday

11.00am (AEST) - Memorial service and paddle out for Shane Stedman, the first major seller of Ugg boots in Australia (and you can learn more about his legacy in our Shortcut) - Crescent Head  

9.20pm (AEST) - Cricket: First One-Day International of 3-match series Pakistan v Australia, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium - Pakistan, watch on Kayo 

Malta Parliamentary election

NSW Dolphin Census -  a collaboration between Dolphin Research Australia and NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to create a statewide snapshot of where dolphins are found and what habitat they use

🥔International Day of Potato… AKA every day at the Squiz 

Birthdays for Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello (1964), singer and actor Idina Menzel (1971) and rapper Cee-Lo Green (1974)

Anniversary of:

  • Joan of Arc being burned at the stake in France after being condemned as a heretic (1431)

  • the publication of Gabriel García Márquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude (1967)

  • then-Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson’s divorce (1996)

  • Elizabeth Holmes beginning her 11-year prison sentence after she defrauded investors with her once high-flying blood-testing company Theranos (2023)

Sunday

2.00am (AEST) - Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal, Puskás Aréna - Budapest, watch on 9Now 

12.00pm (AEST) - Football: International friendly between Australia and Mexico, Rose Bowl Stadium - Pasadena, watch on 10Play

Colombian presidential election 

Birthdays for actor and director Clint Eastwood (1930), actor Brooke Shields (1965) and actor Colin Farrell (1976)

Anniversary of:

  • explorers Lawson, Blaxland and Wentworth marking the end of a route across the Blue Mountains, allowing colonial expansion into Western NSW (1813)

  • the world’s oldest bride Minnie Munro (102yo) marrying Dudley Reid (83yo) in Point Clare, NSW (1991)

  • Psy’s Gangnam Style becoming the first video to reach 2 billion views on YouTube (2014)

  • the Australia and UK Free Trade Agreement commencing (2023)