Friday, 6 December - Caught in a bad romance

December 06, 2024

Good morning, it’s Friday, 6 December. In your Squiz Today…

  • A manhunt for a Manhattan gunman

  • Another French PM resigns

  • And a recipe for cheesy baked pasta shells…

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Squiz the Weather

Squiz Sayings

"She doesn't look a day over 40."

Said one X user about the world’s oldest-known bird, an albatross named Wisdom. At around 74yo, biologists are hoping she’s about to become a new mother in 2025 after recently laying her first egg in 4 years. You know what they say - age is just a number…

Murder in Manhattan

The Squiz

There’s a mass manhunt underway after the boss of America’s largest health insurance company was gunned down in what police called a “brazen, targeted attack” on the streets of Manhattan. Brian Thompson, the 50yo UnitedHealthcare CEO, was shot as he walked along the pavement in front of the New York Hilton Midtown hotel where he was staying just before 7am Wednesday. The New York Police Department says it “does not appear to be a random act of violence”. Overnight on X, police posted photos of the suspect they’re after, and say they’ll use facial recognition technology to help find him.

What do they know?

Police are still piecing together what happened, but they say Thompson was visiting New York for a UnitedHealthcare Group investor conference he was due to speak at later that day. He was found unconscious in front of the hotel - and later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. As for the shooter, the city’s plethora of CCTV cameras have helped investigators establish a timeline… He was filmed at a Starbucks 30 minutes before the shooting, then standing across the road from the hotel as he waits for Thompson, and there’s even footage of him walking up and shooting the CEO from behind. He’s then seen riding a bike through Central Park - but that’s where the trail runs cold… 

What now?

Well, it’s hard to figure out a motive when police don’t know the shooter’s identity… Detectives are searching through Thompson’s personal phone, social media accounts and UnitedHealthcare files for any threats made against him. They’re also looking into disgruntled and recently fired employees - but with the company employing more than 396,000 people, that could take a while… In the meantime, those close to Thompson - who had been with the company for 20 years - have paid tribute. In a statement, UnitedHealthcare said the company is “deeply saddened and shocked” at the death of its “highly respected colleague and friend”. And his wife said she and the couple’s 2 sons are “shattered”, describing Thompson as “an incredibly loving, generous, talented man who truly lived life to the fullest and touched so many lives”.

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:

🍒 Cherries - You know it’s almost Christmas when these sweet, juicy beauties come to town...

⚪️ Lychees - With great growing conditions, the only thing left to ask is 'fruit salad, anyone?'

 🌽Sweet corn - BBQ sweet corn is a crowd pleaser. Insert chef's kiss...

Squiz the Rest

La France est dans le chaos

French President Emmanuel Macron is preparing to address the nation this morning after its minority government collapsed in the face of a no-confidence motion (aka a vote on whether the government is fit to continue in its role). It was triggered by right-wing Prime Minister Michel Barnier's attempt to push through a 2025 budget without a vote, uniting the left and far-right parties against him. Barnier's government lasted all of 3 months, with France joining fellow Euro economic power Germany (which has a confidence vote in their government due 16 December) in a state of political turmoil. Here's an explainer on what comes next… On a brighter note for the country, Notre Dame Cathedral - damaged by fire in 2019 - reopens tomorrow, which US President-elect Donald Trump is jetting over for. C’est la vie…

And while we’re on the topic of chaos in other countries, South Korea’s ruling party has blocked a move by the opposition party to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol after he dabbled in some short-lived martial law earlier in the week. 

Chris Dawson appeals another conviction           

Chris Dawson - the 76yo former teacher/rugby player convicted over the historical murder of his wife, Lynette Simms - is appealing another ruling… In 2023, he was convicted of having carnal knowledge of a 16yo schoolgirl - one of his students at the time. He was sentenced to 3 years in jail for that crime, on top of the 24 he was given for killing Lynette. Taking his non-parole period into account, 2041 is the earliest he can get out of prison - when he’s 93yo. Yesterday, his lawyer appeared in the Court of Criminal Appeal to ask for Dawson’s conviction over his unlawful relationship to be overturned - after unsuccessfully trying to appeal his murder conviction earlier this year. Put 31 March in your diary - that’s when the next hearing is pencilled in…

Love and meth

A Perth grandmother’s family confirmed yesterday that she’ll appeal a 6-year jail sentence for smuggling 2kg of methamphetamine into Japan. Donna Nelson said she's "extremely disappointed" by the decision because she reckons she was the victim of an online romance scam. The 58yo developed an online relationship with a man claiming to be part of the Nigerian fashion industry, and on her way to meet him in Japan, she was instructed to pick up a suitcase from an acquaintance in Laos. After bringing the case to Tokyo, she was arrested at the airport when customs officers found the drugs hidden inside a false bottom. The judges sentencing Nelson agreed that she'd been duped, but they said she should have known better. Any appeal might be a long shot - Japan's criminal justice system has a 99% conviction rate.

A stress Test for Aussie cricket

After getting belted first up, the Aussie men's cricket team will be under heavy scrutiny when the second of the 5-match series against India kicks off today. The comprehensive 295-run loss in the first test has had plenty of pundits questioning the form of some star players, especially batter Marnus Labuschagne - so a win under the lights (and with the special pink ball) in Adelaide will help the Aussies calm things down a bit. First-choice fast bowler Josh Hazlewood is out, replaced by 2021 cult hero Scott Boland (go on, watch him rip through England again…) and all-rounder Mitch Marsh is in a bit of doubt, but captain Pat Cummins confirmed he’d play yesterday. The men’s team will be looking to replicate the results of the Aussie women, who made short work of India in their first ODI in Brisbane last night. C’mon Aussie, c’mon…

Not rapt with Spotify Wrapped

The festival of judging other people’s music taste rolled out yesterday (a few days later than usual…) to a muted reception - some users were disappointed with what they called ‘bland visuals’ and the inclusion of AI features. If Australia shared its results on stories, it would go a bit like this: Taylor Swift was our most popular artist, beating out Drake and Zach Bryan, and the most popular Aussie artist was The Wiggles. Winning the podcast race was The Joe Rogan Experience (that’ll go down well with ABC Chair Kim Williams) and Spotify isn’t the only audio streamer releasing data - audiobook platform Audible says Liane Moriarty’s Here One Moment was the top Aussie audiobook of the year. But here’s our favourite factoid - Vance Joy’s 11yo hit Riptide is still Australia’s most-streamed song. Wonder if we're all still singing the words wrong…

Wanna be in the Saturday Squiz?

With several popular singalong movies hitting cinemas at the moment - Wicked and Moana 2 - the cinema etiquette debate has raised its head again. So we want to know…

What team are you?

Click to cast your vote and tell us an etiquette rule you're a stickler for. We'll share 3 responses in Saturday's newsletter.

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Friday Lites - 3 things we liked this week

If you’re anything like us, spinach and cheese dishes are the holy grail. And when you add pasta to the mix? Phew… That’s why these spinach ricotta stuffed shells hit the spot. They’re good with a side of salad greens or on their own - you can’t go wrong…

If you’re looking for an addition to your Summer reading list, the NY Times is here for you with their 10 best books of 2024. Dolly Alderton’s Good Material & Percival Everett’s James both cracked it - here’s the full list (paywall), and for non-subscribers, here’s another good list…

British comedian Chris McCausland and his Aussie pro dancer partner Dianne Buswell have almost made the final of the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing - which would not be especially remarkable if it wasn’t for the fact he’s the first-ever blind contestant - this routine especially is a cracking watch.

Squiz the Day

Friday
6.00am (AEDT) - French President Emmanuel Macron will make a national address following the resignation of PM Michel Barnier after just 90 days in government - Paris

9.00am (AEDT) - The Fair Work Commission will hear Woolworths’ application for a bargaining order over their warehouse workers’ strike - Melbourne 

9.00am (AEDT) - The NSW parliamentary inquiry into PFAS contamination in waterways and drinking water will begin public hearings - Sydney

2.30pm (ACDT) - Men's Cricket: Second Test - Aus v India (until 10 December) - Adelaide, and watch on Kayo

5.00pm (AEDT) - Beerfest (until 7 December) - Sydney

Former UK PM Boris Johnson will speak at the launch/long lunch for his memoir Unleashed - Sydney

ABS Data Release - Labour Account, September 

Finland's Independence Day

Armed Forces Day in Ukraine

Saint Nicholas Day in Western Christian countries

Anniversary of:

  • the ratification of the 13th Amendment of the United States Constitution abolishing slavery (1865)

  • the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty that created Northern Ireland (1921)

  • the bloody water polo match between the USSR and Hungary at the Melbourne Olympics (1956)

Saturday
5.55pm (AEDT) - Women's Rugby Sevens: Australia v Brazil - Cape Town, and watch on Stan Sport

7.00pm (AEDT) - Men's Rugby Sevens: Australia v Kenya - Cape Town, and watch on Stan Sport

7.45pm (AEDT) - Women’s soccer: Matildas v Taiwan in the second of 2 friendlies - Geelong, and watch on 10 Play

Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras AGM

Notre Dame Cathedral reopens to the public - Paris

Ghana general elections

Mulletfest Grand final - Hunter Valley

Crate Day in New Zealand 

Anniversary of:

  • the deaths of Roman statesman and philosopher Cicero (43BC) and British naval officer William Bligh (1817)

  • the attack on the US Naval Base in Pearl Harbor by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (1941)

  • the premiere of the first Star Trek movie (1979)

Sunday
12.35am & 2.30am (AEDT) - Women's Rugby Sevens: Australia v Brazil - Cape Town, and watch on Stan Sport

10.45am (AEST) - Women's Cricket Second ODI: Australia v India - Brisbane, and watch on Kayo 

Romania presidential election: round 2 of 2

World Wide Candle Lighting

Bodhi Day

🍫 Brownie Day

A birthday for Nicki Minaj (1982)

Anniversary of:

  • the birthdays of Mary, Queen of Scots (1542), singer/actor Sammy Davis Jr (1925), and rocker Jim Morrison (1943)

  • John Lennon’s death (1980)

  • SpaceX becoming the first private company to successfully launch, orbit and recover a spacecraft, after the second launch of the SpaceX Dragon (2010)

Monday
12.00am (AEDT) - Motorsport: F1, Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Abu Dhabi, UAE, and watch on Kayo