Monday, 21 July - Nobody said it was easy

Good morning, it’s Monday, 21 July. In your Squiz Today…

• Trump launches legal action against the Murdoch press

• Tassie’s back in political limbo

• And the King’s blooming serious hobby… 🌹

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Squiz the Weather

Squiz Sayings

Tech company Astronomer wrote in a statement after Byron, the firm’s CEO, and his coworker Kristen Cabot were outed in an affair by kiss cam at a Coldplay concert. The scandal went viral, and there’s no joy to be had in the fallout - except for in the memes…

Trump v the media

The Squiz

US President Donald Trump is suing the Wall Street Journal (aka the WSJ) for defamation and is seeking damages to the tune of more than $15 billion. It’s over a story claiming he’d written a “bawdy” note to Jeffrey Epstein - one of his associates - for his 50th birthday in 2003, but Trump denies that and he’s called it a fake. The publisher says it “will vigorously defend” the lawsuit. Regardless, Trump’s called out Rupert Murdoch - owner of the WSJ - saying “I hope Rupert and his ‘friends’ are looking forward to the many hours of depositions and testimonies they will have to provide in this case”.

I thought Trump and Murdoch were friendly…?

Well, the Australian-US media mogul is the owner of Fox News - the network generally seen as pro-Trump, so you’re not wrong, but reports say they’ve been “on again, off again” in recent times… They were together only a week ago at the FIFA World Cup, but things have since soured with the release of the WSJ article. And far from being a piece that might have slipped through the cracks at the publication, some analysts have pointed out the WSJ’s other criticisms of Trump’s second term, and they reckon it could be part of Murdoch’s shifting stance on the President. It’s also added to growing pressure on Trump, including from his own party/supporters, to release documents related to Epstein. Over the weekend, he said he’s told the Justice Department to do just that…

And what’s this got to do with Stephen Colbert? 

He’s been in the headlines over the weekend after his popular television program - The Late Show - was cancelled by CBS. The network said the move was “a purely financial decision”, but there have been questions about whether it’s political… Colbert has drawn the ire of the President over the years with his anti-Trump monologues, and some say CBS - which is on the cusp of a merger that would see a Trump ally put in charge - might be clearing the way for a smooth deal. Industry insiders say it’s a sign of a changing media landscape in the US under the second Trump administration, which is something Colbert and his comedy colleagues have hit out at. The Late Show isn’t leaving the air until May 2026, so he’ll probably have more to say before then…

Meet Marg…

What happens when you’re older, love your independence, but can no longer drive? For 82yo Marg Griffin, losing her sight to macular degeneration meant getting creative. That's where Uber's Simple mode and Senior Accounts come into play - designed with features like larger text and simplified screens. Marg's got strong opinions about how she wants to get around, and only lets her husband take the wheel on special occasions… You go, girl… Discover how Uber helps her do life on her own terms here.

Squiz the Rest

Coming full circle

After months of political uncertainty, Tasmania remains in limbo following Saturday’s state election. The result’s TBD but it’s likely to be a hung parliament, which means they’re back where they started… Liberal leader Jeremy Rockliff has all but claimed victory - he’s ready to ask the Governor to recommission his government, but he’s got some deals to do with crossbenchers before it’s in the bag. And the vote count was a bit of a shock for Labor, which recorded its worst result in more than 100 years... Its leader Dean Winter hasn’t conceded defeat yet - he’s leaving the door open to “collaborate” with the crossbench while ruling out doing deals with the Greens. With postal votes still to be counted, it could be another couple of weeks before the final result is known.

And while we have you… This morning’s Newspoll confirms Aussies aren’t ready to make friends with the Coalition. Their 29% primary vote is the worst result in 40 years. The new parliamentary term kicks off tomorrow - what a ‘welcome back to Canberra’ present… 

Fighting has continued in southern Syria

That’s despite an “immediate ceasefire” being declared in the Suweida Province by the Syrian Government following a week of violence between the minority Druze community and Bedouin tribes. We mentioned the conflict - in which hundreds of people have died - last week after Israel got involved in support of the Druze by striking Syrian military targets in the capital of Damascus. Since then, the US-brokered ceasefire was announced by Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa but reports say the fighting hasn’t stopped, even though checkpoints have been set up to prevent more people from joining in… And while we’re on ceasefires, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is pushing for peace talks with Russia to get back on track after they stalled in June - he’s calling for a meeting with officials next week.

Something so strong

In a freak accident in New York, a man died last week after he was pulled into an MRI machine by a large chain necklace he was wearing. Reports say the 61yo walked into an MRI room at a clinic on Long Island while a scan was being done on his wife, and the strong magnetic pull of the machine sucked him in. Police say he suffered a "medical episode" which left him hospitalised in a critical condition, and he later died. MRI stands for Magnetic Resonance Imaging - the machines use strong magnetic fields and radio waves to create detailed images of the inside of the body. But those same forces can have a powerful pull on iron, steel and other magnetic objects - that's why patients are told to take off all metal and electrical objects before being scanned. The man was wearing a 9kg chain for weight training when he entered the room, and police say he wasn't authorised to go in.

Down but not out against the Lions

It was a tough night at the office for the Wallabies in their first test match against the touring British and Irish Lions side on Saturday. The Lions continued their undefeated run in Oz, getting the better of our national men’s rugby union team 27-19 in front of a sell-out crowd of 52,000 at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium. We mentioned last week that the tour’s a big deal for rugby fans - here’s everything you need to know about it if you are one/have one in your house… The match was the first of 3 tests the 2 sides will play against each other, and Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt said while the home team lost, they had a lot to be proud of. “We fought our way back into the game and got very close”, he said, adding that it was a good sign for their next clash at the MCG on Saturday. 

Taking gardening blooming seriously…

King Charles is known for being a green thumb, but a report in The Sunday Times says he's been more than a little picky when dealing with staff tending to the gardens at his main home, Highgrove estate. The report says the King has been micro-managing staff - down to supervising the size of peaches and the colour of roses - resulting in a lack of morale and the loss of all but one of his 12 gardeners. After a complaint in 2023, an investigation found evidence of "poor management" and recommended a pay review for workers, but the report says the less-than-rosy work environment continued. Highgrove’s award-winning gardens are one of the King’s passions, and although the estate was meant to be passed to Prince William when he became the monarch, he’s signed a special lease to hold onto it until he’s 92 - so there’s time yet to turn over a new leaf.

Apropos of Nothing

It’s not safe to swim in without a suit for 8 months of the year, but Whitehaven Beach, on Queensland’s Whitsunday Island, has still been voted best in the world. Its pure white sand and turquoise waters are drawcards, but its stinging marine life is less so. Can’t have it all…

The US President has waded into the sticky issue of sweeteners, convincing Coca-Cola execs to swap out corn syrup for cane sugar. It’s news to the tastebuds of those who have long preferred Mexican cola (with cane sugar) over the US brand - they reckon it’s a real sweet move…

If the thought of dressing up for a night out clubbing has you feeling tired, might we suggest a 9am dance party? They’ve taken off in Sydney over the last year, with a couple of mates who dreamt them up saying they’re an alternative to the 5am run club trend. Sign us up…

Squiz the Day

School goes back for Term 3 in South Oz, Victoria, Tasmania & WA 

10.00am (AEST) - Cricket: West Indies v Australia in the first men’s T20I - Jamaica, watch on Kayo

4.30pm (AEST) - Last Post ceremony at the Australian War Memorial ahead of the resumption of federal parliament - Canberra

World Heritage Committee meeting begins (on until 31 July) - India 

Belgium's National Day 

National Lamington Day

Anniversary of:

• the birthdays of Ernest Hemingway (1899) and Robin Williams (1951)

• the creation of Central Park in New York (1853)

• Sirimavo Bandaranaike becoming the world’s first non-hereditary female head of government in modern history as PM of Ceylon aka Sri Lanka (1960)

• the release of Guns N’ Roses’ debut album Appetite for Destruction. It became the bestselling debut album of all time (1987)