Monday, 8 December - He’s going the distance

Good morning, it’s Monday, 8 December. In your Squiz Today…

• It’s a big week for the government’s social media ban for under-16s

• Parts of NSW have been declared natural disaster areas after huge bushfires destroyed homes

• And Lando Norris is crowned this year’s F1 Drivers’ Champion…

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Squiz the Weather

Squiz Sayings

Said cooking/homemaking expert Martha Stewart, who let it be known in a podcast interview she’d like to be buried in the same way as her horses - wrapped simply in a white linen sheet. Stylish and organic to the end…

Ready, set, ban…

The Squiz

As Communications Minister Anika Wells preps for our social media ban for under-16s to come into effect, her critics are coming for her over travel costs. Yesterday, PM Anthony Albanese provided some cover, saying his office approved travel changes that ended up costing nearly $95,000 in flights. But Coalition leader Sussan Ley reckons Wells “needs to step up and explain why she thinks it’s OK to sting the taxpayer for $100,000 for airfares to New York”. 

What’s the problem for Wells?

She’s been facing ‘please explains’ over her travel bill to the US in September to coincide with the UN General Assembly to connect with influential policymakers on the social media ban - the cost of which was revealed during Senate estimates last week… Albanese says she was “doing her job as the communications minister who is in charge of this world-leading legislation”. But the cost of business-class flights to/from New York for Wells and 2 staffers has raised eyebrows, as did some other travel expenses, including a visit to Adelaide that coincided with a friend’s birthday, her dining bill during the Paris Olympics, and a family trip to Thredbo… For her part, Wells has repeatedly said that she followed rules for travel “on all of the occasions”. Still, it’s stolen some of the spotlight from the social media ban rollout.

So is the ban on track?

It’s ready to go, but there’s likely to be issues with its implementation, as critics have been warning for months. The social media companies maintain that it’s difficult to verify someone’s age/enforce the ban, with some teens already finding workarounds… The Coalition says that despite supporting the policy (they did suggest it first, after all…), they have “no confidence” it will work. But analysts say that the Albanese Government has widespread support, particularly from the key stakeholders: parents who are happy for some tech trial and error if it keeps their kids off social media. Whether or not they’ll feel the same as they enter the thunderdome of school holidays is another thing…

A fix for an overstuffed suitcase

If you’re anything like us, packing for the holidays means a bulging suitcase... Brisbane brand Simplify Living has created vacuum travel bags that compress without any equipment - just roll the air out and watch your stack halve in size, meaning you can travel without the bulk. Once you see how much space you save, it changes how you think about packing... Find out more here.

Squiz the Rest

A destructive start to bushfire season

NSW Premier Chris Minns has declared 6 local government areas in the state to be natural disaster areas after bushfires destroyed 16 homes on the Central Coast and another 4 on the Mid North Coast on Saturday. Fire crews were still battling around 75 bushfires yesterday, despite a steep drop in temperature from Saturday’s highs of +40Cs... The danger wasn’t confined to NSW - at least 19 homes were burnt in Dolphin Sands on Tasmania’s east coast last Thursday, and residents were urged to evacuate in parts of Victoria on the same day. More broadly, there’s ongoing concern about a hot summer ahead. Back from his honeymoon, PM Anthony Albanese said it was fortunate no lives had been lost, and he warned we’re in for a “difficult” bushfire season. 

More talks on Ukraine…

While Russia pummelled Ukraine with more than 650 drones and 51 missiles on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he’s “determined” to continue working with the US to try to bring about peace in his country. The Ukrainian leader said he had a “very constructive” phone call with the 'peace deal guys' - US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. They talked about how to make sure Russia sticks to any deal made. On that, Trump's guys also met with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week in Moscow, and while a deal remains elusive, Russia says Trump’s latest National Security Strategy is “largely consistent” with its vision. The document hasn’t been as well received by the EU though, which argues its soft approach to Russia could weaken efforts to end the war.   

A major Hollywood plot twist

Netflix, the streaming platform that changed the face of entertainment by letting us watch movies and TV on demand from our own couch, is shaking things up again. Last Friday, it entered an agreement to buy Warner Bros Discovery’s film studio and its streaming service HBO in a board-approved deal that out-muscled rival studio Paramount. The $109 billion deal has to be approved by competition regulators (which could take a year…), but if it goes ahead, it stands to give Netflix immense power in Tinseltown - and that’s got a lot of industry players worried about the future of cinemas. But Netflix's Co-chief Executive Ted Sarandos says the company is "saving Hollywood", which is competing for attention against YouTube, TikTok and other streamers. He says when people have so many choices on how to spend their time, “we can’t stand still”. 

A thrilling Formula One finish…

British racer Lando Norris has won his first F1 Drivers’ Championship with a podium finish in this morning's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the last race of the season. The 26yo clinched the victory on points, even though he came third behind Dutchman Max Verstappen and Aussie McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri. The rivalry between the McLaren 'papaya' drivers was one of the talking points of the season, and Norris paid tribute to his 24yo teammate, saying: "At some point he's going to get the better of me because he's an incredible driver"... It was better news for our Aussie cricketers, who took a 2-0 lead over England in the Ashes series last night at the Gabba. The locals closed out the Brisbane Test with an 8-wicket win thanks to the batting of Steve Smith. Next up, it’s Test 3 in Adelaide from 17 December…

When in Rome…

It’s not hard to have a smile on your dial in the Eternal City, and that’s where this year’s Christmas card photo of King Charles and Queen Camilla was taken, on a trip to mark their 20th wedding anniversary. Also described by some royal watchers as fit for a Christmas card is a new festive photo shared by Kate and Wills - their card will be out for plebs like us to scrutinise a bit closer to Christmas… It might be a Royal tradition to send cards, but the BBC reports that on the whole, volumes are going down. That’s in keeping with last year’s numbers, which showed that card sales fell by 23% due to the high price of stamps. In their place, people are opting to send digital holiday greetings via email or a message like “Merry Xmas/HNY🧑‍🎄)... So personal/endearing…

Apropos of Nothing - Of the year edition

Move over, mocha mousse; Pantone’s Colour of the Year has gone from 2025’s neutral brown hue to an even more neutral white for 2026. ‘Cloud Dancer’ is its name, described as a “calming influence in a frenetic society” that’s “associated with new beginnings”. And don’t we all need a bit of that… 

We here at Squiz HQ have been fans of The Rest Is History, the podcast that dives into (you guessed it…) notable moments, so we weren’t surprised that it’s just been crowned Apple Podcasts’ Show of the Year. The kids will love it on your 5-hour Chrissy road trip… 

And you’ve probably noticed that we’re keeping tabs on the annual round-ups for 2025… The latest instalment: The Atlantic’s top 25 news photos for the year. They’ll catch you up on the big news moments you might have forgotten…

Squiz the Day

7.30am (AEDT) - The Reserve Bank will begin its 2-day monetary policy board meeting ahead of an announcement on interest rates tomorrow - Sydney 

8.45am (AEDT) - Parliamentary hearings are set to begin into Victoria’s early childhood education and care sector - Melbourne

9.00am (AEDT) - An international symposium on adults living with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy will be held - Sydney

9.15am (AWST) - The findings of an inquest into the death of Indigenous teenager Cleveland Dodd who died in an adult prison will be delivered - Perth

10.00am (AEDT) - A plea is expected to be entered in the case of Nant whisky founder Keith Batt, charged with 736 offences including fraud and stealing - Hobart

6.00pm (AEDT) - Tennis Australia’s Newcombe Medal awards night - Melbourne

Bodhi Day - commemorating the day Buddha attained enlightenment under a Bodhi tree

🍫 Brownie Day - here’s a Jamie Oliver version we swear by…

A birthday for Nicki Minaj (1982)

Anniversary of:

• the birthdays of Mary, Queen of Scots (1542), singer/actor Sammy Davis Jr (1925), and the Doors frontman 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)

Tuesday
12.15am (AEDT) - Nominations for the Golden Globe Awards will be announced