Thursday, 2 July - You can do whatever you feel

Good morning, it’s Thursday, 2 July. In your Squiz Today…

• The US government lifts restrictions on some powerful AI models

• Karl Stefanovic defends his controversial podcast

• And the weird stuff Aussies leave behind in Ubers… 🐶

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

Squiz the Weather

Squiz Sayings

Said 20yo Aussie tennis player Maya Joint after sending Serena Williams packing from the Wimbledon singles draw after a 3-set victory. On ya Maya - she next faces Alexandra Eala tonight… Catch it on 9Now or Stan Sports.

Anthropic turns the tech back on

The Squiz

Public access to the artificial intelligence company’s most powerful models, Mythos and Fable, ix expected to be restored from today, after the US Government agreed to lift restrictions on foreign users. The 2 models have been in the news a bit lately, particularly after the Trump administration blocked access to them on national security grounds last month… US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Anthropic has agreed to “proactively detect and address security risks associated ​with the models” and added that the government has the right to reverse the decision if that doesn’t happen.

Backspace backspace backspace…

For context, the 2 models are in Anthropic’s Claude family - they’re rivals to Open AI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. But when Mythos was created, the company knew it was incredibly smart - it was so good at hacking and finding weaknesses in software that they limited access to a handful of ‘trusted’ companies like Google and Microsoft so they could fix holes in their systems. They called the consumer version Fable 5 and put strict safety filters in place. It was launched on 9 June, but 3 days later, the US Government issued an urgent national security order, banning foreign citizens from using either model, saying that in the wrong hands, the tech could be put to malicious use. Anthropic turned them off globally - but now those restrictions have been lifted.

So what now?

Anthropic says the US Government was concerned about users being able to “jailbreak” Fable by getting past its safety features, meaning it was still a risk. They say that’s been fixed, but the use of Mythos will stay restricted to US businesses and government agencies. Fable, which is capable of deep reasoning and complex tasks, will be available for general use. Before that, the tech was partially released on Friday to around 100 companies to vet for safety. The US Government had a say in who got to test them, which has drawn some criticism, including from OpenAI boss Sam Altman, who said testing “is not a bad idea. I just ​don’t like the ‌idea of the government ​picking the ​customers”. OpenAI has also had to test its upcoming advanced model with government-approved companies, something it says should not become the default.

Where curious minds gather...

If who/what/when/where and why are questions you often ask, Festival of Dangerous Ideas might be your kind of event... Returning this August it’ll bring together more than 120 thinkers, artists and provocateurs for 10 days of talks, films, art and excursions across Sydney. This is a chance to see topics from a different perspective, question assumptions, and explore the ideas shaping the world around us. Tickets are on sale now.

Squiz the Rest

More meetings in the Middle East

Delegations from the US and Iran have met with Qatari mediators for separate talks, to move along a permanent agreement for peace. Instead of meeting directly, they left US envoys Steve Witkoff and US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner to talk with Qatar’s PM in Doha yesterday. The US says the meeting went well, but tbh, things might’ve been tense if they did meet in person, after reports that senior Iranian clerics called for the assassination of Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu… Also doing the rounds is a report that Iran and the US-allied Gulf state of Oman have delivered a proposal to the US on the future of the Strait of Hormuz which involves shipping companies paying a service fee to use the channel. The US has repeatedly said the Strait is to remain free, with Trump calling any toll “unacceptable”.

Things are heating up for America’s 250th

It’s not everyday you celebrate a semiquincentennial - that’s the official term for turning 250 in case you want to drop it into conversation this weekend - so 4 July in the United States is promising to be a big one… You might’ve clocked some preparations going on in the lead-up - but with a heap of outdoor rallies, concerts and block parties planned, authorities are concerned about dangerously hot conditions forecast for a large swathe of the country. Around 120 million people are currently under an extreme heat warning from the East Coast to the central states, and temps aren’t expected to let up ahead of the Independence Day festivities. Spare a thought for the FIFA World Cup players travelling around North America - this year’s comp is on track to be the hottest ever.

Karl Stefanovic gets a permanent long weekend…

…after reports that the former Today host’s new weekly ARN show with Eddie McGuire, would be a one-man band from here. Stefanovic was absent for last week’s show after his interview with British far-right figure Tommy Robinson, but was set to return to spill the beans. And now we’ve heard from Karl… Yesterday he dropped another episode of his pod with British journalist Piers Morgan, who was also forced to leave his UK brekky TV show back in 2021. Stefanovic defended freedom of speech and what he called his “legitimate interview" with Robinson, and said he was planning to leave Nine at the end of the year. Rumours are now swirling that Karl and Kyle Sandilands are teaming up (paywall) for their own show… Well, you know what they say - the enemy of my enemy is my friend…

Money, money, moneyyyy

There are a lotta dollars in sports broadcasting rights - and insiders reckon we’re on the cusp of learning which network (or networks…) will bag the lucrative deal to show live rugby league matches on telly over the next few years. As things stand, Channel 9 and Foxtel (owned by Dazn) share the rights - there has to be a free-to-air element of any deal because of anti-siphoning laws (similar setups exist with cricket and AFL, which are split between Seven and Foxtel). Reports say the NRL boss Peter V’landys is poised to sign on the dotted line with Nine and Foxtel again, in a deal worth $5.3 billion over the next 7 years, which would make it the richest sports broadcast contract in Oz history.

I still haven’t found what I’m looking for

What do the following items have in common… a taxidermied mink, two (living) pugs, a Looney Tunes snow globe, a framed photo of Bluey, a quokka plushie and 3kg of goat meat? They’re all on the list of the weirdest items Aussies have left behind in Ubers over the last year. (Poor dogs!). We’ve all been there - you’re running late, and suddenly hours later you realise… Damn I left my French horn/microwave/Rolex behind… Sydney came out on top as the most forgetful city, and apparently Saturday is the most forgetful day of the week - with a spike in lost property around Anzac Day. Uber says if you’ve left your dog, drone or DJ decks behind, you can track them down in the help section of its app - just look for the ‘Find lost item’ button.

Apropos of Nothing

The nation’s top brass braved the cold, got all dolled up and let their hair down for the Midwinter ball last night. It’s been described as ‘Canberra’s annual Met Gala…’ or the end of term school formal before the capital clears out for Parliament’s Winter break…

You might not know the name Victor Willis, but I bet you’ve boogied to some of his biggest hits. The Village People frontman has died aged 74 - we reckon YMCA and In The Navy will be blasted on dancefloors around the world in his honour tonight…

Two masked people have climbed to the top of New York’s Empire State Building (which is 443 metres tall FYI), and appeared to get engaged. The NYPD says they’re now in custody, so let’s hope they thought the photos were worth it…

Squiz the Day

11.30am (AEST) - CEDA NSW Energy Outlook conference, NSW Minister for Climate Change Penny Sharpe is the keynote speaker - Sydney 

12.30pm (AEST) - Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy to deliver an address to the National Press Club on  “Progressive Patriotism: A Labor approach to defence capability, defence industry and reform” - Canberra 

7.45pm (AEST) - Rugby league: NRLW opening round match between Cronulla Sharks and Newcastle Knights - Sydney, watch on 9Now 

ABS data release: international trade in goods, May 2026

Algerian parliamentary election

World Sports Journalists Day

🛸 World UFO Day 

Birthdays for comedian Larry David (1947), actor Lindsay Lohan (1986) and Aussie actor Margot Robbie (1990)

Anniversary of:

• US President Lyndon Johnson signing the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act into law (1964)

• the rescue of 12 boys and their coach from a cave in Thailand after being trapped for 9 days (2018) 🇹🇭