Thursday, 20 June - Lets get it started

Good morning, it’s Thursday, 20 June. In your Squiz Today…

• The nuclear debate fires up

• A jury delivers justice for Charlise Mutton

• And Maccas AI gets it McWrong…

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Squiz the Weather

Squiz Sayings

Said US Democratic politician Jim Carroll following an apology from his Republican colleague Mary Morrissey after a hidden camera revealed she was the culprit in a bizarre harassment case that saw her pour water into his bag for months. Revenge is a dish best served wet…

Lighting a fire under the nuclear debate

The Squiz

After months of build-up, Coalition leader Peter Dutton has shared the details of his plan to bring “zero emissions nuclear energy” to Australia if he wins the next federal election. It involves installing nuclear reactors at 7 sites around the country to boost our reliable energy supply. Dutton said they’d “be part of an energy mix with renewables and consistent amounts of gas into the system, particularly in the interim period” - and that they’d help bring electricity bills down. The Albanese Government is not on board… Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen called it a “risky nuclear scam”, and PM Anthony Albanese said it was “a recipe for higher energy prices” and “economic madness”. 

Gimme the details…

The first thing you probably want to know is where the proposed sites are… They’d be at Tarong and Callide in Queensland, Liddell and Mount Piper in NSW, Port Augusta in South Oz, Loy Yang in Victoria and Muja in Western Oz, and all of them host retiring/retired coal power sites. As for the nuclear reactors themselves, Dutton hasn’t outlined what type they'd use or how much they’d cost - that's notable because the plan’s been pitched as a cost-saving alternative to Labor's renewable energy policy. Yesterday, Dutton said “comprehensive site studies” need to be carried out before he can share that info, but he’s promised 2 of the reactors would be operational between 2035 and 2037. That’s several years before CSIRO scientists and other experts believe would be possible.

There’s a few things to sort out, then…

Yep. The other spanner in the works is opposition from state leaders (who also happen to be of the Labor persuasion…). Yesterday, Premier Chris Minns said NSW won’t drop its ban on nuclear power production, and Queensland Premier Steven Miles said nuclear power was “4 to 6 times more expensive” than alternatives - something that’s backed up by the CSIRO. And although SA Premier Peter Malinauskas believes it has “an important role to play” globally, he said it doesn’t make economic sense here. Reports say Dutton also faces an uphill battle to convince the general public of nuclear’s benefits… The Minerals Council is in favour though - it said it’s a “crucial” and cost-effective way to achieve our net zero goals. It’ll only be full steam ahead if the Coalition wins the next federal election, so strap yourself in. 

An Aussie story with Woolworths Group

The Baronio family farms apples and strawberries in the Stanthorpe region of Queensland. As their third generation of farmers get into it, they sat down with Woolworths to reflect on their 36-year-long partnership. They talk about the main apple business and the changes they’ve made along the way - from growing broccoli to stone fruit and now strawberries. Here’s a link to watch that chat.

Squiz the Rest

Justice for Charlise

Two-and-a-half years since 9yo Charlise Mutton’s body was found inside a barrel after a 4-day search in NSW’s Blue Mountains, her mother’s former partner Justin Laurens Stein has been found guilty of her murder. The 33yo has been on trial in the NSW Supreme Court and admitted to disposing of her body but claimed her mother Kallista was the one who killed her. But after a week and a half of deliberations, the jury wasn’t convinced and yesterday found him guilty of murder for shooting Charlise twice with a rifle at his family’s Mount Wilson estate. Stein faces a maximum of life imprisonment and will learn his fate at a sentencing hearing in August. Justice Helen Wilson noted the impact the case had on the jury. "It's not an easy thing to hear evidence about something as distressing as the violent death of, particularly, a child," she said. 

If you’ve been affected by this story, you can reach out to White Ribbon for support.

Party in Pyongyang

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to North Korea kicked up a gear yesterday as Kim Jong Un threw him a massive parade in Pyongyang before the pair signed an agreement vowing to help each other in the event of “aggression” against either country. That followed a lavish ceremony featuring song and dance routines and a 21-gun salute. The spectacle was broadcast on Russian TV while North Korean state media reported the pair shared their "pent-up inmost thoughts". Putin thanked North Korea's "consistent and unwavering support” in response to Kim expressing "full support" for Russia's war in Ukraine - which he’s accused of providing weapons for in exchange for food and aid. Reports say the show of unity is intended to annoy the US which has imposed sanctions on both nations as Putin promised to "develop alternative trade and mutual settlement mechanisms not controlled by the West".

A very different kind of bank…

Chances are you’ve at least considered donating your blood before, but how about some of your bacteria? Our bodies contain trillions of them, so there’s plenty to share, and scientists at Queensland University of Technology’s new Australian Human Microbiome Biobank in Brisbane hope you will... Professor Gene Tyson says the plan is to create Australia's first catalogue of microorganisms in the human microbiome, to help pioneer new treatments for a wide range of health issues. The “completely oxygen-free” facility needs 10,000 samples over the next 3 years, and if you’re keen to do your bit for science, you can donate stool samples for a snapshot of your gut microbiome or provide an oral, skin, or vaginal swab. Better still, researchers say “no matter what age, no matter what diseases you may have, no matter how healthy you are, we're interested”.

Some really expensive chips

Nvidia is now the world’s most valuable company worth $5.1 trillion. The tech giant leapfrogged its better-known competitors Microsoft and Apple for the top spot on Tuesday when its share price jumped 3.5% on the NASDAQ stock exchange. What the who? Nvidia makes the computer chips needed to power AI - and the results show that for investors, it’s the future. There’s currently fierce competition between Microsoft, Google’s owner Alphabet, Meta and Apple to create the best AI products. Sitting over all of it is Nvidia, which is crucial to all of them. As for the rise of AI, demand shows “no signs of switching off”, some analysts say. Others are more cautious and say the real test will be whether the rival tech firms can not just make a cool product, but also find a way to monetise it. 

That’s not my order

One place AI has definitely failed to launch is at fast-food giant McDonald’s, which has ditched the tech after a trial at 100 of its drive-thrus in the US led to some orders going very wrong… Maccas partnered with tech giant IBM to introduce automated ordering, which was supposed to create a simplified experience for customers, but the software proved not-so-intelligent, with people sharing videos of the weird and wonderful orders they received. That includes a handful of butter rather than caramel ice cream, hundreds of chicken nuggets, and ice cream with added bacon - although we’re struggling to see the problem with those last 2… The chain says it’s shutting down the ‘McDonald’s robot “after thoughtful review” - or maybe it was the millions of views on TikTok…

Australia’s future depends on you…

That might be a bit dramatic, but we have a favour to ask... As you probably know, our Newshounds program - our media literacy podcast for 7-12yos that more than 2,500 classrooms around Australia have signed up for - is incredibly important to us. At the moment, the Federal Parliament is looking into all things social media - and we're going to put in a submission.

We reckon it's important to equip Aussie kids to deal with the online world - and we want to get your take on it, too. So, if you’re a parent or a teacher, here’s our survey - it'll take about 5-7mins to complete. We'd be so appreciative if you could find the time.

Apropos of Nothing - Monumental edition

Locals in the Victorian town of Warrak are scratching their heads after one of their famous Minion statues, which mysteriously appeared in 2022, was stolen. The one taken was playing a harmonica, so we can only guess he’s playing some morose tunes wherever he is now…

A remote mountain range near Las Vegas is the latest locale to play host to a mirrored monolith - one of several that have mysteriously appeared in the past few years. If anyone knows how it got there, they’ll likely keep tight-lipped. You know what they say about what happens in Vegas…

And two climate protesters were arrested overnight for spraying Stonehenge with orange powder paint on the eve of summer solstice when thousands are expected to visit. Experts are assessing the damage but the ancient site will stay open. We’ve all had that one bad spray tan before a big event…

Squiz the Day

River Reflections conference wraps

8.30am (AEST) - Australian Cyber Security Summit - Canberra

3.00pm (AEST) - Indonesian trial of Aussie man Troy Andrew Smith on drugs charges. He’s facing up to 12 years in jail for possession of methamphetamine - Bali

9.00pm (AEST) - Women’s Basketball friendly: Australia v Japan - Hokkaido, Japan 

Vinnie’s CEO Sleepout to help tackle homelessness 

The Australian Walkley Mid-Year Awards are announced

FEDERER: Twelve Final Days doco airs - Prime Video

ABS Data Release - Labour Force Detailed, May; Innovation in Australian Business, 2022-23  

World Refugee Day 

Global Car Recycling Day

Birthdays for Brian Wilson (1942), Lionel Richie (1949), and Nicole Kidman (1967)

Anniversary of:

• Queen Victoria ascending the British throne at 18yo following the death of her uncle King William IV (1837)

• Samuel Morse patenting his telegraph (1840)

• the premiere of Steven Spielberg’s Jaws (1975)

Friday
3.00am (AEST) - Golf: Women’s PGA Championship (until 23 June) - Seattle, USA or watch on Foxtel or Kayo