Thursday, 24 October - You only get one shot

October 24, 2024

Good morning, it’s Thursday, 24 October. In your Squiz Today…

  • The US election race tightens

  • More bombings in Beirut

  • And the Royals arrive in Samoa…🌴

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Squiz the Weather

Squiz Sayings

"Everyone was like 'surely you can catch this cockatoo.'”

Said bird expert Ravi Wasan, who - with the help of a female sulphur-crested cockatoo named Old Lady Doris - captured Mickey the cockatoo (remember from yesterday?) from a Coles supermarket in Western Sydney. Wish Mickey luck finding brioche in the wild… 

The US election clock is ticking…

The Squiz

With less than a fortnight until Americans elect a new president, the polls show Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump are neck and neck. A new national Reuters/Ipsos poll shows Harris is just ahead with 46% to Trump’s 43%. The poll’s margin of error is 4%, meaning the race to the White House is extraordinarily tight. When it comes to trends, Trump has been closing in on Harris’s lead in the polls for weeks, including in the crucial swing states.  For example in Georgia, a new poll shows the former president gaining an edge (47%-43%) over her in recent days.

So what are their game plans?

Both candidates have similar strategies - appealing to undecided voters. They’re people who aren’t stoked to have either Harris or Trump as their future president for reasons like they don’t gel with their policies or personalities. As for who the undecided voters are - that’s something Harris and Trump are rushing to figure out… Reports say the least satisfied US voters are likely to be younger people, Black or Latino. That might be why pundits say Harris is keen to emphasise that the US is ready for a woman of colour in the White House… Meanwhile, Trump has been on the attack during rallies this week, accusing Harris of “taking a day off” the campaign trail.

And what do the next 2 weeks look like? 

We’re getting down to the pointy end, so both sides are bringing in some star power to help their pitches. For a Harris campaign event in Detroit yesterday, that was rapper Eminem and former President Barack Obama - the latter of which scored some headlines with his rendition of Lose Yourself… And we can expect more well-known faces to show up in the coming days - ‘The Boss’ (aka Bruce Springsteen) is appearing for Harris in Atlanta on Thursday, while reports say tech billionaire Elon Musk is set to do more campaigning for Trump. And podcast appearances are featuring prominently in this election campaign… After Harris’s appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast earlier this month, Trump’s also locked in an interview on the Joe Rogan Experience (aka the biggest podcast in the world). We always knew podcast was a thing…

If you’re looking to wrap your head around the US election, we’ve got a Squiz Shortcut series to help. The next instalment is out later today…

Lighting up our future

Switching to LED lights is a simple and quick way to make your home more sustainable, reducing your energy usage and cutting your electricity costs*. Westfield is also working hard to reduce its energy consumption, and over the last 10 years, they’ve already reduced energy emissions by 40% since 2014. But they’re not done yet... To find out more visit westfield.com.au.

*Source: energy.gov.au

Squiz the Rest

Beirut under siege

A large Israeli airstrike has destroyed multiple buildings in Lebanon's capital Beirut, resulting in at least 18 people (including 4 children) being killed. Israel claims the buildings - including nearby hospitals - housed "Hezbollah facilities". And overnight, 4 more airstrikes hit the ancient port city of Tyre, close to Unesco World-Heritage-listed Roman ruins. The latest attacks come as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with PM Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss bringing an end to the conflict, but experts say there’s not much hope of anything being locked in… Back at home, prominent restaurateur Al Yazbek of the Nomad chain has been removed from the business by his business partner/wife, who says she’s “furious” and “heartbroken” over his alleged actions carrying a sign comparing Israel to Nazis in a Melbourne protest on October 6.

Lehrmann’s case rolls on…

Former Coalition staffer Bruce Lehrmann will be back in court next year with the Federal Court giving him the green light to appeal his failed defamation case. Network Ten and broadcaster Lisa Wilkinson had been trying to stop the appeal - arguing the cash-strapped Lehrmann should put up $200,000 to continue any legal action. But Justice Wendy Abraham says the finding against Lehrmann was “extremely serious” - and he should be allowed to proceed. Earlier this year, Ten and Wilkinson successfully defended the defamation action brought by Lehrmann, with Justice Michael Lee finding “on the balance of probabilities” Lehrmann had raped Brittany Higgins in Parliament House. Lehrmann was ordered to pay $2 million to Ten - though his lawyer says given he’s “pretty much unemployable”, it’s unlikely he’ll be able to pay… 

Allegations turn into charges

The former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch is looking at life in prison after Federal prosecutors arrested and charged him with sex trafficking and prostitution. It’s alleged that Michael Jefferies, who led the fashion brand known for its suggestive advertising for 22 years, his life partner Matthew Smith and their employee James Jacobson used their power and influence to lure young men into their orbit with the promise of modelling jobs before recruiting - and sometimes intimidating - them into their sex trafficking business. The charges follow a 2023 BBC investigation and class action lawsuit on the sex trafficking allegations, and the case is being run by US Attorney Breon Peace. He was also involved in R Kelly being sent to prison for 30 years on similar charges…

The Fin goes on a rich hunt

There are 17 newbies on the Financial Review’s Young Rich List (paywall) this year - and those quintessentially 2024 trends of weight loss drugs and AI are leading the charge. The 3 founders of weight loss-focused startup Eucalyptus made it off the back of the huge interest in GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, and the 2 founders of Harrison.ai, who want to make X-Ray and CT scan diagnosis faster, have also cracked the list. One woman made her debut - Lucy Henry-Hicks, the co-owner of fashion label Dissh. And if you’re very wealthy but just turned 41yo? Bad luck… you’ve been kicked off. You’ll have to be ok with going for a spot on the main rich list… 

Up for Samoa fun

King Charles and Queen Camilla have arrived in Samoa to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) today. It’s the King’s first visit to the tiny Pacific island and he’ll be offered the title of “high chief” while he’s there. Donning shades and a jaunty blue tie, the monarch appeared in high spirits as he and the Queen were welcomed by Samoan PM Fiame Naomi Mata'afa on the runway and cheered by locals who’ve been preparing for their big hosting moment for months. This will be the first time a Pacific nation has hosted CHOGM, and the issues of climate change and rising sea levels will be high on the agenda. Our PM Anthony Albanese will arrive today, and along with the island sunsets, there’s big expectations for the delegates’ traditional outfits…

Apropos of Nothing

A South Oz man is lucky to be alive after venom from a seemingly innocuous snake bite proved anything but - 15 hours later. Neville Joppich from Beachport was even discharged from an overnight hospital stay, and only then was there a sting in the tale… 

A disease largely consigned to history has reared its head, with a Perth man treated for scurvy. Doctors say a lack of fruit and vegetables and cost-of-living pressures led to the old sailor’s scourge making a comeback. Shiver me timbers…

And this won’t help on the nutritional front, but the results of The Guardian’s block party - aka its blind supermarket chocolate taste test - are in. The winning block is sold at Aldi for a bargain $3.99, while the judges’ least favourite cost double that and “tasted like plasticine and oil”. Carrot stick anyone?…

Squiz the Day

10.00am (AEDT) - Representatives from CBA, NAB and Westpac will front a Senate inquiry into Australia’s financial regulatory framework and home ownership - Canberra

1.00pm (AEDT) - Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan will announce major planning reforms in an address to the Melbourne Press Club - Melbourne

King Charles will attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) - Samoa

ABS Data Release - Labour Force detailed, September; Payroll jobs, August

Independence Day in Zambia

World Development Information Day

Birthdays for Malcolm Turnbull (1954), Drake (1986) and PewDiePie (1989)

Anniversary of:

  • the founding of the world's first soccer club, Sheffield FC (1857)

  • the first photograph of earth from outer space by a camera on board the V-2 No 13 rocket (1946)

  • the United Nations was founded (1945)

  • the deaths of civil rights activist Rosa Parks (2005) and rock n' roll pioneer Fats Domino (2017)