Thursday, 28 March - This whole town gets drowned out

Good morning, it’s Thursday, 28 March. In your Squiz Today…

• The NT Government has imposed a curfew on youth in Alice Springs

• Labor’s rushed immigration laws have been blocked in the Senate

• And, celebrities give their best hangover cures… 🕶️

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Squiz Sayings

Said Dean Summers, 64, who yesterday became the first man to swim from Newcastle to Sydney unaided. Summers took 31 hours to complete the 95km swim, battling large waves and constant blue-bottle stings while following English Channel rules of wearing only Speedos, a swimming cap and goggles. Brave man…

A dangerous town like Alice

The Squiz

The Northern Territory Government has declared an “emergency situation” in Alice Springs after about 150 people were involved in a violent crime spree on Tuesday afternoon. Announcing a 14-day curfew for youth in the town yesterday, Chief Minister Eva Lawler says “the community have had enough, and so have I”. An extra 58 police officers will be sent to the Red Centre to help the 23 officers already there. They’ll be tasked with keeping people under 18yo off the streets of the CBD between 6pm and 6am each day - that kicked in last night. And they’ll have the power to take young people breaching the rules back to their homes or another safe space.

Back it up a bit… 

Lawler said Tuesday’s violence was “horrific, unacceptable and we never want to see anything like that again”. The situation was linked to an Indigenous teenager dying when a stolen car crashed earlier this month. NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy said that “led to family feuds and that's what erupted in Alice Springs”. Video footage of one of the most serious attacks at the Todd Tavern was shared yesterday - it shows a group of about 70 young people throwing bricks at windows and kicking down doors. Manager Craig Jervis, who was inside with other staff members, said he hadn’t seen behaviour “this bad before”. “The ferocity in which they were trying to get in … was very scary,” he said. Murphy says several officers responding to that “were attacked” as they made 5 arrests and seized more than 50 weapons.

So will a curfew solve the problem?

Alice Springs Mayor Matt Paterson doesn’t think so… He’s called on the Federal Government to intervene there to deal with youth crime and antisocial behaviour - which he says is a “national embarrassment”. The situation has been worsening in recent years - something the Coalition’s Indigenous Affairs spokesperson Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has spoken about this week, highlighting a recent violent group attack on a 16yo girl. Paterson says despite federal financial help - like PM Anthony Albanese’s $250 million package last year - “what we've shown over the last 14 years is we are too immature as a jurisdiction to run ourselves”. Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Linda Burney welcomed the curfew as a "circuit breaker", while Lawler says her government is "determined to get on top of the issues". Lawler will visit the town today with Police Minister Brent Potter - so watch this space.

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Squiz the Rest

The pressure rises over detainees

The Coalition and the Greens have shut down the Albanese Government’s attempt to rush new immigration legislation through the Parliament. We spoke about this yesterday - this is about ensuring the government has the power to deport people who refuse to return to their birth country. Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil says it's “bleedingly obvious” why the laws are needed after last year's High Court ruling and with a new case kicking off next month that could see more detainees released. What’s changed since yesterday is the Coalition - which let the bill through the House of Representatives - helped block the bill in the Senate and flicked it to a Senate committee. Team Dutton says the change of mind is because more time is needed to get across it. And as that unfolded, reports say O’Neil and departmental boss Stephanie Foster aren’t BFFs as the pressure grows. When it rains, it pours… 

Searching the sea for answers

Rescuers are continuing to search for 6 men missing following Tuesday’s Baltimore bridge collapse. Reports say they were all low-income bridge maintenance workers from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico. Investigators have recovered the data recorder from the 298m cargo ship, which lost power before ploughing into the 2.4km Francis Scott Key Bridge - named after the man who wrote US anthem The Star-Spangled Banner. Maryland Governor Wes Moore called the crew "heroes" who “saved lives” by making a mayday call that stopped vehicles going onto the bridge. The incident has raised questions about whether Aussie bridges are at risk - one expert says while safety measures are in place, the increasing size and weight of vessels means “we have to be vigilant”. Tasmanians of a certain age are all too aware of the risk after a similar disaster in 1975 left 12 people dead.

No economic Bad Blood

The Bureau of Stats has revealed the rate of inflation remained steady in February as the Consumer Price Index stayed at 3.4% for the third month in a row. That came as a bit of a surprise given predictions that last month’s Taylor Swift mania would deliver an inflation bump after her Eras tour rolled into Melbourne and Sydney and saw fans spend upwards of $558 million. In part, the minimal effect of all that spending by Swifties is attributed to other Aussies reining in their travel and hotel expenditures after the peak Christmas period. One expert called the result "a touch better than feared". That’s because the rate is still above the Reserve Bank’s target of 2-3%, meaning the interest rate cuts mortgage holders are hoping for could still be some way off. 

Don’t rain on my (Easter) parade

Whether you’re travelling domestically or opting for a staycation this Easter, the weather might not be in your favour… The thunderstorms and heavy rain that have left Territorians and Queenslanders soggy all week are now headed for NSW, Victoria and South Australia as the remnants of Cyclone Megan and a low-pressure trough move south. And the BOM is warning that the Top End isn’t off the hook just yet as severe thunderstorms and flash flooding could see key transport routes cut off. Tasmanians look like they’ll get off pretty lightly with light winds and patchy rain in low 20C’s, while Western Oz will be living it up with consistent temperatures around 30C and lots of sun - lucky bunnies… And speaking of the mercury, NSW, Victoria, South Oz and the ACT will all enjoy some mellow mid-20Cs. Think brollies more than BBQs…

Just let me lie here…

If you’re planning to indulge in something a little harder than chocolate this Easter long weekend, some celebrities have suggested their best hangover cures… We're not encouraging bad behaviour, but if you find yourself pulling up a bit dusty, perhaps you'd like David Beckham's hot tip - an Alka-Seltzer before bed and a bacon sandwich in the morning… If you’re a little more hardcore, then Nigella Lawson is your woman - she’s big on a “prairie oyster” - aka raw egg yolk, with Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, brandy and vinegar - which you have to down in one gulp (which is probably the only manageable way tbh)... For something a little more wholesome, baker Paul Hollywood makes his own bread and butter pudding. That sounds like a lot of effort, so maybe Dame Joan Collins’ advice to stay in bed for as long as possible with a bucket-load of water is more achievable. Take care of yourself… 

Easter Lites - 3 things we liked this week

Easter = chaos for many. Sitting down may be your aim, and Alone Australia is a great visual remedy. It’s back for its second series and this time it’s set in Kiwiland, so the weather is hasher and the contestants more determined… Check it out on SBS TV.

And speaking of excellent TV, we’re big fans of Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy (also on SBS for a second series), but rather than just watch him cook lovely food, we want to eat it as well. Enter his cookbook, The Tucci Table* - a good one to experiment with over the long weekend.

And because it’s Easter, here’s another fave for those of you who like to stick with tradition and eat fish on Good Friday… Nagi’s Crispy Skin Salmon recipe does what it says, and once you've nailed it, it will be a part of your regular rotation. Yummo… 

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Before we get into what’s on today…

We’re off for Easter - yipee… That means the next Squiz Today will be back on Tuesday morning, ready to get you into the swing of April. And while we won’t have a Saturday Squiz for you (if you’re subscribed, of course…), we will be sending you our top recommendations from the year so far. Think things to read, watch, buy and so on. Take care over Easter and make sure you do have that extra bit of chocky…

Squiz the Day

12.30pm (AEDT) - Amy Pope AO will address the National Press Club on the global competition for talent - Canberra

Tongan PM Siaosi Sovaleni is set to meet with King Tupou VI of Tonga to resolve rising political tensions 

ABS Data Release - Detailed Labour Force; Retail Trade; Job Vacancies, February 

ABS Data Release - National Accounts; Finance and Wealth, December 

Bluesfest 2024 begins - Byron Bay (until 1 April)

Holy Thursday (Lent finishes)

Birthdays for Michael Parkinson (1935), Vince Vaughn (1970), Julia Stiles (1981) and Lady Gaga (1986)

Anniversary of:

• the Louvre being opened to the public (1794)

• the end of the Spanish Civil War (1939)

• the death of Virginia Woolf (1941)

• the world's largest dinosaur footprint found in Western Australia (2017)

• Cyclone Debbie making landfall in northeast Queensland (2017)

Friday
12.00am (AEDT) - Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried to be sentenced after he was found guilty in November of one of America’s biggest financial frauds on record - New York