Thursday, 5 September - Over the competition, I’m towerin’

Good morning, it’s Thursday, 5 September. In your Squiz Today…

• Our economic growth is the lowest in 3 decades

• A quacker of a spy case

• And a fruity way to find love…🍍

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Squiz the Weather

Squiz Sayings

Was the reaction of Paralympian Alessandro Ossola’s girlfriend Arianna who said yes as he proposed to her in front of tens of thousands of fans in Paris. The Italian sprinter didn’t win a medal but says he’s leaving with “something amazing” instead. It really is the city of love…

A glacial economic pace

The Squiz

The latest Bureau of Stats data has confirmed our economy is growing at the slowest rate in 3 decades. Yesterday’s gross domestic product (GDP) figures - which add up the value of everything a nation produces - show the economy grew 0.2% between April and June, taking last financial year's rate to a sluggish 1%. That's broadly in line with the forecasts, but there's concern that government spending fuelled the growth we did see. The Bureau's Katherine Keenan says outside of the pandemic years, our "annual financial year economic growth was the lowest since 1991-92 - the year that included the gradual recovery from the 1991 recession".

Oh no not the r-word…

Hold your horses - we're not in a recession (when economic growth goes backwards for 2 consecutive quarters) - but if you slice the data per capita (aka per person), economic growth was down for the sixth consecutive quarter, falling 0.4%. That’s notable because many analysts reckon that’s a better indicator of how our economy and Aussies are faring - particularly when cost of living pressures is a hot topic. Others point out that conditions are patchy across the country depending on how our disposable income differs and where we live… All up, economist Callam Pickering described the June data as “depressing but also expected”. 

So what’s the response been?

With a federal election on the way, expect the major parties to keep butting heads over our ongoing economic woes… Yesterday, Coalition Treasury spokesperson Angus Taylor said it “looks, feels, and smells like a recession”. No surprise - Treasurer Jim Chalmers disagrees… He got on the front foot earlier this week, saying it’s the Reserve Bank’s interest rate rises that are “smashing the economy”. And yesterday, he said “global uncertainty” is also a factor, but denied government spending is a problem. That last part remains a point of contention, though, with Reserve Bank Governor Michele Bullock pointing the finger in that direction last month. She’s said cutting interest rates isn’t on the agenda until inflation is back within the 2-3% target. It’s currently at 3.8%...

Shining a spotlight on people supporting our community

Community volunteers, educators, health workers, social entrepreneurs - these are some of the best people in our local communities. While they are busy giving their all, the Westfield Local Heroes program aims to shine a light on their contributions across Australia and New Zealand. The program also gives you a chance to vote and decide who will receive their share of $30,000 worth of grants. Voting is open until 9 September - meet your finalists at westfield.com.au/local-heroes

Squiz the Rest

Gun control back on the US agenda after a high school shooting

Gun laws are set to be back on the US agenda after 4 people were killed and at least 9 injured in a high school shooting in America overnight. Reports say police were called to Apalachee High School in Georgia on Wednesday after gunshots were fired, prompting students to barricade themselves inside classrooms and hide in the school's football stadium. County Sheriff Jud Smith said police have arrested a sole gunman - who reports say is believed to be 14yo. "What you see behind us is an evil thing," Smith said. Reports say 385 mass shootings have been carried out in the US this year, and US President Joe Biden has called on Republicans to work with Democrats to pass "commonsense gun safety legislation". He said: "Jill and I are mourning the deaths of those whose lives were cut short due to more senseless gun violence and thinking of all of the survivors whose lives are forever changed". 

A controversial cancer choice

Supermodel/entrepreneur Elle Macpherson has raised eyebrows after ‘fessing up to saying “no to standard medical solutions” when diagnosed with breast cancer 7 years ago. The 60yo is in remission but says she was advised at the time to undergo a mastectomy with radiation along with other therapies, but she spent 8 months being “holistically treated”. The reaction has been swift and sharp, and reports say Macpherson did undergo a lumpectomy… Numerous doctors have also called her claims “incredibly irresponsible”. In better news, Aussie researchers have analysed decades’ worth of studies and found mobile phones aren’t linked to brain cancer. Nice to know if we ever needed to take the drastic step of calling someone and putting the phone to our ear… 

The salted duck spy

One of New York’s former top political aides has pleaded not guilty to criminal charges over allegations she was secretly working as an agent for China in exchange for millions of dollars, lavish gifts and boatloads of salted duck. Linda Sun had been deputy chief of staff to Governor Kathy Hochul but was arrested on Tuesday along with hubby Chris Hu. That allegedly included blocking meetings with Taiwanese government officials and sharing internal documents. In return, prosecutors say China funnelled millions of dollars to the couple, which they spent on a Ferrari and luxury NYC/Hawaii properties. Sun’s parents also received dozens of deliveries of Nanjing salted duck prepared by a Chinese government official's personal chef. No wonder NY is known as the place of opportunities…

It’s been another golden night in Paris 

…for our Paralympians, with swimmer Alexa Leary adding a second gold medal to her Games haul, and table tennis player Qian Yang winning the women’s singles. Leary took out the women’s 100m freestyle S9 final and broke the world record for the second time in hours. It follows her 4x100m mixed relay win on Tuesday, when she powered from fifth to first in her freestyle anchor leg. Yang beat Poland’s Natalia Partyka to claim gold in table tennis WS10 - her fourth Paralympic gold medal, and her second in Paris after a doubles WD20 win. Australia is 9th on the medal table, after we also won 3 silver and 2 bronze medals in para-cycling overnight, and another 2 bronze in the pool. Speaking of making a splash in Paris, Raygun has apologised to the breaking community for her controversial dance moves at the Olympics… And as we hit publish this morning, Alex de Minaur is battling to stay in the US Open - he’s 2 sets down in his quarterfinal match against the UK’s Jack Draper. You’ve got this Demon!    

Feeling fruity in the supermarket

With online dating now the default, old-fashioned ‘meet cutes’ have largely gone out the window, but a Spanish actress Vivy Lin is promoting a unique method for seeking out potential dates in her local supermarket… In a TikTok, she walks around a store between 7-8pm, which is supposedly the magic hour when love can strike - but only if shoppers flag their singledom… That’s done by placing a pineapple upside down in their trolley. It might sound bonkers, but we’re all over this trend - putting bananas in trollies to indicate single status has been a rumoured staple for Sydneysiders for decades… Back in Spain though, reports say the new craze known as ‘pineapple-gate’ has taken such a hold over those lusting after another that police have been called in to “restore order”. Imagine what’ll happen when they find out Queensland’s Big Pineapple is open for business…

Apropos of Nothing - Comeback edition

Never give up might be the motto of 61yo ultra-swimmer Jim Dreyer who’s embarking on his second attempt to swim 96km across Lake Michigan after his first attempt was abandoned due to a dodgy GPS. No doubt the water is cleaner than the River Seine…

The generational divide was clear in Squiz HQ yesterday as some members were excited about the release of LL Cool J’s first album in 11 years while others went “huh?” The hip-hop legend/actor’s record The Force comes 40 years after his first - but don’t call it a comeback…

And speaking of getting back into the groove, women who haven’t been clubbing for decades are hitting the floor at special Disco Club events that start/finish early and only play tunes from the 80s/90s/early 2000s. Blokes looking to get jiggy with it will need to look elsewhere…

Squiz the Day

12.00pm (AEST) - Reserve Bank Governor Michele Bullock is expected to deliver a speech on the cost of high inflation at an event for the Anika Foundation - Sydney

6.00pm (AEST) - Former ACCC Chair Allan Fels will deliver the third annual Laurie Carmichael Lecture at RMIT University - Melbourne

7.10pm (ACST) - AFL: Second Qualifying Final, Port Adelaide v Geelong - Adelaide, and watch on Kayo

8.00pm (AEST) - Soccer: Men's World Cup qualifier - Australia v Bahrain - Gold Coast, and watch on 10 Play

Sigma/Chemist Warehouse merger decision by the ACCC due 

ABS data release - International Trade in Goods, July 

The Broken Heel Festival (Priscilla Queen Of The Desert inspired festival) quite literally kicks off - Broken Hill 

The Sydney Contemporary Art Fair begins (until 8 September) 

International Day of Charity 

Be Late for Something Day ⏰

Birthdays for Michael Keaton (1951), India Hicks (1967), and Rose McGowan (1973)

Anniversary of:

• the First Opium War beginning in China (1839)

• Christine Hardt patenting the first modern brassiere (1889)

• the premieres of The Huckleberry Hound Show featuring Yogi Bear (1958) and The Muppet Show (1976)

• Freddie Mercury’s birthday (1946)

• the death of Mother Teresa (1997)