Thursday, 6 March - I’m just getting warm

March 06, 2025

Good morning, it’s Thursday, 6 March. In your Squiz Today…

  • Tropical Cyclone Alfred is now expected to hit tomorrow morning

  • Trump tells Congress he’s “just getting started”

  • And a mammoth step for science… 🦣

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Squiz the Weather

Squiz Sayings

“Every day is interesting because we're up in space and it's a lot of fun.”

Said NASA astronaut Suni Williams, who says she and colleague Butch Wilmore are excited to return to Earth (and their families) in a few weeks. They’ve been stranded for 9 months after a week-long trip on a Boeing spacecraft ran into issues. Luckily, they’ve been stars about it…

Tropical Cyclone Alfred nears

The Squiz

The latest forecast is that Tropical Cyclone Alfred will hit the coast of southeast Queensland as a category 2 cyclone early on Friday morning. Premier David Crisafulli says it might arrive at the same time as high tide, putting the region at high risk of wind and flood damage, so schools, businesses and airports are shutting down for the next few days. He’s asked anyone in the area to make preparations now - here’s a guide on what to do to get ready for the cyclone’s arrival. 

What’s the latest on the cyclone?

Alfred was moving west towards Brisbane at 7km/hr this morning - here's a map tracking its progress. And here’s what it looks like from space… It's already causing damaging winds and huge waves off the coast, resulting in severe coastal erosion, something meteorologists say is only going to get worse. They also say its slowed pace means it’s gaining extra strength and fuel from warm ocean waters before it hits the coast - and it could hang around for longer, wreaking havoc on houses that aren't built to the same cyclone-proof standards as further north. Another thing concerning them is the high chance of a storm surge, which could cause extensive flooding, particularly if, as Crisafulli flagged, the cyclone's landfall coincides with high tide.

What are we doing to prepare? 

PM Anthony Albanese was in the state yesterday - he said the defence force has been called in to help out as well, including delivering 250,000 sandbags to Queenslanders. Residents who haven't evacuated are encouraged to stay indoors and out of the way - Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner has said it's a good idea to avoid driving anywhere over the next few days. Local councils have set up evacuation centres, and the Brisbane Showgrounds are also open as a refuge. Crisafulli wants them kept free for those who don't have any other options - he says try to stay with family members or mates where possible. 

You look lovely, deer

Summer is coming, so it’s a good time to refresh your beauty game. Kotia is the world’s first skincare range made with 100% pure New Zealand deer milk. It sounds wild, and it is because it naturally contains vitamins A, B, D, and E, zinc, iodine, and protein to hydrate your skin for a healthy glow. Kotia products also use peptide technology to minimise imperfections, fine lines and pigmentation to renew your complexion. Check out the full range here. Squizers can use the code GLOW15 for a 15% discount.

Squiz the Rest

Some high profile charges

The second nurse who appeared in an antisemitic video allegedly threatening to kill and refusing to treat Israeli patients at a Sydney hospital has been charged. Police say 27yo Ahmad Rashad Nadir was arrested yesterday, and faces charges of using a carriage service to menace, harass and offend and possessing a prohibited drug. It comes less than a week after the other nurse involved, Sarah Abu Lebdeh, was also charged. Both have been granted bail and will appear in court later this month. And over in Western Oz, a 16yo boy has been charged with serious offences relating to menacing content online… Police claim he made terror attack threats against a Sydney mosque - referring to “Christchurch 2.0” - on its Instagram page. 

A big moment on stage

President Donald Trump gave a joint address to the US Congress yesterday - the first major speech since his inauguration. It was a long one (more than 90 minutes…) so you can catch up here - and there’s also been plenty of post-speech analysis. To recap - he was keen to revisit promises made on the campaign trail, particularly around returning to “the golden age” of America. He was given standing ovations from his fellow Republicans as he announced plans to “resurrect the American shipbuilding industry”. And he also said that peace in Ukraine was close now that President Volodymyr Zelensky had extended an olive branch. There was also pushback from Democrats, with Congressman Al Green kicked out after interrupting the speech early on.

Balancing the books

The latest gross domestic product (GDP) data - which adds up the value of everything a nation produces - have been released… Our economy grew 0.6% in the October-December quarter, bringing our annual growth rate to 1.3%. Katherine Keenan from the Bureau of Stats called the growth “modest” but said it was “seen broadly across the economy”. If you slice the data per capita (aka per person), GDP was up 0.1% - the first time it hasn’t declined in 21 months, meaning we’re out of the per capita recession we were in. The figures put a smile on Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ dial - he said they were proof the economy has “turned a corner”. Reserve Bank Deputy Governor Andrew Hauser agreed, saying things are getting back on track after the surge in inflation in 2021 and 2022.

An Aussie hero undergoes surgery

Professor Richard Scolyer AO is recovering from “complex” brain surgery at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse in Sydney this week. You likely know his name because he won the joint Australian of the Year title last year, alongside his colleague Professor Georgina Long. The pair developed a groundbreaking immunotherapy treatment for melanoma, and when Scolyer was later diagnosed with an incurable, aggressive brain tumor, he signed up to be the guinea pig to experiment with it further. He was originally given 6-9 months to live, and has now survived nearly 2 years, but it is still incurable - hence this week’s surgery. Scolyer thanked his medical team, and says he’s “focused on my recovery and will share more updates when I am able”.

*If you want to learn more about Richard Scolyer’s story, you might enjoy our Newsmakers interview with him from last year.

That’s not woolly what we wanted

In 2021, a Texas biotech company called Colossal Biosciences tried to live up to its name by bringing back the extinct woolly mammoth - yep, the very big, very dead elephant-like creature - within 6 years. They’re almost 4 years in and while we’re not catching mammoths to work quite yet, they have created something - a woolly mouse. Shrinkflation is everywhere… They created this shaggy rodent - you can see a picture here - by ‘editing’ the genes of other mice to give them a more woolly appearance, and they’re now planning to perform the same trick with elephants to hit that whole mammoth-in-6-years goal, before moving on the dodo. Best wishes, but we feel like we know what Jurassic Park’s Dr Ian Malcolm would say…

Apropos of Nothing

Runners carrying frying pans and flipping pancakes have competed in a race around London’s Guildhall Yard to mark Shrove Tuesday, or as it’s more deliciously known, Pancake Day. Kind of like a next-level egg and spoon race… 

The F1 Academy - which was set up to get more women into Formula One - will welcome its first 2 drivers from down under this year. Aussie teens Joanna Ciconte and Aiva Anagnostiadis, have both competed in Formula 4 and now get their chance for a speedy way into the big leagues.

And Meghan Markle’s new lifestyle show With Love, Meghan has hit Netflix, after its release was pushed back due to the LA fires. In the show, the Duchess of Sussex is said to dabble in gardening, cooking, day drinking, and a spot of beekeeping - possibly not in that order…

Squiz the Day

1.00pm (AEDT) - Call it Out’s latest Annual Report for 2023/24 will be shared in a webinar, revealing findings on racism towards First Nations people - you can register online here 

8.00pm (AEDT) - NRL Round 1, Roosters v Broncos - Sydney, and watch on 9Now

ABS data release - Recorded Crime, offenders 2023/24; International Trade in Goods, January; Building Approvals, January

Independence Day - Ghana

Crufts Dog Show (until 9 March)

Birthdays for the first woman in space Valentina Tereshkova (1937), Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour (1946), and rapper Tyler the Creator (1991)

Anniversary of:

  • the first modern trampoline being patented (1945)

  • the death of former First Lady Nancy Reagan (2016)

  • Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin’s daughter defecting to the West (1967)