Thursday, 6 November - I want to break free

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

• Democrats have won big in US local and state elections

• Erin Patterson has lodged her grounds for appeal

• And the mystery of the missing wave… 🌊

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Squiz the Weather

Squiz Sayings

Said NSW conservationist Wendy Noble, after pairs of little penguins (which became locally extinct in the 1990s) were spotted breeding in the NSW South Coast town of Eden - thanks to the ‘love machine’ audio system that projects mating sounds across Twofold Bay. As an extra bonus, they’re really cute…

Mamdani makes history

The Squiz

Democrat Zohran Mamdani has become the youngest Mayor of New York City in more than a century, defeating former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo yesterday. The 34yo was the frontrunner going in, and in an election where more than 2 million people turned out (the most since 1969…), he won at least 50.4% of the vote. Cuomo congratulated Ugandan-born Mamdani in his concession, while in his victory speech, the Mayor-elect said “New York will remain a city of immigrants, a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants and as of tonight, led by an immigrant”. Elsewhere, his win has been described as “a historic victory for progressives”...

Why is that?

You can read up on Mamdani here, but he describes himself as a democratic socialist and campaigned for things like free buses, rent freezes, and promises to tax millionaires to fund social programs and cost-of-living relief. He’s also the first Muslim and person of South Asian descent to lead the Big Apple. FYI - the New York mayoral vote typically wouldn’t rank highly in international headlines, but a year on from the US presidential election, it’s been viewed as a mini-referendum on Republican President Donald Trump’s second term. Mamdani’s platform is in sharp contrast to Trump’s, which is probably why the President’s been less than complimentary… But it’s not just Republicans watching - analysts say Mamdani's "surge" over an establishment Democrat like Cuomo (who ran as an independent) will have Democratic Party strategists reassessing what voters want.

It wasn’t the only election…

Nope - polls were also held to elect the new governors of Virginia and New Jersey. Democrats flipped Virginia, with Abigail Spanberger elected to the Governor’s office - the first woman to hold the position after campaigning on economic/cost-of-living issues and anti-Trump messaging. The race was more competitive in New Jersey, but Democrat Mikie Sherrill also came out on top to succeed the former Democratic Governor Phil Murphy. And if that wasn’t enough for you, voters in California also turned out - not to elect any state officials, but to approve a new Democratic-drawn congressional map. It counteracts Republican redistricting efforts in other states and gives the party the chance to win up to 5 House seats in next year’s midterm elections. Yep, there’s more on the way…

Keeping little ones cool this summer

Those with little ones (or shopping for them) know the drill - summer heat plus kids equals constant outfit changes and cranky wake ups. Love to Dream's new bamboo range tackles both. The fabric is clever - it stretches with every move, making the what-time-is-it nappy changes less of a wrestling match, and the bamboo in it helps with sweaty backs for a better sleep all round. The range covers everything from bodysuits to PJs, and they've built them to survive your washing machine's heavy rotation. Worth bookmarking for baby shower gifts too... Check the collection out here.

Squiz the Rest

A deadly storm hits the Philippines

A week after Hurricane Melissa devastated the Caribbean, Southeast Asia is dealing with Typhoon Kalmaegi, which has killed at least 85 people in the Philippines and displaced hundreds of thousands. Most of the damage has come from flooding, with 183mm of rain hitting the central Philippines Island of Cebu in 24 hours. And it's not alone, as Kalmaegi is expected to head out over the South China Sea towards Vietnam, which is already experiencing floods and rainfall of its own… Checking back in with the Caribbean, the region is still recovering from the devastation caused by Melissa - Jamaica’s PM Andrew Holness says it caused billions of dollars of damage, equivalent to a third of the country’s GDP. 

Defiant-Ley staying on

Coalition leader Sussan Ley says she’s “completely confident” she’ll still be in that job by the end of the year, as her party's difficulties over net zero keep on keeping on… Following the National Party's decision to dump its commitment to net zero emissions over the weekend, Ley's been under pressure to reveal what the Liberals will do. She hasn't yet, but she did confront the speculation over her leadership - saying she encouraged robust discussion within her party and that she was focused on "developing a serious, credible policy agenda". Meanwhile, business groups and the mining sector have warned against walking away from net zero (paywall), saying their climate position won't change - that puts the Coalition out of step with one of its key support bases.

Erin Patterson’s grounds for appeal…

…have been released by Victoria’s Court of Appeal. The triple-murderer claims there was “a substantial miscarriage of justice” during her trial and that her convictions should be quashed. Patterson is serving a minimum of 33 years jail for the murder of her in-laws Don and Gail Patterson, Gail's sister Heather, and the attempted murder of Heather's husband Ian Wilkinson. She's appealing on 7 grounds - you can read up on them in detail here… They include that the prosecution’s cross-examination of her was “unfair and oppressive”, and that certain evidence (including about mobile phone towers and death cap mushroom sightings) shouldn’t have been allowed. A hearing date is yet to be set, but if you’re keen to dig back into the case, The Mushroom Tapes by Helen Garner, Chloe Hooper and Sarah Krasnostein is due for release next Tuesday…

Squad goals

With a touch over 2 weeks to go before the Ashes begin in Perth on 21 November, the selectors have named a 15-man squad for the first Test, and they’ve left a lot of open questions… First of all, last year’s Boxing Day sensation Sam Konstas has been left out, with the Oz opening pair likely to be 2 of veteran Usman Khawaja, returning Test player Marnus Labuschagne, and new face Jake Weatherald, who has been in rare form in the domestic leagues. Cam Green and Beau Webster are both all-rounder options - and it’s not locked in that both will play - but what we do know is that Steve Smith will captain in place of the injured Pat Cummins, and that whoever turns up, the challenge for England is going to be a mighty one… The touring side hasn’t won a Test match on Aussie soil since 2011. That’s quite a stat… 

The case of the missing wave

Surfers in Munich have been left holding their boards after a famous river wave mysteriously disappeared without trace. The Eisbach wave is known as “the mother of all waves”, and it’s been a destination for surfers around the world for decades. But after a river cleanup on Friday (something that happens regularly), the wave just vanished, leaving only white foam - local surfer Klaus Rudolf said he was "at a loss" as to why the swell wasn't forming as it usually does. It's a pretty important Munich tourism site, so authorities are trying to fix the issue quicksmart - they say they’re working with the city’s Water Management Office to figure it out. In the meantime, disappointed surfers will have to check out one of Munich’s other tourist attractions - perhaps the Bavarian State Opera for a (dramatic) change of pace…

Apropos of Nothing

The Yarra Valley in Victoria received its very own version of Monopoly yesterday, with Mr Monopoly (or Rich Uncle Pennybags, to use his former name) turning up to launch the game. The most expensive property on the board? The Yarra Valley Wineries of course…  

The Bureau of Meteorology is having some kind of a month - already in the headlines for its poorly received website design, it's also had a buoy break free of its moorings in South Oz, despite 9 months of repairs and wash up on Kangaroo Island. When it rains, it pours… 

Aussie basketballer Josh Giddey has kicked off the new NBA season with a bang - scoring consecutive triple-doubles (10+ points, rebounds and assists) for the Chicago Bulls. The last Bulls player to do that was a little-known fella called Michael Jordan… 

Squiz the Day

10.30am (AEDT) - Seven West Media will hold its Annual General Meeting at the company’s headquarters in Eveleigh - Sydney

10.30am (AEDT) - NAB will announce its full-year results - online  

11.00am (AEST) - NIB Holdings’ AGM takes place at the Fullerton Hotel - Sydney

11.30am (AEDT) - Matt Tyler, Executive Director of the Men’s Project at Jesuit Social Services & Professor Kate Fitz-Gibbon, international expert in domestic and family violence, will address the National Press Club to launch the Adolescent Man Box Report - Canberra

1.00pm (AEDT) - Horse racing: It’s Oaks Day, with the Crown Oaks race run at 5.10pm, Flemington Racecourse - Melbourne, watch on 9Now

5.30pm (AEDT) - The Ocean Photographer of the Year exhibition launch at the Australian National Maritime Museum - Sydney

7.30pm (AEDT) - The 2026 Australian of the Year Awards for Victoria will be announced during a ceremony at the Arts Centre Melbourne - Melbourne, watch the livestream here

ABS data releases: Public sector employment and earnings, 2024-2025 FY, International Trade in Goods, September 2025

The 2-day Belém Climate Summit begins ahead of next week’s COP30, convened by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva - Belem, Brazil 

Birthdays for actors Sally Field (1946) and Emma Stone (1988)

Anniversary of:

• Abraham Lincoln being elected as US President (1860)

• the death of composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1893)

• the first performance of the Sex Pistols at Saint Martin’s School of Art in London (1975)

• Australia voting against a proposal to become a republic (1999)