Tuesday, 21 January - Here we go for one more turn

Good morning, it’s Tuesday, 21 January. In your Squiz Today…

• Donald Trump’s second term as US President begins

• Star Entertainment Group’s down on its luck

• And Sydney’s whiffy new attraction… 🌼

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Squiz Sayings

Said "The Wizard of Oz" Alex de Minaur after beating American Alex Michelsen in straight sets to book his first quarterfinal spot in the Australian Open. Living up to his latest nickname, he wrote on the camera lens "there's no place like home"…

Out with the old, in with the new-old

The Squiz

As we hit send this morning, the formalities surrounding Donald Trump’s swearing-in as the 47th President of the United States are wrapping up in Washington DC, completing his political comeback ahead of his second (non-consecutive) term in the White House. In his inaugural speech inside the Capitol Rotunda on what he called “Liberation Day”, Trump told the crowd “the golden age of America begins right now” before pledging a raft of promises he intends to fulfil - starting today.

What happened?

Plenty - you can catch up here. It started with Trump and his new Vice President JD Vance taking the oath of office, watched on by their wives, Melania Trump and Usha Vance, along with former presidents Joe Biden, Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. And for the first time in US history, foreign leaders were invited to attend - including our Foreign Minister Penny Wong. Chinese President Xi Jinping was also invited by Trump… He wasn’t there, but in a gesture of goodwill, he sent his Vice President Han Zheng. Outgoing prez Joe Biden used his last day in office to issue some 11th-hour pardons, protecting those who investigated the January 6 attack on the Capitol. But it was Trump’s swathe of plans including renaming the Gulf of Mexico, taking back the Panama Canal, and putting Americans on Mars, that got all the attention…

What next?

He’s got a game plan for his first 100 days - you can read up on it here, but it’s clear he wants to hit the ground running… Trump says he’ll move with “historic speed and strength” to sign more than 200 executive orders, starting with enacting his hardline immigration policy - declaring a national emergency at the US southern border. Other headline-grabbing promises include releasing classified government documents related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, establishing the Department of Government Efficiency, ramping up artificial intelligence programmes, and canning diversity policies in the US military. Hang on to your seats…

Setting the scene for a summer rom-com

If you’re planning some quality downtime, go straight to the new series based on bestselling author Beth O’Leary’s novel The Road Trip. It’s all about second chances… Exes Addie and Dylan are on their way to a friend’s wedding in Spain, years after their holiday romance went south. There’s Spanish scenery, funny side characters and a campervan full of tension, making it the rom-com of the summer. You can watch the trailer here now. All episodes now streaming only on Paramount+.

Squiz the Rest

Taking stock after the war

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is still holding on day 2, and things are moving fast… Following yesterday’s release of 3 Israeli hostages (and the ensuing celebrations), Israel freed 90 Palestinian prisoners - 69 women and 21 teenage boys - in the occupied West Bank. Israel says they’d been detained for various levels of offences - from throwing stones to attempted murder. As part of the ceasefire deal, more than 1,600 other Palestinian prisoners will be released in the coming months as Hamas frees more than 90 remaining Israeli hostages. In Gaza, there’s a hive of activity at the territory’s border crossings, where aid groups are rushing to get food, water and medical supplies through. The UN says more than 1.8 million people there need urgent support - and that includes shelter, with 92% of Gaza’s homes damaged or destroyed.

Labor’s keen on green machines

The Albanese Government's been on a roll with funding pledges, and here's another biggie - it's promising $2 billion to support “green aluminium” if it’s re-elected. Green aluminium is not a more colourful version - it’s aluminium produced with renewable energy. And since it takes so much energy to produce - the biggest single user of electricity in Australia is an aluminium smelter - the government’s plan is to help the industry go green by providing tax incentives if they switch to renewable power. While the policy was welcomed by both major Aussie mining company Rio Tinto - which owns a smelter in Queensland - and environmental advocacy group the Climate Council, Coalition Leader Peter Dutton called it a “con job” - he says renewables won’t provide the amount of reliable power the industry needs. 

A fading Star

The money’s running out for Star Entertainment Group, which operates 3 casinos across NSW and Queensland and employs over 9000 people. In an update to the Aussie stock market yesterday, Star said it currently has only $79 million in cash - for reference, it spent $108 million between October and December last year. CEO Steve McCann has asked the 2 state governments for tax relief help - NSW Premier Chris Minns isn’t keen, and Queensland Premier David Crisafulli only said he’d consider it - Star is a major partner in the $3.8 billion Queen’s Wharf development in Brisbane. Not helping the pressure on the balance sheet is a $15 million fine the Sydney casino copped in October for compliance failures - it’s paid $5 million of that so far.  

A Big finish in the Big Bash

The Twenty20 cricket tournament finals kick off tonight, with the Hobart Hurricanes hosting the Sydney Sixers for a place in next Monday's grand final. It's been a topsy-turvy season - despite losing their first 5 games, the Melbourne Stars squeaked through to the finals in their last game of the season, largely due to the incredible form of star batter Glenn Maxwell. They'll take on the Sydney Thunder in Sydney in a knockout final to play the loser of Canes/Sixers for the other Grand Final spot. The BBL always creates its fair share of highlights and controversy - this season gave us Maxwell’s viral boundary catch, Steve Smith’s huge century in his first game back for the Sixers, a dramatic collision between 2 Thunder players in Perth, and the Stars running an opponent out - but forgetting to appeal…

A whiff of history

If you live in Sydney, you love flowers and you also love really bad smells, boy do we have good news for you… Putricia, a “corpse flower” on display at the Royal Botanic Gardens, is set to bloom any minute now. In case you’re unfamiliar with this grave example of greenery, a corpse flower is so named because when it enters its 24-hour blooming period, it gives off an aroma of rotten flesh. And a bloom is quite the event - they only do it every 7-10 years on average, and it hasn’t happened in Sydney for 15 years. As such, thousands are tuning in to watch the plant on a YouTube livestream, hoping to catch a rare glimpse of the big moment. The Royal Botanic Gardens say they’ll be open late on blooming day, so anyone that wants to expose their nose to the flower’s muscular musk can go for their lives… 

PM Anthony Albanese joins News Club

In his first podcast interview of 2025 ahead of the federal election, PM Anthony Albanese joins News Club to talk about his values and why he doesn’t think the Coalition can win. We asked about his approach to Donald Trump, his news habits, the threat of misinformation, and his views on national pride. It’s a great listen as you ponder how you’ll vote in the upcoming election.

Apropos of Nothing

A ‘supergiant’ sea bug discovered off the coast of Vietnam has been named after Darth Vader because it looks a bit like his helmet. Found in a seabed far, far away, the bug is now a delicacy in Vietnam - opinions may vary on how appetising it looks…

If you’ve ever been watching TV and your pooch pal seems transfixed by the action, it could very well be the case. The latest research suggests dogs are able to discern some of what’s going on, but they do prefer shows that feature other dogs. Can’t disagree with that…

On a more active note, the world of artistic roller skating is thriving in Bunbury, WA - where several international competitors are being trained at the local rink. They’re keen to attract more skaters to the sport they love - and if their stories don’t inspire you, these 70s/80s/90s skating classics might…

Squiz the Day

From 4.00am (AEDT) - Donald Trump's 2024 presidential inauguration - Washington DC, US, and broadcast live on ABC News and iview

11.10am (AEDT) - Cycling: Santos Tour Down Under Men's Stage 1, Prospect to Gueracha - South Australia, and broadcast live on 7Plus

7.30pm (AEDT) - Cricket: WBBL Qualifying final, Hobart Hurricanes v Sydney Sixers - Hobart, and broadcast live on Kayo

Prince Harry v the Murdochs’ News Group Newspapers trial begins - London, UK 

Squirrel Appreciation Day

🤗 Bring it in, it’s National Hugging Day

A birthday for Spanish opera singer/conductor Plácido Domingo (1941)

Anniversary of:

• the execution of the last king of France, King Louis XVI during the French Revolution (1793), as well as the deaths of Vladimir Lenin (1924) and George Orwell (1950)

• the start of the Battle of Khe Sanh (1968)