Tuesday, 24 September - Don’t stop me now

September 24, 2024

Good morning, it’s Tuesday, 24 September. In your Squiz Today…

  • Coles and Woolies are accused of offering fake discounts

  • Lebanon’s deadliest day in 3 decades

  • And Daniel Ricciardo may have zoomed past his last chequered flag… 🏁

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Squiz the Weather

Squiz Sayings

"Life's short so get after it."

Said last night’s Brownlow medalist Patrick Cripps after taking out the AFL’s prize for the season's best and fairest. You know what was also short? His team Carlton's finals series after being eliminated in round one… (PS here’s your Brownlows red carpet gallery…)

Cracking down down on the supermarkets

The Squiz

Our big food and grocery retailers are back in the spotlight after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) yesterday moved to sue Coles and Woolworths over allegations they misled shoppers. They’re accused of offering “illusory” discounts on everyday items like Tim Tams and toothpaste over more than a year. ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said she’s "seeking a significant penalty. This is serious conduct that is of great concern to us, that affected many consumers with millions of products sold, subject to this practice." But the supermarkets say they’ll defend the action (Coles) or take some time to review it (Woolies). 

What’s this about?

The regulator says the retailers held prices on items for between 6 months and a year before hiking the cost by at least 15% for a few weeks. The ACCC says they then dropped the price to either its long-term average or slightly higher to claim a 'Down Down' (Coles) or 'Prices Dropped' (Woolworths) promo price/special. The regulator says that behaviour would breach our consumer protections, and it will seek "declarations, penalties, costs and other orders”. Zooming out a bit, this isn’t the first time the supermarkets have been under scrutiny this year, and that saw PM Anthony Albanese get in on the action yesterday. He said the government will put forward new legislation to protect Aussies from inflated prices, describing the latest accusations as "not good enough".

Why is this such a big deal?

Well, the rising cost of living is probably the biggest issue for Aussies right now - just ask your local MP who’s about to pitch for your vote… And the economic data shows inflation is not letting up, despite our lingering high interest rates. The Reserve Bank wants to get inflation back within a 2-3% target range (it’s currently at 3.5%...), which some economists reckon could be unveiled on Wednesday when the latest monthly consumer price index data is released. That is unlikely to move the board’s decision today with the hot money on interest rates remaining on hold. TBC…

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

The deadliest day in Lebanon for a while

Thousands of people are trying to escape southern Lebanon after Israel launched “extensive strikes” overnight against Hezbollah, claiming the militant group is hiding weapons inside houses. Lebanese authorities say at least 356 people have been killed and 1,246 injured in what’s being described as “the deadliest day since the civil war” in 1990, and Israel’s most intense bombardment since 2006. Locals received text and voice messages on their phones from the Israeli military, warning them to steer clear of villages and homes storing Hezbollah weapons, and similar warnings were put on social media in English and Arabic. For his part, Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu said “I have a message for the people of Lebanon: Israel’s war is not with you. It’s with Hezbollah.” The United Nations and world leaders have again called for calm. 

Party planning for the future

Coalition leader Peter Dutton is out and about spruiking his nuclear plan to solve our power problems - he reckons it’s “clear” the government can’t reach its 2030 emissions reduction target or net zero by 2050 with renewables alone. That will be a big job for our newly appointed Energy Infrastructure Commissioner Tony Mahar, who was named in the role yesterday... But the Coalition is also facing increasing pressure to put a dollar figure on their proposal. Dutton says that will come "in due course," but Independent MP Allegra Spender is one who yesterday said she thinks the Coalition has “no credible plan”. Dutton also announced that he’ll axe the role of First Nations Ambassador following reports Justin Mohamed spent big bucks on overseas trips with money Dutton says should be going to those “who are struggling”.

Harris’s favourability jumps 

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris is gaining ground in the US election race against her Republican rival Donald Trump. The latest NBC News poll says 48% of registered voters have more favourable views of Harris than before she became the Democrats’ presidential nominee, up from 32% in July. That’s the biggest increase in a politician’s favourability in an NBC poll since President George W Bush’s ratings jumped after the 9/11 attacks. As for Trump, he says he doesn’t see himself running for president again if he's not successful in this campaign… And while we’re talking about Trump, the man accused of planning to assassinate him at his golf course just over a week ago is due to appear in court today. Prosecutors say Ryan Routh wrote a letter months before addressed to "the world" outlining his intentions to kill the former President and offering a bounty if unsuccessful.

Keeping up with prison reforms

Kim Kardashian (reality star/law student/criminal justice advocate) is pushing for prison reforms this week with a visit to a San Diego jail to speak to inmates - including convicted murderers Lyle and Erik Menendez. It’s not out of the blue… Kardashian has supported criminal justice causes for years, with former President Donald Trump granting clemency to a woman serving a life sentence after pressure from Kardashian back in 2018. She’s known to regularly visit prisons - but this latest one is making waves because it’s days after a true crime series on the Menendez brothers called Monsters debuted on Netflix… They were convicted in 1996 of killing their parents - it was a huge deal that garnered international attention at the time. Kardashian was joined by Monsters star Cooper Koch for the visit - which might have been a bit awkward, given the Menendez family’s criticism of the series…

Closing in on the finish line…

Aussie racing legend/8-time Grand Prix winner Daniel Ricciardo may be farewelling the Formula 1 circuit and calling time on his 257-race career… After finishing the Singapore Grand Prix in 18th place yesterday, he said he was feeling “a lot of emotions, because - look, I'm aware it could be it”. There have been questions about the 35yo’s future thanks to lacklustre results in recent years. He’s currently with the RB team, but he’s tipped to be replaced by Kiwi up-and-comer Liam Lawson. Ricciardo says he’s keeping things positive, which is something he’s well-known/loved for, saying “the fairytale ending didn't happen, but I also have to look back on what it's been… 13 or so years and I'm proud”. Nothing’s locked in yet so you never know. Until then, some of Ricciardo’s funnier moments are worth a look. 

Apropos of Nothing - Rare finds edition

A 200yo message in a bottle has been unearthed in northern France. Written by archeologist PJ Féret, the message says he “carried out excavations here in January 1825”. It’s not exactly the stuff of Treasure Island but the team described the find as “a magic moment” nonetheless…

A rare surrealist painting of a gloomy street by artist René Magritte is tipped to sell for nearly $140 million when it goes under the hammer in New York. L’empire des lumières is one of 27 paintings exploring light - or the lack thereof.

And an old book donated to a Hobart reject shop has turned out to be the diary of Antarctic explorer David Johns. Dating back to 1957, it’s now in the hands of the National Museum of Australia after a shop worker realised it was something special. You know what they say - don’t judge a book by its cover…

Squiz the Day

8.00am (AEST) - Gathering on Indigenous leadership in disaster response and recovery (on until 26 September) - Lismore

9.30am (AEST) - Australian Cricket: One Day Cup - Western Australia v South Australia - Sydney and watch on Kayo 

12.00pm (AEST) - Cricket: WNCL - Western Australia v Tasmania - Perth and watch on Kayo

12.30pm (AEST) - Professor Henry Brodaty will address the National Press Club on "Dementia: hope beckons" - Canberra

2.30pm (AEST) - RBA Governor Michele Bullock will announce the latest interest rate decision - Sydney

7.10pm (AEST) - Cricket: Australia Women v New Zealand Women - Third T20I - Mayne, QLD, and watch on Kayo

9.30pm (AEST) - Cricket: England Men v Australia Men - Third ODI - UK, and watch on Kayo

Ryan Routh, the man accused of planning to assassinate Donald Trump at his Florida golf course on 15 September, will appear in court on federal gun charges - Florida, US

National Punctuation Day

World Bollywood Day

Anniversary of:

  • the birthdays of F Scott Fitzgerald (1896), Jim Henson (1936) and Linda McCartney (1941)

  • Kentucky Fried Chicken opening its first franchise in Salt Lake City, Utah (1952)

  • the release of Elvis Presley's Jailhouse Rock (1957)

  • the release of Nirvana’s album Nevermind (1991)

  • the release of the BBC's Pride and Prejudice starring Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth (1995)

  • the premiere of The Big Bang Theory (2007)