Good morning, it’s Friday, 13 November. In your Squiz Today…
Oz cricket Test captain Pat Cummins will address sandpapergate claims this morning
Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang resigns after 2 alleged affairs
And the ultimate lazy girl salad… 🥗
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🙋🏻♀️ This newsletter was written by Anna Pykett, Larissa Huntington, Andrew Williams and Sophie Felice
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“We know that it's deadly dangerous and we actually want to say to people don't try to repeat it, because we've been doing it for 15 years”.
Said Ivan Kuznetsov, half of the duo that climbed to the top of the Empire State Building in July. They’ve given their first interview after their stunt got tongues wagging about how they pulled it off. Some couples really take things to another level…
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Opening the Sandpapergate
The Squiz
You can expect to see even more about the Australian men’s cricket team’s sandpaper scandal in the news today, as Oz Test captain Pat Cummins will hold a press conference to answer some of the burning questions. This all kicked off over the weekend, when news broke that former Aussie batter Usman Khawaja claimed in his new autobiography that all members of the Australian team knew about an infamous cheating incident that took place all the way back in 2018…
What did he say?
As we mentioned on Monday, he claimed that all members of the Aussie cricket team at the time knew of a plan to use sandpaper on the cricket ball in a Test match against South Africa in Cape Town. The idea was that using sandpaper on the ball would make it move around in the air more and make it harder to hit. But that’s known as ball-tampering, and it’s illegal - and when Aussie player Cameron Bancroft was caught on camera stuffing sandpaper into his pocket, it kicked off a huge scandal. Even then-PM Malcolm Turnbull got involved… In the end, 3 players: Bancroft, captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner, were suspended, and Cricket Australia found they were the only ones who knew of the plan. Khawaja was in the team too, and he said he knew it was happening - and so did everyone else…
Including Cummins?
Well, Khawaja says “all of us” knew. Cummins was one of the 4 bowlers in the team at the time, and one of the players that would have most benefited from sandpaper being used on the ball. But he’s always firmly denied he had any idea what was going on - and he’s been the Aussie Test captain since 2021. So he’ll get asked today at 9.30am AEDT what he knew and when - and whether his relationship with Khawaja has copped a hit since the book’s release. And the story won’t stop there - the Australian one-day international team has a game today, and yesterday ODI team captain Mitch Marsh - who was also in the side back in 2018 - refused to answer any questions on the matter. So it’s over to Pat now…
*As you can probably tell, there’s a whole stack of history to this scandal - if you’d like the full background, we’ve got a Squiz Shortcut ready to roll…
Squiz the Rest
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has resigned…
… after 33 years running the AI company he co-founded, following days of speculation. We got the news just before US markets opened in the early hours of this morning, after reports emerged that he’d had 2 affairs - one with a woman US intelligence suspects is a Chinese spy, and another with an Nvidia executive. This is a big deal because Nvidia is one of the most valuable companies in the world - it makes the chips most AI companies want, so if its tech has leaked to China, that could raise national security concerns and shake up the US-China AI race (but Nvidia says it hasn’t seen any signs of that). Its board has named Nvidia’s CFO, Colette Kress, interim CEO while it hunts for a permanent boss. Reports say Huang has agreed to testify before the US Congress in a closed-door grilling as soon as next week, as investigations continue.
One person has been killed and 4 more injured in Washington DC
Police in the US capital say a gunman shot 5 people in Logan Circle, a neighbourhood about 1.6km north of the White House, at around 8am Thursday local time (that’s midnight AEDT). A man was killed in the gym where the shooting started, then the suspect left and shot 4 others. They’re all in hospital - one is in a critical condition, and the other 3 aren’t thought to have life-threatening injuries. Police haven’t named the suspect, but say he was found in an apartment above the gym with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and he’s since died. Shootings aren’t unheard of in Washington DC, but the city has tighter laws on who can carry guns than many parts of the US.
A costly time for 2 of our big banks
Let’s start with NAB, which admitted to underpaying nearly 66,000 staff by a total of $127 million over a 14-year period. The bank apologised for the payroll mistakes which it self-reported, and it’s in the process of paying staff what they’re owed, along with interest and super. We also found out yesterday that the corporate watchdog ASIC has taken legal action against Commonwealth Bank for allegedly overcharging tens of thousands of customers - many of them small businesses - millions of dollars in fees they weren’t told about through its CommBiz online banking platform. The bank says it’s paid customers back and it’ll defend some aspects of the case. The CEOs of both banks are due to front an annual parliamentary review today, so keep an ear out for news on that later…
Try this on for size
This Sunday, the Rugby League World Cup will come to an end with 2 trans-Tasman tussles in Brisbane. On Sunday afternoon at 3.10pm AEST, the Aussie women’s team - the Jillaroos - will be taking on the Kiwi Ferns for their fourth title. The 2 teams are currently tied on 3 cup wins each, and the Aussies will go in as heavy favourites. The men’s game at 6.35pm AEST is expected to be a closer contest - the Aussie Kangaroos only narrowly defeated the Kiwis in the opening match 24-22, and this game is tipped to be similar. And keep an eye out for the wheelchair world cup final at 7.45pm AEDT tonight, where France will take on England in Wollongong. You can watch on Channel 7 and 7plus.
Sunburned but safe
A 17yo who’d been missing in dense bushland in Victoria’s Gippsland for 6 days was found alive yesterday. William (his last name hasn’t been released) was camping with a friend in an area about 180km east of Melbourne, when he got lost. Reports say he spent days walking through rough and rocky bushland wearing only shorts and a pair of boots - before he fell into a dry riverbed 3 days ago. He was woken yesterday by the sound of a rescue helicopter and was able to give rescuers a thumbs-up when he saw them. Apart from being very tired, some cuts to his legs and a bad case of sunburn, he’s otherwise OK. His relieved mum Elizabeth Barkley said “To wrap my arms around him was just a miracle … my baby has come back to me.” Then she added: “He's never leaving the house again. He's grounded for life”. Something tells us he won’t argue…
Friday Lites - 3 things we liked this week
This week we’ve binge-watched season 2 of Black Doves, starring Keira Knightley, Ben Whishaw and Sarah Lancashire. It’s about an undercover spy who’s married to the UK Prime Minister - what could possibly go wrong? You can watch on Netflix and thank us later…
We’re late to the party, but we’re getting a lot of joy from the latest season of the Great British Bake Off. Nigella Lawson has joined Paul Hollywood as a judge, and she goes around saying things like “I’m full of cake and hope” and “eating is one of my superpowers”, which is why she’s one of our favourite people on TV. Find it on Binge…
We’re getting closer to the end of the year when everyone’s either out or knackered, and on nights when we’re dining solo, we like to throw together a version of ‘girl dinner’ that’s more exciting than yoghurt or toast. Enter this tuna and chickpea salad - it’s been our go-to since uni days and seen us through many a lazy evening. You’re welcome…
A Three Minute Squiz with…
Vanessa McCausland
We’ve brought back a favourite segment where we spend a few minutes with a Squizer who’ll share what’s keeping them busy, what’s on their mind and what they’ve been reading/watching/listening to lately…
Vanessa is the author of 6 novels, including The Last Illusion of Paige White, which was named by The New York Times in its roundup of Best Thrillers last year. She’s known for her twisty, gripping stories and for bringing their settings vividly to life. They're often set in Oz, but her next novel, The Heart Note takes place in France - it’s coming in February. Coming-of-age stories are a strong theme in her work - here’s what she’d tell her younger self…
What’s one piece of advice you’d give her younger self?
Travel. Maybe I’m romanticising backpacking in the early 2000s, but I wish I’d taken off for a few years instead of a few months. Little did we know that the kind of freedom where a person could completely disappear and disconnect and not be reliant on a device would become a relic. I probably write books to seek the same sensation.
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Squiz the Day
Friday
9.30am (AEDT) - Cricket: Oz Test captain Pat Cummins is set to address the media about the claims Usman Khawaja made in his new book that the whole 2018 Aussie men’s Test team knew about sandpapergate - Sydney
11.30am (AWST) - Cricket: First Men’s ODI Australia v England - Perth, watch on Kayo
5.30pm (AEDT) - Recipients of the 2027 Australian of the Year Awards for Tasmania - Hobart
7.30pm (AEDT) - Swimming: 2026 Swim GP begins (until 14 November) - Melbourne, watch on 9Now
7.45pm (AEDT) - Rugby league: Rugby league wheelchair World Cup final England v France - Wollongong, watch on 7Plus
PM Anthony Albanese will head from Türkiye to the Philippines ahead of the ASEAN Summit on 16 November - Manila
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is meeting US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, fresh from their meeting with Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin aimed at ending Russia’s war with Ukraine - Dublin
Professional Bull Riders Australia Grand Finals (until 14 November) - Townsville
Birthdays for actor Whoopi Goldberg (1955) and late-night host Jimmy Kimmel (1967)
Anniversary of:
Benjamin Franklin writing in a letter, "in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes" (1789)
the first public test chime of the Great Bell of Big Ben (1856)
the release of Walt Disney’s animated film Fantasia (1940)
Sonny and Cher performing together for the final time, singing I Got You, Babe on Late Night with David Letterman (1987)
the Islamic State carrying out a series of coordinated terrorist attacks in Paris, killing 130 people (2015)
Saturday
1.45am (AEDT) - Football: men’s international friendly Socceroos v Qatar - Doha, watch on Paramount+
4.05pm (AEDT) - Aussie rules: AFLW semi-final Geelong Cats v Sydney Swans - Geelong, watch on 7Plus
7.15pm (AEDT) - Aussie rules: AFLW semi-final Carlton v Hawthorn Hawks - Melbourne, watch on 7Plus
Victorian volunteer lifesavers and lifeguards to begin the summer patrol season
National Pickle Day - US
A birthday for King Charles (1948)
Anniversary of:
the birthday of painter Claude Monet (1840)
the US publication of Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick (1851)
New York World reporter Nellie Bly beginning her attempt to surpass the fictitious journey of Jules Verne’s Phileas Fogg by travelling around the world in under 80 days. She succeeds, finishing the trip in 72 days, 6 hours (1889)
the first Eurostar trains taking passengers running under the English Channel (1994)
the film premiere of the first James Bond film starring Daniel Craig, Casino Royale (2006)
Sunday
12.00pm (AEDT) - Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards - Los Angeles
2.00pm (ACDT) - Cricket: Second Men’s ODI Australia v England - Adelaide, watch on Kayo
3.10pm (AEST) - Rugby league: Women’s Rugby League World Cup Final Australian Jillaroos v New Zealand Kiwi Ferns - Brisbane, watch on 7Plus
6.35pm (AEST) - Rugby league: Men’s Rugby League World Cup Final Australian Kangaroos v New Zealand Kiwis - Brisbane, watch on 7Plus
Start of National Skin Cancer Action Week (on until 22 Nov)
Birthdays for ABBA singer Anni-Frid "Frida" Lyngstad (1945), designer Jimmy Choo (1948), and actor Shailene Woodley (1991)
Anniversary of
the ousting of Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe (2017)
the death of rapper Lil Peep at 21yo (2017)
The estimated date of the world’s population reaching 8 billion (2022)
Monday
2.10am (AEDT) - Rugby union: Nations Championship round 5, Scotland v Wallabies - Edinburgh, watch on Stan
