Today is Hug a Bear Day, and for safety reasons this does refer to teddy bears (but we’re sure real bears would sense our pure intentions and not attack us…).
Reader, you would not believe my excitement on Friday morning when I woke up to a text from Squiz Today host Anna saying that the 2027 Met Gala theme had been announced. For this weekend’s news that’s not important, the 2027 theme is ‘extraORDINARY: Fashion and the Poetics of the Everyday’, so think jeans and a T-shirt (but fancy…). Things that look like one thing, made into another.
If judging red-carpet looks is not a pastime of yours, the thing I’m yapping about is The Costume Institute’s annual exhibit theme, which opens with the Met Gala on the first Monday in May (with an accompanying dress code, of course). Here’s a handy Instagram reel (because I am Gen Z, after all) outlining what we can expect to see…
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NEWS
This week’s top stories
The US midterm election dominated the news globally this week, and the superlatives got a good workout to describe the Democrats’ win… The Republican Party had held narrow majorities in both the House and the Senate, but both have been flipped to the Democrats. There were some surprises, like Texas electing its first Democratic Governor since the 1990s. As for what it means, we might see attempts to block US spending on the Iran war, and there’s talk of impeachment. But the new Congress doesn’t start until 3 January, so we’ll have to wait and see.
In a shock to probably no one after last week’s inflation numbers, the Reserve Bank raised rates to 4.85% - the highest they’ve been in 18 years. Just to remind people what the cash rate actually is: it’s how much it costs banks to borrow from each other, which gets passed on to us with the aim of bringing down spending and, in turn, inflation. The RBA pointed to oil prices pushing up inflation, but Governor Michele Bullock said excess demand is a big factor - so the impact of government spending keeps coming up.
For the first time in its 188-year history, David Jones went into voluntary administration this week. While it’s not good news, we should note voluntary administration doesn’t mean it’s over. It’s when the company calls in outside experts to take over and try to save it, or, failing that, wind it up. We’ve learnt that it hadn’t paid rent for its 17 Westfield stores since September. The cost of its footprint was more than it could afford, so closing stores is likely where it’ll start. If you’ve got a gift voucher, probably wise to use it quickly…
PLAYING
The Squiz Quiz
Reckon you know which horse won the Melbourne Cup this week? Test your news knowledge with the Squiz Quiz.
SQUIZ RECOMMENDS
For your weekend
/ Movie - Primetime hit Aussie theatres a few weeks ago and is a psychological thriller starring Robert Pattinson and directed by Lance Oppenheim. It’s the story of an interesting slice of TV history.
What’s it about? The rise and fall of the US reality TV show To Catch A Predator, a show where host Chris Hansen would work with a watchdog group to essentially lure paedophiles into a sting house. The show and the film culminate at a moment that calls the ethics of the whole premise into question. Our News Director Andrew Williams reckons it’s worth the watch.
Why do we like it? Andrew raved about Pattinson’s portrayal of Hansen, capping off the great year he’s having on the big screen. The film itself isn’t quite as great as Pattinson performance, but it’s an interesting and somewhat surreal telling of a fascinating story. And a fun tidbit: the real-life producer of the show 20 years ago, Jeff Zucker, plays himself in the film (just 20 years older…).
/ Interview - Joe Aston recently interviewed Betashares founder Alex Vynokur for Rampart Talks, and Vynokur is someone worth having on your radar. If you’re a Rampart subscriber, you can listen to the full 50-minute interview, or the 15-minute highlights are available on YouTube.
What’s it about? Betashares is one of Australia’s largest investment managers and is a real homegrown success story in financial services. Our Publisher Kate Watson said that Joe’s interview touches on both the company and Oz politics more broadly.
Why do we like it? Kate said Vynokur had a really interesting perspective. He was born in Soviet Ukraine and is Jewish. He’s not particularly political but incredibly thoughtful about Australia right now. She reckons that even if it’s not through this interview, learning more about him and what he has to say is worthwhile.
/ Book - The incredible Nora Ephron wrote so many amazing books, essays and films, including her collection of essays, I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman.
What’s it about? As the title suggests, it’s Ephron’s candid takes and tales on ageing, community, cooking, and frankly, getting over yourself. It’s pretty short, and broken into 15 essays, so it’s a good one to read over a weekend. If you’ve ever had an apartment you love, mourned a favourite cafe closing, or felt like you spent half your week just trying to look like yourself, you’ll seriously relate.
Why do we like it? I genuinely feel this book should be required reading, and I have been (lovingly) forcing it on all my friends. It feels like a slap in the face to your insecurities, and it got me to reassess the things that were stressing me out, without being preachy. It’s so funny and wise, and I know I’ll keep picking it up again in years to come.
THE THREE MINUTE SQUIZ
Sophie Hansen - Food writer and photographer
Every week, we’re going to 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 into lately. Here’s Sophie’s reading tip…
“I recently finished and loved Victoria Hannan’s ‘I Love the Whole World’ - it’s been a while since a book made me grin and laugh out loud so much.”
To find out about her new cookbook and who’d be at her ultimate dinner party, check out this week’s…
EAT
In the Kitchen
This one’s an oldie but a goodie from Nigel Slater - chicken with sesame and mint served with a fresh cabbage and goat’s curd salad. It’s lovely for warm spring and summer evenings and pairs well with jasmine rice to make it a bit more filling.
SCROLL
Double-Tapping
We cannot help but giggle when looking at this photo of Bob Dylan and Pope Leo. The internet is having a field day with it and so are we… Guess we could say he’s knock, knock, Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (well, the Vatican’s…).
