Squiz Today A Squiz at October: The PM visits the White House, and a Fat Bear Week winner
Jan 1, 2026
The podcast dives into Albanese's pivotal meeting with Trump, covering a multi-billion dollar minerals deal involving rare earths. There's a look at the AUKUS submarine assurances and local reactions to Trump’s lunch with Australian leaders. A surprising incident involving Kevin Rudd adds some tension. On the tech side, the discussion touches on the Optus outage affecting emergency calls and the resulting political fallout. To lighten the mood, Chunk the bear wins Fat Bear Week, showcasing ecological awareness and conservation!
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Major Rare Earths Deal Eases Strategic Fears
- Anthony Albanese and Donald Trump signed a multi-billion dollar Rare Earths and Critical Minerals deal involving US, Australia and Japan investments.
- The pact promises rapid supplies and progress on AUKUS submarines, calming Australian defence and industry concerns.
Personal Tensions Amid Diplomatic Success
- The meeting had a tense moment when Donald Trump and Australia's ambassador Kevin Rudd clashed over past comments, though they later reconciled.
- That exchange showed personal dynamics can surface even during broadly cordial diplomacy.
Act Quickly On Emergency-System Reviews
- After the Optus outage, Communications Minister Annika Wells introduced legislation to create a 000 custodian to bolster emergency-call resilience.
- Lawmakers should act on earlier review recommendations promptly to prevent repeat failures.