Friday, 12 June, 2020
Showdown over protests; the world’s oldest grizzly has bear cubs; footy players take a knee; and Tik Tok neighbour pests.
LINKS:
Grizzly and cubs:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jun/09/yellowstone-grizzly-bear-399-conservation
What’s Up Fox:
Listening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caoP4dj2oro
Reading: www.penguinbloom.com
Watching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PG1gU7fjBUk
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
THE LOWDOWN
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Expect an almighty showdown today and tomorrow as organisers of the Black Lives Matter protest marches planned for the weekend butt heads with police and the government.
At issue: the right to take to the streets and protest. And the public health risk it poses.
Let’s break it down. We’re all supposed to be social distancing, because: coronavirus. But since the widespread protests against racial inequality swept the globe following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, countries everywhere have been trying to balance the rights of citizens to protest, with protecting the community from a flare up of the coronavirus.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison yesterday urged people planning to protest again this weekend to consider “fellow Australians”, saying that if the coronavirus started spreading again, it would not only put lives in danger but also hurt the economy.
His plea came as one protester at last weekend’s rally in Melbourne yesterday tested positive for COVID-19.
Police in most states have meanwhile said they will fine anyone breaking social distancing regulations this weekend.
Meanwhile, in countries like India and Brazil – confirmed numbers of coronavirus cases continue to surge – with Brazil recording more than 775,000 cases.
SPIN THE GLOBE
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Each day we give the world globe a spin and find a news story wherever it stops. And today, we find ourselves in Yellowstone National Park in the United States, where there is much excitement at the appearance in the park of a 24-year-old grizzly bear and her four cute-as-a-button bear cubs.
The bear, called ‘399’, is one of the oldest known grizzlies living in the wild. And the fact she has given birth to four cubs while in hibernation, has conservationists doing cartwheels.
Hibernation is what bears in the northern hemisphere do, often in caves, to sleep through the freezing winters.
Bear watchers in Yellowstone were not sure if 399 was going to make it through the winter just gone – so the fact she’s emerged to tackle another spring with four bouncy cubs in tow, has them tickled pink.
There’s a link in today’s episode notes to a photo of 399 and her four cubs.
SPORT TIME!
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It was a 36-all draw in last night’s nail-biting restart to the AFL season as Collingwood and Richmond faced off at an empty MCG. While over in rugby league land, the Broncos squandered an 18-0 lead to finally lose to the Manly Sea Eagles 20-18.
Meanwhile, AFL footy players are likely to follow the example set by the Tigers and Magpies players last night and show their support this weekend to the Black Lives Matter movement by ‘taking a knee’ – which means kneeling on one knee. The gesture will be made in support of Australia’s Indigenous people and as a show of support for the cause of racial equality.
POP CULTURE CORNER
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Tik Tok .. it’s all fun and games until you have to live next to it. At least that’s what a neighbourhood in Los Angeles is finding after one of the social media platform’s biggest collective of influencers moved in.
It’s called the Sway House and it’s made up of a bunch of young lads who – according to the neighbours in the swanky suburb of Bel Air – make a whole lot of noise late into the night compiling their videos. Police have been called, warnings have been given – but the lads from the Sway House just keep shooting each other with paintball guns, blaring their music and racking up millions of likes. I’m going to guess the neighbours aren’t contributing to those likes…
WHAT’S UP FOX?
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Every Friday we check in with Squiz Kids ambassador, Flynn – known as The Fox to his friends – to see what he’s been reading, listening to and watching.
And this week, he’s been reading Penguin Bloom … the beautiful story of a funny little magpie called Penguin who fell from the sky and saved an Aussie family.
On high rotation in the ear buds this week is the haunting tune Surrender, by Natalie Taylor — it’s soft and soulful and perfect for a lazy afternoon listen.
And as for watching: this week he’s been coming home from school, flopping on the lounge and watching Fuller House. Because every now and then we all just need to tune out and watch something easy.
THE S’QUIZ
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This is the part of the podcast where you get to test how well you’ve been listening …
- What’s the name of the national park in the US where grizzly 399 has just appeared with her four cubs?
- Who won last night’s AFL season re-starter between Collingwood and Richmond?
- What’s the name of the TV show that the Fox has been flopping down in front of this week?
SHOUT OUTS
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It’s June 12 … today is the birthday of Anne Frank, author of the famous, Diary of Anne Frank – it’s also Russia’s national day, plus the anniversary of the release of a rock and roll song that changed modern music: Bill Halley’s “Rock Around The Clock”.
It’s also a Friday – and that means eleventy million birthday shout outs..
Happy birthday to … Jessica and Sahaj from Campbelltown, Emily from Pallara, Itaya from Madora Bay, Craig from Deans Marsh, Lilly from Morningside, Henry from Coffs Harbour, Jaden from Heidelberg, Michelle from Oran Park, Reni from Toronto (NSW), Ava from Crookwell, Finn from O’Connor, Toby from Paddington, Hamish and Bobby from Brisbane, Leon from Shoal Bay, Phoenix from Abbotsford, Lilly from Dubbo, Macy and Nivea from Orange, Elwynn from Franklin, Inara from Oakleigh, Bob from Blacktown, Harvey from Newcastle, Basil from Narraweena, Alberta from the Blue Mountains, Naz from North Sydney, Burley from Warringah, Oda from Manly, Barnaby from Mudgee, Pavle and Ryan Sydney, and Annabel who’s listening all the way over there in Whistler, in Canada.
And some belated birthday shoutouts… Clementine from Robertson, Charlotte from Sydney, Ryan from Albany Hills, Sophia from Melbourne, and Xavier from Sheoak Grove.
And some shoutouts for all the kids with birthdays over the weekend…Harry from Tottenham, Tayla from Melbourne, Chris and Greta from Sydney, Aadhi from Nudgee, Connor from Camp Hill, Lachlan from Waterman’s Bay, Amber from Wellington Point, Hannah from Upper Mount Gravatt, Lottie from Curlewis, Elijah from Ripponlea, Carter from Mereweather, Harry from Glenbrook, Marli from Crookwell, Jackson from Shellharbour, Mia from Abbotsford, Misha from Brisbane, Stella from Carnegie, and Thomas from Kew
Happy birthday to you all. I need a lie down now.
The S’Quiz Answers:
- Yellowstone National Park
- No-one. It was a draw.
- Fuller House