Tuesday, 25 October, 2022
Breaking down the budget; UK’s new PM; solar eclipse about to throw shade; and dressing dogs for Halloween.
LINKS
Solar eclipse video explainer: https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/eclipse-snap/en/
Watch the solar eclipse LIVE: https://www.space.com/solar-eclipse-october-2022-guide
Doggy Halloween: https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/2022/10/23/dogs-dress-up-in-elaborate-halloween-costumes-for-new-york-parade/
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EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
THE LOWDOWN
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A word you won’t be able to escape in the news today is BUDGET. That’s because with a great deal of fanfare and a storm of media coverage, the Federal Treasurer, Jim Chalmers, will be handing down the budget later tonight.
What does that mean? To hand down a budget?
The Federal Treasurer is the politician in Canberra in charge of deciding what the country spends money on.
You know how your folks go to work – and maybe you’ve heard them talking about how a portion of the money they earn goes in taxes to the government? Those taxes – as well as a lot of other money that the government raises – go into a big pile of cash that it uses to make sure the country runs smoothly.
Now – as you might imagine – there are lots and lots of things that are required to make a country run smoothly. From the roads we drive on every day, to the hospitals we hopefully don’t have to visit very often to the schools you attend – all of these – and a whole lot more – cost money to run. And to make sure that everything gets the money it needs, the government has to divvy up the pile of cash that it has every year and makes decisions about how and where to spend it. It’s kind of like a great big giving out of pocket money.
How the government spends the money it has has implications for every single one of us.
And right now – you will have heard phrases like ‘cost of living’ and words like ‘inflation’ being thrown about. That’s because money is getting tight out there – it costs more each week to fill the shopping trolley or the petrol tank. And so tonight: when Jim Chalmers delivers the budget – and talks about where the government will be spending money in the year to come – you can expect there to be lots of talk about the importance of being careful and smart with our money.
And there’s your economics lesson for the day. You’re welcome.
SPIN THE GLOBE
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Each day we give the world globe a spin and find a news story from wherever it stops. And today we’ve landed in England.
And that’s because yesterday in London, the race to become British Prime Minister got a little less race-y when one of the main contenders, Boris Johnson pulled out. Yes, yes, the same Boris Johnson who resigned from the Prime Ministership under a cloud of scandal a couple of months ago. It’s complicated. Anyway: the frontrunner now to become the big kahuna in the United Kingdom is a fellow by the name of Rishi Sunak .. who, unless there’s a calamity between now and Friday – and remember it is Britain, so anything at the moment is possible … will be named the next British Prime Minister.
As well as being the one-time treasurer of Britain (over there the job title is the very grand-sounding ‘Chancellor of the Exchequer’) – Mr Sunak is a dad of two, a graduate of not one but two fancy universities called Oxford and Stanford – is of Indian descent and a Hindu. And here’s hoping he’s more drama-resistant than his two predecessors.
SPACED OUT
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Hands up who’s in the mood for a solar eclipse? Yeah me too! Well as luck would have it, there’s one happening today. It’s just too bad we’re on the wrong side of the Earth to actually see it.
A solar eclipse is when the moon passes in front of the sun and momentarily blocks out its light. The moon casts a shadow onto the Earth – a shadow which cuts a path across the Earth’s surface – passing over a bunch of countries. I’ve stuck a link in today’s episode notes to a cool video explainer.
Today’s solar eclipse will only be visible if you live in parts of Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Sorry Aussie Squiz Kids – you’ll have to be content to follow the live streams of it that will be running on YouTube – I’ve stuck a couple of links in the episode notes.
Just be aware that if you want to see it live, you might be doing it in your jarmies – the peak of the eclipse is expected to be at 10 o’clock tonight.
(CLASSROOM COMPANION CLARION) – oh, there goes the CCC .. indicating that the classroom worksheets for Squiz Kids for Schools subscribers are tied to this news item in the podcast … not a subscriber but want to jump on a free, no-obligation trial? Check out the link in today’s episode notes – or find out more at squizkids.com.au
ANIMAL KINGDOM
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We’ve had a podcast with budget explanations and British politics – so let’s end on something easy.
And nothing could be easier or more fun than dogs dressed in Halloween costumes.
And nowhere does doggy Halloween better than New York City – in the United States – where most everything is bigger and louder and more outlandish.
Outlandish is a fancy word for just a little bit silly – but in a seriously good way.
The annual Halloween dog parade in Tompkins Square Park has taken place with all sorts of canines dressed in Halloween costumes.
I’ve stuck a link to a photo gallery in today’s episode notes.
My favourite is Ruby the Australian poodle, dressed as a lion. Closely followed by the pooches dressed as Batman and Robin. There’s also a cat in there dressed as a dog .. but I feel like that’s cheating ..
Either way, it’s a clever and totally New York way to turn Halloween into Howwwwloweeen … (DAD JOKE ALARM) … oops, there goes the dad joke alarm … sometimes i just can’t help myself.
THE SQUIZ
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This is the part of the podcast where you get to test how well you’ve been listening …
- What is going to pass in front of the Sun to cause a solar eclipse today?
- What, starting with B, will Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers hand down tonight?
- What animals have been dressed in Halloween costumes in New York City?
SHOUT OUTS
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It’s October 25 … 60 days til Xmas .. I can almost taste the eggnog … it’s also World Pasta Day … so stuff your face with some lasagne or spaghetti tonight.
It’s also a special day for these Squiz Kids celebrating a birthday today…
Willem from Shoal Bay, Jack from Lewisham, Campbell from Helensvale, Madayln from Dysart, Diego from Maitland, Ada from Shenton Park, Karamo from Munno Parra, Heath from Mt Lawley, Roxy from Bayview, Lincoln from Murrumbeena, Sophie from Gunnedah, Ollie from Bowral and Oreo listening over in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Belated birthday shout outs go to Porsha from Munno Parra, Lola from Goulburn and Nate from Canberra (whose mum is really sorry she forgot to submit the shout out yesterday!).
Classroom shouts go to… grade 5 and Mrs Stassen at Macarthur Anglican School in Cobbitty, class 3/4c and Mr Cattley at West Wallsend Public School, class 4P and Miss Picinali at St Agatha’s Primary School in Cranbourne and class 5/6B with Mr Carrot at Petersham Public School.
A special shout out to the year 5/6 students at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart on Thursday Island — thanks for letting your teachers come to Sydney, Amanda loved meeting them! And lastly, a surprise shoutout to Mrs Drury and class 3/4D at Cherrybrook Public School.
The S’Quiz Answers:
- Moon
- Budget
- Dogs