Wednesday, 16 December, 2020
Biden’s plea for peace; Argentina’s solar eclipse; the cricket rookie’s Test debut; and BTS win big.
LINKS
Sea foam dog rescue: https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-55303575
Total solar eclipse: https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-latin-america-55311499
Solar eclipse explainer: https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/eclipse-snap/en/
Check out our parent podcast and daily news email for adults: The Squiz www.thesquiz.com.au
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Squiz Kids is proudly supported by the Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas.
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
THE LOWDOWN
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President-Elect of the United States Joe Biden took one very important step towards the White House yesterday, when the official body that counts votes declared that he had won.
It was a big victory for Biden – and another setback for his rival, President Donald Trump – who continues to argue that the election wasn’t fair.
Speaking after the Electoral College had announced that with his 306 votes compared to Trump’s 232, the Democratic candidate had won the Presidency, Biden said it was time for the country to stop fighting itself, to ‘turn the page’ and to ‘unite and heal’.
Noting that more Americans had turned out to vote in this Presidential election than any other in history, the incoming Prez said it was an election that ought to be celebrated, not attacked.
Next stop before the White House? Members of the Congress – which is like our parliament in Canberra – checks the vote on January 6, and then on to Inauguration Day on January 20 – which is when the new President is sworn into office.
And there’s your civics lesson for the day.
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Up to 1000 homes in northern NSW were being evacuated or on high alert late yesterday and into last night as all the water from the rain that has fallen in the past three days started making its way into river systems and threatening to turn into floods.
Emergency crews continued to work around the clock to help residents of towns like Murwillumbah and Tumbulgum who could do nothing but watch on helplessly as the flood waters rose.
Not so helpless was the dog owner in Byron Bay who momentarily lost her pooch in a shoulder high wall of sea foam that had built up there following two days of waves crashing into the beach. Hazel the pup dived into the sea foam and was lost for a minute or so before being dug out by her owner. There’s a link to a video of the rescue in today’s episode notes.
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 Argentina … where stargazers and amateur astronomers have been treated to the rare sight of a total solar eclipse.
What’s a solar eclipse? It’s when the moon passes directly in front of the sun and blocks out all the light, plunging the Earth into darkness.
It can only happen when the Earth, Sun and Moon are all in a straight line – and the darkness only falls on the section of the Earth where the moon casts its shadow. Meaning that there’s darkness for a few minutes in the middle of the day. And this year, it happened to be in the South American country of Argentina.
The next total solar eclipse to happen in Australia is scheduled for 2023. But if you can’t wait that long – there are links in today’s episode notes to video of the Argentinian one – plus a cool explainer video. You’re welcome.
SPORT TIME
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He’s only 21 years-old, comes from Perth in Western Australia and unless there’s a last minute hiccup, Cameron Green will make his Test cricket debut for Australia tomorrow as we take on India in Adelaide.
Green was under an injury cloud for most of the week, after he copped a ball to the head last week and was put on concussion watch.
But if the doctors say he’s good to go, Green will become the 495th Aussie cricketer to pull on the famous baggy green – which is the name given to the hat that Australia’s Test cricket players wear.
Aussie selectors who pick the team – not to mention all cricket fans – are hoping the young all-rounder turns in a repeat performance of the hundred runs Green scored against India last week whilst playing in the Australia A side.
The Test match, which will take place from tomorrow until Sunday at the Adelaide Oval is also something of a first – it will be the first day-night Test played between the Australian and Indian men’s teams. Howzat?
POP CULTURE CORNER
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Just when you thought there was nothing left for Korean boy band BTS to achieve – they’ve gone and been named by Time Magazine as Entertainers of the Year.
Time is an important news magazine that is published in America. Each year it casts its eye across the political and cultural landscape and chooses people who have made a big impact on the world scene.
Explaining why they chose BTS for the honour, the editors of Time magazine said: “In an era marked by so much anguish and cynicism, BTS has stayed true to their message of kindness, connection and self-acceptance.”
Which we reckon is dynamite.
Ah – must be almost the end of the year … the jokes are getting lamer by the second …
SUMMER PROGRAMMING
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Ah yes .. the smell of sunscreen, the tip-toe dance across burning sand .. the summer holidays are so close you can almost smell them.
Also close is the bunch of summer programming we have in store: starting this Friday with the first Annual Squizzie Awards.
Which news story from the year just gone will win the Squizzie for the Weirdest Story Of The Year? And which one will win the Squizzie for The Smelliest Story Of The Year? Will it be the emus who poohed on the pub floor or the lion tamer in Germany who sold lion pooh in jars?
Tune in Friday to find out .. and otherwise subscribe to Squiz Kids in your preferred podcasting app to make sure you don’t miss out on any of our programming over the summer ahead.
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 …
- In which country were stargazers treated to a total solar eclipse this week?
- What’s the name of the rookie Aussie cricketer about to make his Test debut?
- Which Korean boy band has been named Time Magazine’s Entertainer of the Year?
SHOUT OUTS
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It’s December 16 …. Birthday of famous composer, Ludwig van Beethoven and famous author, Jane Austen. So, you know, if you were born today, those are some pretty big shoes to fill ..
Plus it’s also only 9 sleeps ‘til Christmas … we’re in single digits people … silver bells, silver bells, it’s Christmas time in the city …
It’s also a special day for these Squiz Kids celebrating a birthday today .. Oscar from Newcastle, Archie from Bathurst, Ethan from Wishart, Miranda from Abbotsford, Talen from Shoal Bay
And some belated birthday shoutouts to… Lucy from Killara and Sam from Canberra.
Classroom shoutouts… Lisa and Erin’s class from Settlers Farm campus in Adelaide, class S2T from Blackwell Public School, class KS from St Helens Park Public School, class 1CC at Kew Primary School, class 5/6P with Miss Pires from Carlingford Public School, all the Year 6 kids from Abbotsford Public School. And a very special shoutout to Mrs Jensen from St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Moorebank, who is leaving at the end of term. Her students wish her the best of luck!
The S’Quiz Answers:
- Argentina
- Cameron Green
- BTS