News Club

Cyberattacks are one of those things we all know we are exposed to, and if you follow the news, you know it happens... And not just to individuals but there are big organised cyberattacks happening to big companies like the recent one on one of America's largest fuel pipeline, and one on the world's largest meat processing company. So in this Squiz Shortcut, we take you through what is a cyberattack, who is behind them, and importantly, how you can avoid one... Squiz recommends: The Australia Cyber Security Centre website - it's got all those tips we mentioned around protecting your biz from an attack and some great links to resources... Vanity Fair - The untold story of the Sony hack See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As evidence builds around the long term impact of repeated head knocks in sport, sporting codes are putting in place protocols to protect players. There are a lot of opinions about all of that and it's likely to be an ongoing issue. So in this Squiz Shortcut, we take a look at what the science says about head knocks and injuries, and what it means for athletes and sport. Squiz Shortcuts is the backstory to the big news stories. Squiz recommends: Reading: The Australian Sports Brain Bank website. The ASBB was established in 2018 by the Neuropathology Department at RPA Hospital Sydney in partnership with the Brain and Mind Centre at the University of Sydney, and the Concussion Legacy Foundation in the USA. https://www.brainbank.org.au/ Watching: Concussion. You can catch it on Stan or Amazon. https://play.stan.com.au/programs/1098344 https://www.amazon.com/Concussion-Will-Smith/dp/B01AB6PODK See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Belarus has been making news lately after a commercial flight was forced to land in the capital Minsk and a journalist and his girlfriend - both outspoken critics of the President of Belarus - were arrested. It sounds like a movie but it's real life... So it got us asking, what's going on in Belarus? This episode of Squiz Shortcuts will help you understand the politics of Belarus, why President Alexander Lukashenko is considered to be "Europe's last dictator", and why the public has been taking to the streets. Squiz Shortcuts is the backstory to the big news stories. Squiz recommends: An interactive article by the ABC on two women protesting against Lukashenko's regime Friends Minsk clip See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Cryptocurrency, perhaps the most requested Shortcut and one that has taken a little bit of time to wrap our head around. But we've got there and in this Shortcut, we'll help you understand the basics of how cryptocurrency became a thing, how they hold value, we'll tell you about bitcoin, and get you across the big players in the crypto game... Squiz Shortcuts is the backstory to the big news stories. Squiz recommends: NFTs are getting weird… https://www.forbes.com/sites/cathyhackl/2021/05/15/nfts-are-getting-weird/?sh=51a1f9107343 Video: Bitcoin explained https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6hnqpn See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The latest eruptions of long-running tensions between Israel and the Palestinian Territories have prompted the UN to warn of a "full-scale war". It's followed a month of simmering tensions in Jerusalem, over a conflict that is deep-rooted in history and has been ongoing for decades... So in this Shortcut, we are going to rehash the history between Israel and Palestine, go through what's happening now and why the international community is getting involved. Squiz recommends: Squiz Shortcuts - Israel and Palestine Washington Post - A timeline of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After what has been one of the most expensive policy years in Australian history, the Federal Government handed down its 2021-22 budget this week. Let's face it - underlying cash balances, fiscal strategies and the price of iron ore aren't everyone's cup of tea... But given the global pandemic we have found ourselves in, the budget is more relevant to our everyday life than ever before... So in this Squiz Shortcut we'll get you across what it all means. Squiz recommends: ABC - Treasurer Josh Frydenberg's Federal Budget 2021-22 speech Annabel Crabb - Does the Federal Budget deliver for women? See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

For thousands of years, people have looked up at the night sky with questions and as technology has advanced so have we in coming closer and closer to answering them. Since the race between the US and the Soviet Union to reach the moon in the 1960s there has been a growing appetite to explore the great unknown. In this Squiz Shortcut, we take you through what's been happening since Neil and Buzz touched down, why there is so much talk about Mars, and the private companies joining the space race. The Squiz is the backstory to the big news stories. Squiz recommends: Elon Musk is adding the host of Saturday Night Live to his resume. That’s on Saturday, 8 May and it’s controversial already… The landing of NASA’s Perseverance Rover on Mars - that only happened a few months ago in February so it’s still pretty raw and exciting. See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It’s the 25th anniversary of the Port Arthur massacre, the worst single-person mass shooting in Australia’s history and a tragedy that left 35 people dead. In this edition of Squiz Shortcuts we’ll take you through the background to that dark day, the gun law reforms that followed, and where that sits today. Squiz Shortcuts is the backstory to the big news stories. Squiz recommends: Reading: An opinion piece former Prime Minister John Howard wrote in 2013, calling on US President Barack Obama to follow his model on gun laws. Watching: John Oliver's humorous but blade-sharp series into Australia's gun laws showing American's that it can be done. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3. See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The rollout of Australia’s coronavirus vaccination program has had a couple of bumps in the road... There have been challenges with supply and the program’s logistics, along with safety issues to address. In this week’s episode of Squiz Shortcuts, we take you through Australia’s vaccine deals, what’s behind the issues that have arisen, and where things are at with the program to get Australians vaccinated. The Squiz is the backstory to the big news stories. Episode notes: A short 7-minute video by VOX explaining different types of vaccines. A good way to get your head around all that scientific lingo... See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, was described by his wife Queen Elizabeth as “my strength and stay”. He died on Friday at 99yo, just a couple of months short of his 100th birthday. In this episode of Squiz Shortcuts, we take you through his early years, the bumpy transition to the Queen's consort and the formalities around his funeral. Squiz Shortcuts is your backstory to the big news stories. See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Chinese Government sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that will eventually be part of the country again. While some Taiwanese think this could eventually happen, others now feel that they are very much a separate nation. This dispute has caused friction and a constant threat of a violent flare up. In this episode of Squiz Shortcuts we'll take you through the background on how Taiwan came to be, it’s complicated history with China, and Beijing's recent moves to take control over it. Squiz Shortcuts is your backstory to the big news stories. See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

With a global pandemic on our hands and Australia’s first recession in almost 30 years, some analysts thought property prices would collapse… but they’re booming. So whilst the topic is hot, this episode of Squiz Shortcuts will take you through the late 80s and 17% interest rates, how that period compares to now and the factors that influence a person’s ability to buy a place to call home. Squiz Shortcuts is the backstory to the big news stories. Squiz recommends: Graphs, graphs and more graphs - an almost kinder way to see the numbers A year on from the smashed avo column, Bernard Salt writes about the reaction (paywall) See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Tokyo Olympics have already been postponed once and questions about whether they will happen this year have been highly speculated on. So in this episode of Squiz Shortcuts, we take you through why the Olympics are such a big deal anyway, the impact of postponing them, and how organisers are now planning to pull it off. Squiz Shortcuts is the backstory to the big news stories. Squiz recommends: Cathy Freeman's famous 400m sprint at the 2000 Sydney Olympics Nikki Webster's performance at the 2000 Sydney Olympics 'The Odd Couple: Roy and HG' - Australian Story See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It was back in August 2019 when we launched Squiz Shortcuts with our very first topic being Hong Kong and its relationship with China. At the time, China was making moves to increase control over Hong Kong, and pro-democracy demonstrations had been ongoing for some months. Now, it’s 18 months on and whilst many Hong Kongers have rallied against China, it's control over the territory has only tightened. In this episode of Squiz Shortcuts, we step through the complicated history between China and Hong Kong, the territory’s historic protest movement, and where things are at now. Squiz recommends: Hong Kong on Edge. It’s a good look into the causes of the unrest in the territory, and possible solutions to the crisis. BBC’s The Documentary episode Hong Kong at a Crossroads. It’s about Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters who are facing that difficult decision on whether to stay and fight or take the opportunity to flee to the UK. Survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WVQVZQW See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert is a 33yo British-Australian who until her arrest in Iran in 2018 was a lecturer in Islamic Studies at the University of Melbourne. She recently spoke out about her time in Iranian prison, as well as our government’s handling of her case, her release and the lasting effects of her 804-day detention. In this episode of Squiz Shortcuts we explain what hostage diplomacy is, why Moore-Gilbert found herself caught up in it, what happened to her, and how her case was handled by the Australian government. Squiz recommends: Kylie Moore-Gilbert Sky News interview. It’s behind a paywall but those who have Foxtel can watch it. BBC article on Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. The British-Iranian is another high profile victim of hostage diplomacy. She was an aid worker and was arrested in Iran in 2016, and since then she's been in and out of prison. See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Over the past two years, a Royal Commission into aged care quality and safety has heard the harrowing evidence of a broken system. It’s a system that supports 1.3 million Australians, their families and friends and the 400,000 people who work in the sector. In this episode of Squiz Shortcuts, we take a look at the system itself, why a Royal Commission was called and its findings, and where it goes from here. Check out The Squiz Today email and podcast - published 6 am each weekday, it's your shortcut to the news: https://www.thesquiz.com.au. Squiz recommends: Life advice from the residents of Waratah Lodge The ABC's Four Corners two-part series Who Cares? See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Many Aussies got quite a shock when they woke up on 18 February to find no news content on their Facebook feeds. But less than a week later, following discussions with the federal government, Facebook announced it will be reversing its decision. It was the latest move in what has been a back-and-forth feud with the government and media outlets over whether they should pay to have news on their platforms. So in this episode of Squiz Shortcuts, we cover the events leading up to Facebook’s decision, the push by the Australian government to protect Aussie media outlets, and where it's all heading. Check out The Squiz Today email and podcast - published 6 am each weekday, it's your shortcut to the news: https://www.thesquiz.com.au. Squiz recommends: The Squiz Facebook page Paul Fletcher's outburst over the loss of the North Shore Mums Facebook page during question time (Fast forward to about the four minute mark...) See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Crown Resorts is in the news after an inquiry launched by NSW's gaming regulator found it unfit to operate a newly built casino in Sydney after allegations of money laundering emerged in 2019. In this episode of Squiz Shortcuts, we take a look at the company's history, its major shareholder James Packer, what came out at that independent inquiry, and what it all means for Crown. Check out The Squiz Today email and podcast - published 6 am each weekday, it's your shortcut to the news: https://www.thesquiz.com.au. Squiz recommends: Watching: James Packer’s 2019 interview with Sunday Night’s Mike Willesee. It’s a candid interview with the late, great journo about growing up rich, his friendship with Tom Cruise, and his father Kerry. Reading: The troubled birth of Crown Casino (The Age). It’s a fascinating look into the complicated web between the big business names, the government and the casino operations. See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The coup in Myanmar is the latest flex of military muscle in a nation that is 70 years into a fight for democracy. In this episode of Squiz Shortcuts we cover Myanmar's chequered democratic history, the rise of its popular de facto civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and what led to the coup on 1 February. Check out The Squiz Today email and podcast - published 6 am each weekday, it's your shortcut to the news: https://www.thesquiz.com.au. Squiz recommends: The BBC’s Global News podcast. Events in Myanmar reminded us that for a daily dose of world news, it’s unparalleled. Aung San Suu Kyi’s Nobel Peace Prize lecture. It was the moment the world fell in love with her. See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The coronavirus pandemic is not just a health crisis - it’s also delivered a once-in-100-years economic blow. We talk a lot about the health issues, so in this Squiz Shortcut, we focus on the other side of the equation. We'll get acquainted with the commonly used economic terms, look at the state of play, and outline 3 things to look out for this year. Check out The Squiz Today email and podcast - published 6 am each weekday, it's your shortcut to the news: https://www.thesquiz.com.au. Squiz recommends: The Age/SMH journo Stephen Bartholomeusz aka a Team Squiz favourite for accessible economics/business analysis. The Australian Bureau of Statistics Instagram account. It’s funny - trust us... Producer: Lara Robertson See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the past few months, there's been a bit happening in the United States... Democrat Joe Biden is now the president and there's been a lot of talk about what he will change, and what needs to be done to unify the nation after the turmoil of Donald Trump's stint in office. In this Squiz Shortcut, we look at Biden's top priorities, how he plans to tackle them, and why Trump still looms large. Check out The Squiz Today email and podcast - published 6 am each weekday, it's your shortcut to the news: https://www.thesquiz.com.au. Squiz recommends: Squiz Shortcuts - Joe Biden Presidential Inaugural Committee Store Producer: Lara Robertson See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As the founder and former boss of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, Jack Ma is one of the most powerful people in the world. Which means he's drawn the eye of the Chinese government, with the planned launch of Ma’s financial services giant Ant Group on the Shanghai and Hong Kong stock exchanges was cancelled last year after Ma criticised them. In this episode of Squiz Shortcuts, we take a look at Jack Ma himself, his rise and success, what it means to run a business venture in Communist China and the reasons a usually very public character is thought be laying low. Check out The Squiz Today email and podcast - published 6 am each weekday, it's your shortcut to the news: https://www.thesquiz.com.au. Squiz recommends: Jack Ma dancing to Billie Jean Where next, Jack Ma? - Lowy Institute Producer: Lara Robertson See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After the assault on the US Capitol by Donald Trump supporters last week, Twitter decided to permanently suspend the President's account. It wasn’t alone - with Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit and even Pinterest making moves to restrict his presence on their platforms. In this episode of Squiz Shortcuts, we take a look at why these decisions have been taken, the rise of alternative social media platforms, and what it all means in the ongoing free speech debate. Check out The Squiz Today email and podcast - published 6 am each weekday, it's your shortcut to the news: https://www.thesquiz.com.au. Squiz recommends: Rabbit Hole podcast Public sector guidance sheet on free speech in Australia Producer: Lara Robertson See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Discussion about our national anthem Advance Australia Fair was a big part of the start of 2021. That's because our PM announced that the song's second line, 'for we are young and free' would be officially changed to 'for we are one and free'. So in the first episode of Squiz Shortcuts for 2021 we dig into the background of our anthem, how it came to be the song for our nation, and what changes have been made to it over the years and why. Check out The Squiz Today email and podcast - published 6 am each weekday, it's your shortcut to the news: https://www.thesquiz.com.au . Squiz recommends: Advance Australia Fair performed in both the Eora language and English Song of Australia Producer: Lara Robertson See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the third and final episode of our three-part Year in Review series, we revisit the big local and international stories that shaped September through to December, as well as the most clicked links in the Squiz Today email. The Squiz is your shortcut to being informed. You can find a written version of the content here: Episode notes: Wedding announcement goes wrong Princess Mary's eldest son Prince Christian turns 15yo Rockefeller Christmas tree fail The best Christmas ad of 2020 See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the second episode of our three-part Year in Review series, we revisit the big local and international stories that shaped May through to August, as well as the most clicked links in the Squiz Today email. The Squiz is your shortcut to being informed. You can find a written version of the content here: Episode notes: Crabs on the baggage carrier Kiwi pornography public service announcement Lockdown online shopping mishaps Roger Federer surprises fans on rooftop See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the first episode of our three-part Year in Review series, we revisit the big local and international stories that shaped January through to April, as well as the most clicked links in the Squiz Today email. The Squiz is your shortcut to being informed. You can find a written version of the content here: Episode notes: An unlikely parrot love story Dog training academy fail The story behind that Harry and Meghan umbrella photo Barbie marries One Directioner Louis Tomlinson See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

2020 - it was a big one. In our final Squiz Shortcut for the year, we're aiming to achieve one thing - to catch you up on where some of the big issues are so you can impress your friends and family over the Christmas break. So we'll take you through the fall out from the bushfires, where things are at with coronavirus around the world, what's the latest between Australia and China, how our economy is faring in this year of upheaval and finally, where things landed post-US election. Check out The Squiz Today email and podcast - published 6 am each weekday, it's your shortcut to the news: https://www.thesquiz.com.au . See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's a bit of fun, it's a bit festive, with a lot of laughs. Take a lighter look at year that was 2020 by joining us for The Great Big Squiz Quiz. See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Australia is set to become the first place in the world where Google and Facebook will have to pay for news content, with the mandatory bargaining code currently up for debate in Parliament. In this episode of Squiz Shortcuts we'll set the scene for how we got to this point, the problem news organisations have with big tech platforms, the counterarguments from Facebook and Google and what the code will do to address each parties issues. Check out The Squiz Today email and podcast - published 6 am each weekday, it's your shortcut to the news: https://www.thesquiz.com.au . Squiz recommends: Squiz Shortcuts - Facebook The Social Dilemma See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This year, there have so far been eight fatalities from shark attacks - the most in nearly a century - and a total of 23 attacks. So with summer upon us, public pressure is mounting to find out why this is the case. In this episode of Squiz Shortcuts, we take a look at Australia's history of shark attacks, why they seem to be becoming more prevalent, and what experts are suggesting we can do to prevent them. Check out The Squiz Today email and podcast - published 6 am each weekday, it's your shortcut to the news: https://www.thesquiz.com.au . Squiz recommends: Dorsal Watch app Why do hammerhead sharks look like that? - BBC Earth Producer: Lara Robertson See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Pop star Taylor Swift was MIA from the recent American Music Awards, saying she was busy re-recording all of her old music. Her fight to own the masters of her first six mega-hit albums is big news in the music industry. In this Squiz Shortcut we’re going to take a look at what master recordings are, the power relationship between a record label and an artist, and how this battle has played out before. Check out The Squiz Today email and podcast - published 6 am each weekday, it's your shortcut to the news: https://www.thesquiz.com.au . Squiz recommends: Taylor Swift and Scooter Braun’s Drama, Explained - Cosmopolitan Taylor & Kanye: How two superstars, four words and 15 seconds of TV influenced a decade of pop culture - Washington Post See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode of Squiz Shortcuts we dive in to the events leading up to the release of the Brereton Report - which looks into allegations that members of our special forces committed war crimes in Afghanistan between 2005 to 2016 - as well as what we know about the report's findings, and what happens next. Defence All-Hours Support Line: 1800 628 036 / Open Arms: 1800 011 046 Check out The Squiz Today email and podcast - published 6 am each weekday, it's your shortcut to the news: https://www.thesquiz.com.au . Squiz recommends: Life on the Line podcast See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As we come down from a frantic week of wall-to-wall US election talk, this final episode in our shortcut on the US elections covers how it all went down. We take a look at how America voted; how the House and the Senate vote played out, and what happens in the lead up to Joe Biden's inauguration on 20 January. Squiz Shortcuts gives you the backstory to the big stories. Check out The Squiz Today email and podcast - published 6 am each weekday, it's your shortcut to the news: https://www.thesquiz.com.au NYTimes The Daily - About Those Polls... Slate - Trump Team Holds News Conference Outside Drab Landscaping Firm, Next to Adult Bookstore See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In Part 4 of our Squiz Shortcut series in the lead up to the US election, we arm you with handy information that'll help as you tune into the see the results. We take a look at the important numbers, how demographics play a part, what the key battleground states are, when you can expect a results and finally, what's being predicted. Squiz Shortcuts gives you the backstory to the big stories. Check out The Squiz Today email and podcast - published 6 am each weekday, it's your shortcut to the news: https://www.thesquiz.com.au Squiz recommends: When To Expect Election Results - fivethirtyeight.com The Battleground States Trump and Biden Need to Win - New York Times Can We Trust the 2020 US Election Polls? - Quartz See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

If you've been tuning into to news about the US election it would be easy to think the race to the White House is only about character. So in Part Three of our four-part Squiz Shortcuts series in the lead up to the US election, we take a step back from the personality contest, and look at the what each candidate will bring to to the table on policy issues including foreign affairs, climate change, immigration, racial injustice and of course, the coronavirus. Squiz Shortcuts gives you the backstory to the big stories. Check out The Squiz Today email and podcast - published 6 am each weekday, it's your shortcut to the news: https://www.thesquiz.com.au Squiz recommends: PolitiFact Squiz Shortcuts - The US Election series See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the second episode of our four-part Shortcuts series in the lead up to the US election we tackle the Presidential Race - so we're talking the electoral college system and how a the President actually wins the election. Squiz Shortcuts gives you the backstory to the big stories. Check out The Squiz Today email and podcast - published 6 am each weekday, it's your shortcut to the news: https://www.thesquiz.com.au Squiz recommends: Squiz Shortcut - US Elections The Pew Research Centre analysis of the 2016 US Presidential Election See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This is the first in our four part series in the lead up to the US Election on 3 November. We're going to start though outside of the presidential race itself, and have a look at the other important races that are being run on the same day - and thats the US Senate and the House of Representatives. So strap yourself in for round one, as we take a look at the implications these elections have for governing in the US, and what's happening in those races in the lead up to 3 November. Squiz Shortcuts gives you the backstory to the big stories. Check out The Squiz Today email and podcast - published 6 am each weekday, it's your shortcut to the news: https://www.thesquiz.com.au . Squiz Recommends: Squiz Shortcuts - Mail-in voting FiveThirtyEight website See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Thailand has a particularly turbulent political history. It's got a lot of beautiful beaches, but it's also got military coups and a monarchy that's central to its national character. It's also one of the few places in the world with lèse majesté laws, which is tricky because their current king is quite a colourful character... A recent protest movement has been in the news a bit lately, and in this episode of Squiz Shortcuts, we'll take a look at why Thailand is unique amongst southeast Asian nations, how its monarchy is protected, and what demonstrators are risking by calling for change to the way the country is governed. Check out The Squiz Today email and podcast - published 6 am each weekday, it's your shortcut to the news: https://www.thesquiz.com.au . Squiz Recommends: Vox profile on King Vaijiralongkorn . . The invention of Pad Thai as a national dish . See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The lockdown of our national border along with state and territory borders, have become some of the most contentious issues of the coronavirus crisis. In this episode of Squiz Shortcuts, we look at why our borders closed in the first place, how it has unfolded and the impact it has had. Squiz Shortcuts gives you the backstory to the big stories. Check out The Squiz Today email and podcast - published 6 am each weekday, it's your shortcut to the news: https://www.thesquiz.com.au/ Squiz Recommends: Squiz Shortcuts - The Federation Geoscience Australia - Border facts See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It seems like every week, there's a new low in the Australia-China relationship. From trade disputes to diplomatic arguments - these have been some of the biggest news stories of the year. But it wasn't always like this. So in this episode of Squiz Shortcuts, we're taking a look at how Australia's ties with China were established, how we've thrived together - and how we've recently hit some very choppy waters. Squiz Shortcuts gives you the backstory to the big stories. Check out The Squiz Today email and podcast - published 6 am each weekday, it's your shortcut to the news: https://www.thesquiz.com.au/ Squiz Recommends: Chinese President Xi Jinping's address to the Australian Parliament (2014) Inside Story - Whitlam in China See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, is in the news a lot. Whether it's on the diplomatic trail, in dealings with the US and other big nations, or in relation to the poisoning of political opponents, he's someone worth knowing a bit more about. In this episode of Squiz Shortcuts, we take a look at who he is, how he came to be the leader, his broad agenda and how he is using his increasing power. Squiz Shortcuts gives you the backstory to the big stories. Check out The Squiz Today email and podcast - published 6 am each weekday, it's your shortcut to the news: https://www.thesquiz.com.au/ Squiz Recommends: Putin playing ice hockey ABC podcast - 'Russia, If You're Listening' See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"It’s not easy growing old. We avoid thinking and talking about it." That's how the interim report from the Royal Commission into aged care starts. Since it was released in October 2019, we've been hearing a lot about the sector, especially as its been significantly affected by COVID-19. In this episode of Squiz Shortcuts, we look at how the sector is set up, who's responsible for it, and the massive challenges it faces. Squiz Shortcuts gives you the backstory to the big stories. Check out The Squiz Today email and podcast - published 6 am each weekday, it's your shortcut to the news: https://www.thesquiz.com.au/ Squiz Recommends: Aged Care Royal Commission Interim Report 'Pearls of Wisdom' See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The 2020 US presidential election is happening in November, but with the country still in the grip of COVID-19, there's a lot of talk about how the vote will be carried out, and more specifically, the role of mail-in voting. In this episode of Squiz Shortcuts, we take a look at how US elections work, what mail-in voting is, and the issues surrounding it. Squiz Shortcuts gives you the backstory to the big stories. Check out The Squiz Today email and podcast - published 6 am each weekday, it's your shortcut to the news: https://www.thesquiz.com.au/ Squiz Recommends: FiveThirtyEight article on 2020 US election mail-in voting trends Vox article on Facebook's new voter information centre See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode of Squiz Shortcuts we take a look at the role of the Vice President of America, and learn a bit more about the current veep, Mike Pence, and the potential veep, Kamala Harris. Squiz Shortcuts gives you the backstory to the big stories. Check out The Squiz Today email and podcast - published 6 am each weekday, it's your shortcut to the news: https://www.thesquiz.com.au/ Squiz Recommends: NYT profile on Kamala Harris Business Insider - Inside the 34-year marriage of Mike Pence See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A vaccine for the coronavirus is being held out as the thing that's going to get the world back on track. In this episode of Squiz Shortcuts we look at what a vaccine is, how it's developed, and the challenges public health officials are facing with finding one for COVID-19. Squiz Recommends: Squiz Shortcuts - Infectious Diseases NYT The Daily - The Vaccine Trust Problem See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's one of the Arab world's poorest countries and in recent years has been devastated by a civil war. Millions of civilians are now starving and thousands have died. The conflict itself is complicated. In this episode we step through the origins of the conflict and what it has meant for the people of Yemen. Squiz Recommends: UNICEF - Yemen: https://www.unicef.org/emergencies/yemen-crisis Secretary Clinton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es-Tc0bMUKA See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It comes up a bit in the news due to concerns about the health effects. In this episode we’ll take you through exactly what vaping is, the arguments for and against, as well as how it is regulated both here in Australia, and abroad. Squiz Recommends: BBC "The Inquiry - Vaping" - https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-inquiry/id932499233?i=1000454551494 The New Yorker - A b=Beginner's Guide to Vaping - https://www.newyorker.com/humor/daily-shouts/a-beginners-guide-to-vaping See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's the biggest social media platform in the world so inevitably Facebook is in the news a lot. In this episode we take a look at how Facebook makes money, how it collects and uses our data and how at times that has the platform in a bit of strife. Squiz Shortcuts is the backstory to the big news stories. Squiz Recommends: The Social Network - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1285016/ Facebook Activity Tool - https://www.vox.com/2020/1/28/21112380/facebook-activity-tool-data See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Squiz recommends: Forbes profile on Zhang Yim- https://www.forbes.com/sites/giacomotognini/2019/11/04/meet-zhang-yiming-the-chinese-billionaire-behind-tiktok/#24f55b3475b3 Mallee Boy - https://www.tiktok.com/@malleeboy3490?source=h5_m See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.