Older people in the pandemic

Experts at the Australian National University have been testing Canberra's sewage water for traces of COVID-19. Testing wastewater is a quick and inexpensive way of tracking the coronavirus and potentially alerting communities of an outbreak before it occurs, so should it be rolled out across the country? We speak to Dr Aparna Lal from the ANU Research School of Population Health who is leading the team of researchers that took daily samples of wastewater covering the whole of the ACT, and found no traces of the virus. So is testing toilet water the answer? In today's news headlines: Melbourne plunged back into lockdown as NSW border slams shut “Don’t go to China,” warns federal government US considers TikTok ban Leading scientist says facemask refusers should be treated like drink drivers In today's Briefing we ask: what can we pick up from testing sewage? Is this a way to get ahead of the curve compared to mainstream testing methods? Can you test the sewage of a specific localised area? How long has this kind of testing been going on? Does this method show undetected community transmission? Can it only detect the presence of coronavirus or does it give an indication of 'how much' virus is in an area? What's the legality around testing sewage? Are there any privacy concerns?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7 Juli 202018min

Quarantining international travellers has been a huge part of Australia’s successful management of COVID-19, however Victoria faces mass lockdowns in the face of a second wave. On today’s episode we find out what went wrong with Melbourne’s disastrous hotel quarantine management. Andrew Lund is the Nine News reporter who managed to get hotel security guards to speak out and joins us to dive deeper into what went wrong. In today's news headlines: NSW to close the border on Victoria after spike, two deaths “It’s disgusting” Nine’s Brooke Boney backs Pauline Hanson axing Residents in locked down towers yet to receive supplies Scott Morrison wants penalties for 10,000 refusing tests Mark Zuckerberg to meet with civil rights groups after mass ad exodus In today's Briefing we ask: was there any truth to the allegations that Security guards were sleeping with people in Quarantine? How did it spread beyond the guards into the community? Why did Victoria take a different approach and on private security companies? Who is to blame?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6 Juli 202015min

In a time of economic hardship should we be spending less on defence rather than more? As we grapple with the decision about extending Job Keeper... the government announced $270b in weapons spending. Sam Dastyari has openly criticised the move and joins us on the podcast, along with a defence analyst who has a very different view - Professor Rory Medcalf, Head of the National Security College at the Australian National University. In today's headlines: Victorians say locked down towers feel like a prison Kanye West is running for President Annika Smethurst explains the Eden-Monaro by-election result Alleged victim says Prince Andrew “should be panicking” In today's Briefing we ask: was the timing of this announcement about winning votes? Is now a good time to shore up our military capability? How does this compare to aid we spend in the Pacific? Is buying weapons the best use of cash? What are the defence implications of not spending this money? What are the risks to Australia's security? Are we really a match for other larger countries military interests?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5 Juli 202019min

The #StopHateForProfit campaign is growing, but will it make a difference? Some of the biggest brands in the world have all pledged to suspend advertising on Facebook during July. It’s part of a campaign called #StopHateforProfit. In today's episode we find out why the big brands are turning on Facebook, and delve into the issue of Hate speech which is a problem that has plagued Facebook for years. Facebook makes nearly all of its money from advertising. This campaign is only for a month so will it actually impact Facebook’s bottom line? Dan Van Boom is the news editor of C-Net, and joins us to help answer that question. In today's news headlines: Federal health minister demands answers after Victorian cases exported interstate Geoffrey Rush hangs onto record defamation payout after Daily Telegraph loses appeal Jeffrey Epstein’s former girlfriend and alleged “pimp”arrested by FBI In today's Briefing we ask: What is the #stophateforprofit campaign? Are advertisers just virtue signalling when they were cutting their marketing budgets anyway? What has Mark Zuckerberg's response been? Will there be any meaningful change from Facebook moving forward?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2 Juli 202015min

A reckoning is taking place in Australia’s legal profession. The women in the industry say it’s a boy’s club and always has been, despite more than 60 per cent of law graduates today being female. This gender based discrimination and hostile work environment is a leading reason why women step away from the legal profession. So what is going on and what can be done to fix it? Today's guests are Kate Eastman, Senior Counsel, Employment and human rights barrister and Jessie Tu, who was formerly in the legal profession. In today's news headlines: Victorians facing jail, $11,000 for NSW visit as lockdowns return Guy Sebastian’s former manager arrested for allegedly defrauding the singer of $1.15m Dyson Heydon no longer a Barrister as police launch probe ATO website crashes as Aussies rush to withdraw second $10,000 from super In today's Briefing we ask: How women are treated in the legal profession? Who has known about this behaviour? Why did it take this long for a female Chief Justice to instigate an inquiry in to what went actually went on at the highest court in the land?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 Juli 202018min

Today on the podcast we take a deep dive on what this means for the planet and what can we do to change it? We’ve known for years that the Arctic is warming at twice the global average and one side effect is that the frozen ground that melts and refreezes each year is permanently shrinking. What’s got scientists really worried is that it is no longer thawing gradually and is allowing masses of carbon that have been locked in frozen dirt to escape. Dr Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick is from the Climate Change Research Centre at UNSW joins us on todays episode to answer our questions. In today's news headlines: Victorian virus hotspots to be locked down at midnight, international flights suspended Queensland borders reopening on July 10 for all but Victoria European Union says 14 countries welcome to visit, including Australia TikTok blocked by India over security concerns In today's Briefing we ask: What does a heatwave in Verkhoyansk in Siberia mean for the planet? What if anything can we do to change it? Why are we seeing more severe consequences of global warming in the Arctic compared to other areas? What are the physics of ice and global warming? What is permafrost? If we don't stop this how much greenhouse gas could escape through the thawing of permafrost? Can we stop or reverse global warming?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

30 Juni 202019min

Stock market horror stories and how to avoid the same mistakes! First time investors have been pouring into the market since the coronavirus crash. Today we find out what can go wrong and how to avoid the same mistakes. The Covid crisis has created some wild scenes on the stock market and for people that couldn’t bet on sport anymore the stock market became a very enticing option. We speak to Scott Phillips CIO of Motley Fool and host of a great finance podcast called The Motley Fool Money, and first time Aussie share trader Jack Ball In today's news headlines: Suburban lockdowns inch closer with a staggering 75 new Covid-19 cases in Victoria $1.35 billion for new cyber army to stop digital attacks New data says jobs are out there, but Aussies aren’t applying for them In today's Briefing we ask: What can go wrong and how to avoid the same mistakesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

29 Juni 202021min

Tensions have been particularly bad since Australia led the charge on a global inquiry into the origins of the Coronavirus. Earlier this year editor of the Global Times called us the “chewing gum stuck on the soles of China’s shoes” and a poll from last week shows Australians are worried about China. On todays episode we speak to Will Glasgow, the Australian’s China correspondent and China expert and author (Hidden Hand: Exposing How The Chinese Communist Party Is Reshaping The World) Clive Hamilton. In today's news headlines: Crisis deepens in Victoria as Premier threatens suburban lockdowns In a rare move, Donald Trump deleted a tweet after backlash More people than ever are loving PM Scott Morrison, Newspoll finds In today's Briefing we ask: Where is Australia’s tense relationship with China heading?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

28 Juni 202019min