The Games are finally here... Of course we’re talking about the Tokyo Olympics. Delayed last year, it’s been a long and tough road to get to the starting line, so it's only fitting that we handball this Shortcut to the team at Sport Today, Sam Ferris and Martin Gabor. They’ll give you the background on pulling off a delayed Olympics, how the Japanese public feel about it, what it will look like for the athletes and as a viewer, Australia's medal hopes, and some athletes to watch.Squiz recommends:Aussie swimmer Emily Seebohm's InstagramEliud Kipchoge's record-smashing win   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Squiz Shortcuts

Your Shortcut to... the Road to Tokyo

The US and its allies are withdrawing the last of their troops from Afghanistan after one of their longest military engagements. It amid rising violence from the Taliban, and concerns that a civil war between it and supporters of the Afghan Government could follow. It's the latest for a country that has suffered through decades of conflict. We've talked about it a bit on the Squiz Today podcast, so in this episode, we'll dive into Afghanistan's history, why the US and other nations including Australia got involved, and what's next.Squiz recommends:Famous picture of women in Kabul in the 1970sProfiles of Australian soldiers who died serving in AfghanistanAfghan lamb pilaf recipe  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Your Shortcut to... Afghanistan

Superannuation, for plenty of us is something that’s just always been a line item on our pay check. Its goes out, and somewhere way in the future we’ll be able to get our hands on it and live happily every after in retirement, simple. But actually there’s whole system in place to make that happen. Plus, from now, your contributions are going up and there's other changes too. So in this Squiz Shortcut we take you through how super became a thing in Australia, how the system works, and what these new changes mean for you.Squiz recommends:YourSuper comparison toolABC 7.30's special report on the future of retirement   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Your Shortcut to... Superannuation

Mouse plague - chilling words. For parts of Australia, it's been the reality for thousands of people. They've been battling millions of mice in their homes, on their farms, and in their towns - everywhere they go. In this Squiz Shortcut we'll get acquainted with the house mouse, the scale of the current plague, and just what can be done to stop it. Squiz recommends: Mouse Alert appABC journo Lucy Thackray's Twitter account    See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Your Shortcut to... the Mouse Plague

Barnaby Joyce has been in politics for the best part of 16 years. This week, for the second time, he was has won the job of Leader of the Nationals Party which makes him our Deputy Prime Minister. In this Squiz Shortcut, we get you up to speed on the background to Barnaby, his rise to and fall from grace, and his resurrection.Squiz recommends:Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's apologyMidsomer Murders  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Your Shortcut to... the life and times of Barnaby Joyce

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 acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Your Shortcut to... Cyberattacks

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/1098344https://www.amazon.com/Concussion-Will-Smith/dp/B01AB6PODK  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Your Shortcut to... Concussion and Sport

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 regimeFriends Minsk clip  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Your Shortcut to... Belarus

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=51a1f9107343Video: Bitcoin explainedhttps://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6hnqpn  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Your Shortcut to... Cryptocurrency

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 PalestineWashington Post - A timeline of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Your Shortcut to... the Israel-Gaza Conflict

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 speechAnnabel Crabb - Does the Federal Budget deliver for women?  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Your Shortcut to... the 2021 Federal Budget

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 acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Your Shortcut to... the Modern-Day Space Race

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 acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Your Shortcut to... Australia's Gun Laws

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 acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Your Shortcut to... Australia's Vaccine Rollout

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 acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Your Shortcut to... The life and death of Prince Philip

Interested in the news but sometimes find there is a whole lot of assumed knowledge which makes it hard to get the full picture? Recent examples include the Hong Kong/China relationship, how the moon landing 50 years ago still impacts us today, and who Punky Brewster is... Each week, Squiz Shortcuts will give you the context on the news, personalities and historical events that often come up but can be confusing and time-consuming to get across. In the usual Squiz tone, we'll keep it short and sharp, and opinion-free. As always, The Squiz is your shortcut to being informed.

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Squiz Shortcuts

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