Hack

Were we happier during COVID? New ABS data suggests Aussies were more satisfied during a pandemic than they are now. 

And Donald Trump is installing an MMA fight cage at the White House to mark 250 years of the United States's independence, holding celebrations not on the real anniversary but on his own birthday. And his birthday wish? "Peace for the world."

Plus, we ask if businesses are going too far with apps and logins after it was reported that a restaurant booking platform was asking customers for selfies. 

Host Dave Marchese is joined by journalist Emma Gillespie from The Daily Aus and comedian Billy D'Arcy. 

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• Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

Ads for illegal gambling sites are flooding social media feeds, and the ABC has uncovered a shadow economy of influencers getting paid in crypto to put them there. So, what, and who are 'degen content creators'?

Plus, the US has launched a new wave of missiles towards southern Iran after a US helicopter was shot down — and Iran has hit back. So, is the war re-escalating and does the ceasefire mean anything?

And, losing a friend young can flip your world upside down — we speak with Grace Rouvray who lost her best friend suddenly in COVID.

Listen now: 

01:10 - Inside the world of 'degen' influencers

08:40 - Middle East update

12:44 - Grace + Katie

Guests:  

• Scobie McKay, ABC's Creator Program journalist
• Grace Rouvray, author, Is It Too Early To Bitch?

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• Subscribe to the hack podcast
• Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

Grace Rouvray knows Katie Lees was one of the true loves of her life, her best friend, her rock. 

After meeting at drama school, Katie became the most constant and important relationship in Grace's life.

But in 2021, Katie died suddenly. She'd suffered a rare blood clot after having a COVID vaccine.

In comment sections on social media, condolences were often drowned out by debate about the cause of Katie's death — people with wildly different opinions using her death as the chance to air them. 

In this long listen, Grace opens up about the pain of losing Katie, what it is like to grieve amid intense debate about Australia's vaccine response, and the power of platonic friendship.

Guests:

• Grace Rouvray, author, Is It Too Early To Bitch?

Get the whole story from hack:

• Follow us on Instagram and TikTok
• Subscribe to the hack podcast
• Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

Violence broke out in Belfast after a man was stabbed and police arrested a Sudanese man on "suspicion of attempted murder". There have been violent anti-immigration protests in the UK broadly, in South Africa too and then there was the March for Australia protests earlier this year. So, is there a link in the anti-immigrant sentiment being seen in some countries?

Plus, if the government's new NDIS bill passes, about 300,000 people could either be removed or prevented from accessing the scheme over the next four years. How will that impact people with disability? And what needs to happen for this bill to pass?

And, mandatory unpaid placements are still leaving many uni students vulnerable — some are literally sleeping in swags to get through their mandatory placement.

Listen now: 

01:14 - Anti-immigration protests

12:45 - NDIS bill senate inquiry

20:01 - Camping for placement

Guests:  

• Sukhmani Khorana, Associate Professor, Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture, UNSW Sydney
• Nas Campanella, ABC Disability Affairs Reporter

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• Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

Tense words were exchanged in a phone call between Trump and Netanyahu last week, and in an interview yesterday, Trump insisted that he '"calls the shots", not Netanyahu. So, is the US/Israel relationship souring?

Plus, a campaign criticising the Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has been travelling around Melbourne, and nearly all sides of politics are calling it out – because the phrase 'Ditch the Witch' is all over it.

The mobile billboard is emblazoned with images of Jacinta Allan wearing a witch's hat. The Premier herself called it an "attack" on women. So, who's behind it?

And, the Football World Cup is one of the biggest sporting events on the planet, but it's not without controversy. From ticket prices to visa issues, not to mention three countries that are famously not getting along right now are co-hosting it, this year's event is messy.

Listen now: 

01:15 - Trump + Netanyahu

11:00 - Ditch the witch controversy

17:07 - World Cup controversies

Guests:  

• Jess Genauer, expert in global conflict at UNSW
• Hunter Fujak, Senior Lecturer in Sports Management at Deakin University

Get the whole story from hack:

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• Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

There's nothing quite like a haircut to make you feel good. You can reinvent yourself in the chair or maybe just sharpen up your current look.

And, you get to have a bit of a chat. But are people opening up a little too much in the salon?

Because research shows people are using hairdressers as pseudo psychologists - opening up about everything from mental health to relationship troubles and even domestic violence.

So what sort of impact is all of this having on salon workers?

In this week's hack deep dive, you hear from current and former hairdressers about how client disclosures impact them and the joy of cutting hair. 

Plus you'll hear why some experts believe hairdressers need mental health training as part of their apprenticeship.

If you or someone you know needs help support is available on Lifeline 13 11 14 or the Domestic and Family Violence helpline 1800 737 732.

Guest: 

• Dr Hannah McCann, Senior Lecturer in Cultural Studies at the University of Melbourne

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• Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

Have you ever been sent in the wrong direction by GPS maps? A French national crashed into Hyde Park's Archibald Fountain earlier this week and, allegedly, he was following his maps.

Plus, $300 billion, nuclear-powered submarines, and an Australian rock icon — there's been a lot going on with Australia's AUKUS alliance this week and some people reckon we're being ripped off.

And, Australia has more billionaires than ever. Is this a good thing, or do we need to be taxing wealth differently?

Host Dave Marchese is joined by wealth and culture reporter Mary Madigan and ABC journo Blair Wise.

Get the whole story from hack:

• Follow us on Instagram and TikTok
• Subscribe to the hack podcast
• Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

It's the biggest deal in Australian military history, the $368 billion AUKUS alliance between Australia, the US and the UK, but this week, the government announced the deal is changing.

Australia is no longer going to get a brand-new submarine — instead, we'll get three second-hand subs. So, does it matter? And does AUKUS still stack up? We speak to Peter Garrett who's leading a crowd-funded inquiry into the deal.

Plus, meet mates Fletcher Crowley and Lachie Bennett. They've blown up on socials with hundreds of thousands of people watching them travel the world, pushing the boundaries of what's wheelchair accessible.

Listen now: 

1:00 - The latest on AUKUS

11:11 - Two mates, 1 chair

Guests:  

• Peter Garrett, AUKUS Independent Inquiry lead, lead singer of Midnight Oil
• Fletcher Crowley and Lachie Bennett, Two Mates 1 Chair

Get the whole story from hack:

• Follow us on Instagram and TikTok
• Subscribe to the hack podcast
• Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

Fletcher Crowley and Lachie Bennett have been living out a dream - two mates, visiting four continents, in three months.

Their adventures have blown up on social media with hundreds of thousands of people watching them trek across the globe and pushing the boundaries of what's accessible.

Fletcher has been a wheelchair user since he was 17. But he has never let that slow him down.

In this week's long listen Fletcher and Lachie give Dave the rundown on their holdiay, the pros of travelling with a wheelchair, and why it's important to support your mates.

Guests: 

• Fletcher Crowley and Lachie Bennett, Two Mates 1 Chair

Get the whole story from hack:

• Follow us on Instagram and TikTok
• Subscribe to the hack podcast
• Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

You meet someone on a dating app, you link up on socials, you start sharing nudes, it seems like harmless fun — until they threaten to share your intimate photos with your friends and family if you don't pay up.

Thousands of Aussies have been targeted by this sextortion and new data shows young men are particularly at risk. So, what do you do if you find yourself in this situation?

Plus, are people on weight loss drugs being judged differently?

Also, the United Nations has warned the world to prepare for an El Niño this year.

Listen now: 

01:38 - What is sextortion?

11:46 - Weight loss drug stigma

24:33 - El Niño warning

Guests:

• Julie Inman Grant, E-Safety Commissioner
• Professor Gemma Sharp, Head of body image, eating, and weight disorders at the school of psychology at Adelaide University.

Get the whole story from hack:

• Follow us on Instagram and TikTok
• Subscribe to the hack podcast
• Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm