☕️ Raygun reacts to controversy

If you need something to listen to on your commute to work this morning, here are the topics we covered this week on The Daily Aus podcast:

Have a great weekend!

“I didn’t realise that that would also open the door to so much hate, which has frankly been pretty devastating. I went out there and I had fun and I did take it very seriously. I worked my butt off preparing for the Olympics and I gave my all - truly.”
Australian breaking athlete Rachael Gunn in a video posted to her Instagram overnight, addressing the controversy over her Olympic performance.

17%
The percentage of American women who have changed their contraceptive practices because of the U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v Wade. The finding was included in a new women’s health survey by independent health policy organisation KFF.

1858
The first message was sent across the Atlantic with a telegraph cable in the ocean.

A COVID-era ban on standing outside a pub while drinking alcohol will be scrapped in NSW. This will allow people to stand up while drinking alcohol on a footpath in front of a venue.

The NSW Government described the current ban as “useless” and hoped dumping it will help revive nightlife across the state.

NSW Night-time Economy Minister John Graham said: “A blanket ban on standing with a drink in hand is a red tape hangover that has no place in 2024.”

NSW Premier Chris Minns described the existing rule on seated-only drinking in outdoor venues as “useless”.

He added: “Having an economy that fires up at 5pm during the week is critical for global cities like Sydney.”

Shadow Arts Minister Kevin Anderson welcomed the changes. However, he urged the Government to ensure “no extra costs will be passed onto small business or consumers as a result of these changes”.

Last December, the State Government passed laws designed to “boost NSW’s night economy”.

It included turning extended outdoor dining areas, like footpaths or parking spaces outside a restaurant or bar, from temporary to permanent.

Venues offering live music are able to stay open for an extra two hours under these laws.

The outdoor standing rules will be included in a broader set of nightlife reforms, yet to be tabled in Parliament.

Reporting by Harry Sekulich.

The Opposition Leader has called for people fleeing Gaza to be blocked from coming to Australia.

As the Israel-Hamas conflict continues, Peter Dutton has urged the Government to implement stricter immigration measures as a matter of “national security” on people leaving conflict zones.

The Government has rejected Dutton’s calls, and released data showing it has rejected the majority of recent visa applications from the Palestinian territories.

Since October, more than 10,000 people from Gaza and the West Bank, which the Australian Government calls the occupied Palestinian territories, have applied to come to Australia.

A spokesperson for the Home Affairs Department confirmed it’s rejected 7,111 of those visa applications.

It has approved 2,922 visas from Palestinian territories.

The Home Affairs Department confirmed to TDA that nearly 90% of the 3,000 approved visas were visitor visas.

These types of visas allow people to stay in Australia for between three and 12 months.

354 Palestinians were granted other types of visas including 95 family, 74 skilled migration, and 51 student visas.

Since October, more than 8,700 migration and temporary visas were granted to people declaring Israeli citizenship.

Dutton told Sky News on Wednesday that he was concerned about the background checks for people arriving in Australia from Gaza.

He noted Hamas, which controls Gaza, is listed as a terrorist organisation by Australia.

“I don’t think people should be coming in from that war zone at all at the moment. It’s not prudent to do so, and I think it puts our national security at risk,“ Dutton said.

This week, the Opposition Leader repeated his calls for a temporary immigration pause. “The Government has brought people in from a war zone. In some cases, they haven’t even done face-to-face interviews and that is without precedent,” Dutton told Nine.

He said he believes “the vast majority... are just innocent people fleeing a war zone,” but that “our country’s best interest is served when we know who is coming here”.

Dutton called for “proper” processes to ensure no “sympathisers of a listed terrorist organisation” arrive in Australia.

Dutton has introduced a motion in the House of Representatives to recognise “the Albanese Government has granted almost 3,000 visas to individuals from the Gaza war zone,” some of whom he claimed have “expressed sympathy for Hamas”.

Independent MP Zali Steggall spoke against Dutton’s motion. She called on Dutton to “stop being racist,” before withdrawing her remark.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese accused Dutton of sowing “fear and division” over Palestinian visas.

“That is what he has done his entire political career and he continues to do,” Albanese said.

He hit back at Dutton’s questions over whether Palestinian visa holders had gone through a proper screening process.

“We don’t discuss the details of the methods are agencies used to determine if someone is a national security risk”.

Senior Government Minister Jason Clare has also criticised the comments from Dutton, who was Home Affairs Minister under the previous Coalition Government.

“The same security checks that were in place when he was a Minister are in place now,” Clare said.

Clare represents the south-western Sydney electorate of Blaxland. More than half of Blaxland residents were born overseas, according to census data.

“I’d invite Peter Dutton to come to my electorate and meet the people who’ve come here from Gaza,” he said.

Reporting by Harry Sekulich.

Ever wondered what it takes to build a sustainable business from the ground up?

Check out this doco about Aussie brand Zorali. Revolutionising outdoor gear with a focus on sustainability and durability, Zorali was founded by Cam and Elise Greenwood. They’re dedicated to creating high-quality products that can stand up to adventure while minimising their environmental footprint.

Further Together is their new documentary that delves into the highs and lows of building a business, offering a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to create a brand that’s as good for the planet as it is for outdoor enthusiasts!

Watch the documentary on YouTube here.

Archeologists announced this week they've unearthed two skeletons, coins and jewellery, that were believed to have been buried when Mount Vesuvius erupted, nearly 2,000 years ago.

Officials said the discovery offered "invaluable anthropological data" about ancient the ancient city and its residents.

Want more good news? Sign up to our weekly Good Newsletter here - we promise it’ll make your week better!

Reporting by Chloe Christie.

Who would want to take more flights with Europe’s worst airline?

Enough people, apparently, that Wizz Air is offering an “all-you-can-fly” subscription service.

The Hungarian airline, voted the UK and Europe’s worst carrier across multiple surveys, has offered customers the chance to pay €499 ($AU830) to book as many flights as they want for a whole year.

While the subscription includes international flights, it doesn’t include checked baggage.

Plus, it comes with a big condition: if you miss three flights, your membership is cancelled without a refund.

Reporting by Nandini Dhir.

Should online gambling ads be banned altogether? That’s the question that’s currently in front of the government, as they weigh up how to deal with Australia’s gambling problem.

While a committee report last year recommended a total ban on all online gambling advertising, there are reports that the Government won’t go for a total ban, but instead a partial one.

In today’s podcast, we’ll explore what the fallout from those reports have been, what the Government’s options are and what we can expect next.