Zacharias Szumer

Hannah's son was put in a box at school. She's one of many parents calling out the practice The widespread use of 'restrictive practices' in Australian schools is leaving children with disability traumatised and their parents exasperated. Some teachers are also appalled by what they've seen.

As someone with both #ADHD + #Autism, it's absofreakinglutely chilling & scary as hell reading @zacharias-szumer.bsky.social whose 2-part investigation into neurodivergent schoolkids in Australia forced into boxes, cages & nets = rightfully award winning journalism. #AusMedia #disability #NDIS

Hannah's son was put in a box at school. She's one of many parents calling out the practice The widespread use of 'restrictive practices' in Australian schools is leaving children with disability traumatised and their parents exasperated. Some teachers are also appalled by what they've seen.

Congratulation.@zacharias-szumer.bsky.social whose 2-part investigation into neurodivergent schoolkids forced into boxes, cages & nets won #UTS #CentralNewsMedia's top award on Wednesday. Great to see #SBS investing in hardhitting research like this:
#NDIS #Disability
www.sbs.com.au/news/article...

Medicare Mystery unravelled. No 'free-fall' in bulk billing - Michael West Government with $8.5 billion in new Medicare spending, 90% of all GP visits free. But nobody seems to know what's going on with bulk billing

With the standard journalist's caveat that I didn't write this headline, what this article actually does is try to unpack some of the discourse/statistics around rates of bulk-billing in Australia, which have certainly been confusing me in recent weeks.

michaelwest.com.au/medicare-mys...

Medicare - bulk-billing, bluster and a ‘Mediscare’ redux?   - Michael West A new report suggests that the number of GP clinics offering bulk-billing to adults without concessions is in sharp decline, but is bulk-billing more broadly on life-support?

New report - the number of GP clinics offering bulk-billing to adults without concessions is in sharp decline, but is bulk-billing more broadly on life-support? Zacharias Szumer investigates.
#cleanbill #auspol
michaelwest.com.au/medicare-bul...

If true fascism ever does come to Australia, you just know it’s going to be enforced by something called the Ministry for Social Cohesion

First post-Assad Christmas holidays ruined by wife discovering I put our entire savings into the captagon market in 2021

Massage therapists earn well below the median wage, often in precarious subcontracting arrangements.

Massage is generally a nice experience but, sadly, this makes those that provide it extremely vulnerable to "wellness washing".

It’s still well down on the Coalition under Scott Morrison but Labor’s coal and gas project approvals keep rising. @zachariasszumer reports
#auspol
michaelwest.com.au/tanyas-tally...

Bupa, Medibank give massage therapists an unhappy ending  - Michael West Ever enjoyed a relaxing remedial massage at the office? Maybe it’s time to check in on the people untangling your knots. Zacharias Szumer irons out the industry snarls.

"One particular highlight, he said, was giving a massage to Anthony Albanese in the Qantas Chairman’s Lounge."

A must-read @zachariasszumer investigation - corporate message and 'wellness'
#auspol
michaelwest.com.au/bupa-mediban...

well, 'temple' i guess

Victoria will legislate to ‘thwart’ protests at places of worship while banning masks and flags Jacinta Allan announces measures targeting protests in bid ‘to combat antisemitism’ after synagogue attack

*Youth pastor voice - "You know who else protested at a synagogue?"

www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Scouts honour. Come join the Israel army and learn to kill. - Michael West Yaakov Aharon investigates links between youth group Hatzofim Australia, Garin Tzabar, Israel Defence Forces' (IDF) recruitment in Australia.

Another incredible report from @yaakov-aharon.bsky.social

Gasbagging. News Corp steps up the hot air, ignores the gas facts - Michael West News Corp ran gas-industry-sponsored content across its tabloid front pages, ignoring the facts the industry would rather keep quiet about.

Last week, News Corp ran a swathe of gas-industry-sponsored content across its tabloid front pages, but a new report has homed in on what it says are some of the facts the industry would rather keep quiet about.

My latest for @michaelwestbiz.bsky.social

michaelwest.com.au/gasbagging-n...

I spoke with Damar Juniarto – who took part in the protest movement that brought down the New Order and went on to lead the Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network – and quoted a bunch of existing research / opinion by Ary Hermawan, Yatun Sastramidjaja, Endy Bayuni, Ross Tapsell and others

Dead Deepfake Dictators and Declining Digi-optimism in Indonesia – Arena Critical * Radical * Australia * Earth

Arena has just published 3000 words I wrote a few months back on how initial optimism about the power of the internet to democratise authoritarian regimes faded in Indonesia since the fall of Suharto in 1998.

arena.org.au/dead-deepfak...

Reports that Bashar al-Assad on plane to do Joe Rogan’s podcast in desperate attempt to save his regime

I think it's also good that we interviewed an Israeli who isnt like many presented in the typical foreign media coverage of the West Bank. Not a rabid settler, just someone temporarily brought there by circumstance who wants things to be different but doesn't see a clear path to peace or justice

Probably not adding a huge amount of information for for people who are familiar with the issue but we've got exclusive footage of overcrowding at West Bank checkpoints and, afaik, the first Australian reporting on how Israel has deployed an app to monitor Palestinians since Oct 7

Gabrielle Katanasho and I talked to a Palestinian from Beit Sahour and an Israeli displaced from his town near the Lebanese border, and currently living in temporary accommodation near the Dead Sea, about their experiences living in the occupied West Bank
www.sbs.com.au/news/article...

Is the IEEFA analysis I referenced in the article incorrect? If you've got a problem with the headline, you'll have to take it up with my editorial overlords, but I'm happy to be accountable for everything else in the article

Carbon capture con. Giant Gorgon project captures less emissions than ever - Michael West Energy economics research body says world’s largest carbon capture and storage project capturing less than half the emissions it planned to.

Time to drive the final nails into the coffin of public subsidies for fossil fuelers CCS con. Zacharias Szumer on Chevron and Santos carbon capture
#auspol
michaelwest.com.au/carbon-captu...

If it’s publicly funded information it should be made fully public to everyone at the same time - with the exception of embargoes that are used to give journalists time to report on something more detailed cc @zacharias-szumer.bsky.social and @drjr.bsky.social who I know share similar concerns!