Previously referred to as Australia's worst female serial killer, Kathleen Folbigg has finally had her convictions for killing her four children dismissed. In 2003, she was convicted of murdering her children Patrick, Sarah and Laura and of the manslaughter of her son Caleb. Though she spent 20 years in prison, she always maintained her innocence. In this extra episode of The Briefing, we explain the science of genetic mutations that helped to clear Kathleen's name, and whether she will be recei...
Dec 14, 2023•9 min•Season 4Ep. 381
This week, Queensland’s long-serving leader Anastasia Palaszczuk announced her resignation, signalling the end of the reign of Australia’s pandemic premiers. Leaders of the states and territories became household names during the height of the COVID years between 2020 and 2022. People tuned in daily for their press conferences, their policies (and personalities) were the topic of dinner table conversations and they often found themselves splashed all over the internet in the form of Tik Tok danc...
Dec 13, 2023•21 min•Season 4Ep. 380
We cross to far north Queensland as locals prepare for the arrival of Tropical Cyclone Jasper. The category two system is expected to hit the coast later today, somewhere between Cairns and Hope Vale. The region is expected to receive 250mm to 300mm of rain in just six hours – and up to 500mm over 24 hours. We're joined by Helen Reed from the Bureau of Meteorology and Georgina Hill from Network Ten's north Queensland newsroom to get the very latest as the cyclone bears down on FNQ. See omnystudi...
Dec 13, 2023•12 min•Season 4Ep. 379
People have been doing things to their eyebrows for millennia; whether it’s plucking them, shaving them, colouring them or getting rid of them completely! But did you know eyebrows tell us a lot about society; from perceptions of beauty to socio- economic status to even reproduction! In this episode of The Briefing, Antoinette Lattouf and makeup historian Sara Long dissect why we’re so obsessed with our eyebrows. Headlines: Jasper Cyclone hitting Far North Queensland today WHO says less than a t...
Dec 12, 2023•22 min•Season 4Ep. 378
Already this summer season is proving to be dry, hot and dangerous for the risk of bushfires. And the future is looking bleak, with predictions that our bushfire season will increase in both length and intensity. But while we already undertake hazard reduction burns each year to reduce the fuel for fires to feed off, could we learn more from the cultural burning practices of Australia’s First Nations Peoples? On this extra episode of The Briefing, we speak with former Emergency Management commis...
Dec 12, 2023•11 min•Season 4Ep. 377
Coles and Woolworths are witnessing a surge in theft, which is being put down to the cost of living crisis. Despite this, the two big supermarkets are raking in profits and facing an inquiry into alleged price gouging. In this episode of The Briefing, Bension Siebert asks Fleur Brown from the Australian Retailers Association whether this spike in theft could be shoppers trying to get revenge against Coles and Woolies. Headlines: Essential poll finds 57% of Aussies are financially struggling COP2...
Dec 11, 2023•18 min•Season 4Ep. 376
They’re the non-surgical cosmetic procedures that get spruiked and glamorised with hashtags like #BarbieBotox, #FoxEyes and #LipFlip by influencers on social media. These procedures can be performed by non-medical practitioners like nurses, dental practitioners and pharmacists, and include injectables and fillers, cosmetic dentistry, hair transplants, fat freezing, and thread lifts (to only name a few). But now a national crackdown is coming, with a regulator releasing draft guidelines that woul...
Dec 11, 2023•11 min•Season 4Ep. 375
Many young people are struggling with the rising cost of living: rent, bills, groceries and transport. But imagine you’re doing it all alone, without the support of your parents or family. That’s the reality for young people who have grown up in care. And it’s a key reason so few make it into higher education. If you’re working all the hours you can just to get by, you don’t get the opportunity to study and break the cycle of poverty, irrespective of how bright you are. But a charity scholarship...
Dec 10, 2023•21 min•Season 4Ep. 374
Kath Ebbs is an accidental influencer, they was scouted on Instagram when they were just 17 and since then has dominated the social media scene. Kath is a queer artist and actor and they grew up on the internet and their relationship with social media like many of us has changed throughout the years. In this chat with Helen Smith, Kath explains the importance of pronouns, how we can make the film industry more inclusive and the impact social media has had on their body image. Weekend list: Every...
Dec 08, 2023•29 min•Season 4Ep. 373
For those who celebrate Christmas, this time of year is sold to us as being all about togetherness, joy, gift giving and family – it's the most wonderful time of the year after all. While we all love opening pressies and sitting down to a Christmas feast, there aren’t magical elves running around organising everything – it usually falls on the shoulders of women. Ask any woman in your life how long they’ve been thinking about all the things that have to be organised in the lead up to the festive...
Dec 08, 2023•12 min•Season 4Ep. 372
The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission is cracking down on our online space. Two new reports flag major concerns when it comes to social media influencers disclosing advertising; and businesses commissioning and collating their own reviews. In this episode of The Briefing ACCC Acting Chair Catriona Lowe takes us through what we should be looking out for online. Headlines: New industrial relations reforms passed Heatwave hitting most of the countries east with temperatures in the 40...
Dec 07, 2023•20 min•Season 4Ep. 371
A man has been arrested in the US over links to the deadly Wieambilla massacre almost a year ago, which saw two Queensland police constables and a civilian shot dead on a remote property. Their murderers; Gareth, Nathaniel and Stacey Train were killed in the resulting standoff with officers. Detectives will allege the Trains had been radicalised after discovering the idea of “premillennialism” - a belief system with roots in Christianity that predicts Jesus Christ will return to earth before the...
Dec 07, 2023•12 min•Season 4Ep. 370
If you’ve been thinking there are have been a lot of female leaders under fire lately, you might have noticed the glass cliff phenomenon; it’s when a woman is put into a position of leadership during a company crisis. Fortescue Metals chief executive Fiona Hick and the Australia Post CEO Christine Holgate have both had to resign after relatively short tenures and major issues at their companies. Now RBA boss Michelle Bullock and Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson have both just been appointed during very...
Dec 06, 2023•21 min•Season 4Ep. 369
Last month, a 600-kilogram seal made himself at home in front of a woman’s car in Tasmania’s south, giving her the best excuse not to go to work. Affectionately known as Neil, the elephant seal routinely causes havoc when he comes back to the coast. And this isn't the only example of how urbanisation has necessitated changes in the behaviour of the animals around us - just think of the rebranding of the majestic ibis to the 'bin chicken', known for roaming our streets and raiding our rubbish. In...
Dec 06, 2023•9 min•Season 4Ep. 368
With the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference underway in Dubai, the world’s focus is once again turning to whether we’re doing enough to tackle global warming. China is the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitter, but the country is also making strides towards hitting 2030 climate targets. In this episode of The Briefing Katrina Blowers speaks with Dr Michal Meidan, head of China energy research at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies about just what China is doing about climate chan...
Dec 05, 2023•20 min•Season 4Ep. 367
How much do you spend on clothes, and how much of your wardrobe do you throw out each year? The average Aussie bins ten kilograms of used clothing every year, with the expectation that the fast fashion industry and a status quo of ‘quantity over quality’ will continue to push this number even higher in the future. But is there any hope that this trend could change in favour of more sustainable and ethically sourced clothing? In this extra episode of The Briefing, we’re joined by LiSTNR journalis...
Dec 05, 2023•11 min•Season 4Ep. 366
We’re set to be spending a lot of 2024 talking about US elections, with President Biden and likely Donald Trump going head to head again. Polls are hinting at a Trump victory, but with legal battles, bureaucratic clashes, and a dash of political intrigue, the path to the White House is anything but predictable. In this episode of The Briefing, Planet America’s Chas Licciardello explains to Katrina Blowers what we need to know before campaigning ratchets up. Headlines: Westpac down overnight Form...
Dec 04, 2023•22 min•Season 4Ep. 365
How do you think more accessible drug testing would change illicit drug use in Australia? A handheld device called the MicroNIR is currently being used overseas to identify drugs and assess their purity. It’s efficient, accurate, and cost-effective, and it could be a game-changer at festivals, clubs, and supervised injecting facilities here in Australia. But will it be used here? In this extra episode of The Briefing, we hear from Harry Fursman, a PhD candidate at the University of Technology, S...
Dec 04, 2023•10 min•Season 4Ep. 364
Australia is the first country to offer climate refuge, after signing a new treaty with Tuvalu. The agreement could set an example for the rest of the world ahead of 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference. In this episode of The Briefing Katrina Blowers speaks with Tamara Wood from the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law about exactly what this deal means. Headlines: 1.8 million people displaced in Gaza National Health and Climate Strategy announced at COP28 Supermarkets under pre...
Dec 03, 2023•19 min•Season 4Ep. 363
The world of self care is growing and behind the products and marketing push, are actual experts, who are building big followings as people crave support and direction -- and in some cases sweary entertainment. Enter neuroscience whiz, author and host of hit podcast Do You F*cking Mind, Alexis Fernandez-Preiksa. In this chat with Antoinette Lattouf, Alexis shares her tips on how to live a bad ass life. Weekend List: The Morning Show Season 3 on Apple TV She’s on the Money audiobook Antoinette wa...
Dec 01, 2023•33 min•Season 4Ep. 362
Everyone’s talking about Spotify ‘wrapped’, but is Spotify – and streaming in general – killing off the music industry? Subscribers received a message from the streaming service today telling them who their most-played artist was, alongside other facts about their listening habits over the last year. But how about as a society? With subscriptions and streaming now the norm, how have we changed the music industry over the last decade? In this extra episode of The Briefing, we’re joined by Associa...
Dec 01, 2023•12 min•Season 4Ep. 361
Voluntary assisted dying is now legal in Australia, after NSW passed laws earlier this week. There are some differences between states; NSW has a different cooling off period, and allows the patient to choose whether the life-ending drug should be delivered by a medical professional even if they have the ability to self-administer. In this episode of The Briefing Tom Tilley speaks with David Springer who had to take his brother to Switzerland to die about what he thinks of the new laws, and Lind...
Nov 30, 2023•20 min•Season 4Ep. 360
Despite our population across the globe exceeding 8 billion, several reports say that the fertility of both men and women has been decreasing since the 1950s. So what's going on? Is this due to changes in our lifestyles, such as our diet, exercise or the later average age at which we start having children? Or could our exposure to toxins, pollutants, microplastics and nanoplastics be to blame? On this extra episode of The Briefing, we hear from fertility experts Dr Manuela Toledo and Professor R...
Nov 30, 2023•12 min•Season 4Ep. 359
The stereotypes of OCD are hand washing and checking door locks, but for many people it’s the underlying thoughts that derail their life and steal their happiness. In this episode Penny Moodie, author of The Joy Thief, shares her darkest thoughts with Tom Tilley and explains how exposure therapy worked to help her. Headlines: STC issues apology over on-stage pro-Palestinian display Calls for the ceasefire in Gaza to be extended Annual inflation figure has dropped Follow The Briefing: Instagram: ...
Nov 29, 2023•20 min•Season 4Ep. 358
How can Coles and Woolworths claim to keep prices down while recording record profits? Our two supermarket giants have recorded rising profits, each netting more than $1 billion in 2023. With Australians buckling under cost of living pressure, families struggling to put food on the table, and interest rates climbing, households are at breaking point. In other words, “Up, up, prices are up” and “Every day high prices”. In this extra episode of The Briefing, our investigations editor Clair Weaver ...
Nov 29, 2023•11 min•Season 4Ep. 357
The government is making a formal apology to the victims of thalidomide today. Thalidomide was a drug given to pregnant women in the 50s and 60s to treat morning sickness, it was then discovered to cause birth defects in unborn children. In this episode of The Briefing Katrina Blowers speaks to thalidomide survivor, Trish Jackson about what the apology means to her and her family. Headlines: More Israeli hostages and Palestinians released as ceasefire continues Update on Bruce Lehrmann defamatio...
Nov 28, 2023•16 min•Season 4Ep. 356
The Albanese Government will introduce legislation to the federal parliament tomorrow officially banning Nazi salutes. It follows a decision in June this year to criminalise the public display of, and trade in, Nazi hate symbols. In this extra episode of The Briefing, we're joined by the Federal Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, as he explains amendments to legislation to be put to the parliament tomorrow will make the Nazi salute a criminal offence under Commonwealth law. See omnystudio.com/listen...
Nov 28, 2023•9 min•Season 4Ep. 355
Sam Altman was fired from his position as CEO of OpenAI and then four days later was reinstated. Altman is the darling of Silicon Valley, with Open AI now the hottest company in tech today, having released the ChatGPT chatbot and DALL-E image generator. In this episode of The Briefing Tom Tilley speaks with AI scientist Toby Walsh about who Altman is and what this latest saga tells us about what’s going on at the top of the tech world. Headlines: Gaza truce extended for two days Australia to ban...
Nov 27, 2023•19 min•Season 4Ep. 354
Today’s Newspoll figures show Anthony Albanese is on the nose with voters. If an election were held this weekend, the ALP would lose six seats and face governing with a minority government. So what’s behind Albo’s decline? Is it just the Voice, the cost of living, immigration and border issues, being out of the country and interest rates? Or is Peter Dutton managing to make the most of key Coalition strengths, national security, economic management and immigration? In this extra episode of The B...
Nov 27, 2023•12 min•Season 4Ep. 353
An Australian start-up called HEO is bringing CCTV into space. The technology HEO uses is world-first and works at phenomenal speeds; doing everything from checking on the health of a satellite to de-escalating world conflicts thanks to its use in counter-espionage. HEO even has contracts with Elon Musk’s SpaceX. In this episode of The Briefing, Tom Tilley finds out from Dr William Crowe, the Sydney-based founder of HEO, what’s going on above our heads. Headlines: Third hostage-prisoner exchange...
Nov 26, 2023•20 min•Season 4Ep. 352
