Tuesday Headlines: Donald Trump and ex-PM Malcolm Turnbull continue trading blows, Russia warns Australia against putting boots on the ground in Ukraine, Sydney caravan plot revealed to be a hoax, and political fundraising events cancelled after cyclone backlash. Deep Dive: Has the news media gone overboard with its coverage of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred? Over the weekend, ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred dominated news coverage, with major networks deploying dozens of reporters across multiple locati...
Mar 10, 2025•28 min•Season 6Ep. 106
Afternoon headlines: Raids reportedly carried out in relation to a caravan allegedly found packed with explosives, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese warns flood crisis far from over and Security at regional airports is under scrutiny Deep dive: Scammers are targeting Australians across the country in the wake of Cyclone Alfred, with the Prime Minister warning the impact from the crisis is far from over. The latest rise in scams include fake donation sites, fraudulent offers of support from scammer...
Mar 10, 2025•11 min•Season 6Ep. 105
Monday Headlines: Hundreds of thousands without power as ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred moves inland, latest Newspoll shows hung parliament still likely, Israel cuts off power to Gaza and St George Dragons strongly condemns pie throw at the NRL. Deep Dive: Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek is being sued by a conservation group alleging she is not meeting her legal obligations to protect threatened species. The case, brought by The Wilderness Society, focuses on eleven species and an argument that...
Mar 09, 2025•27 min•Season 6Ep. 104
Comedian and author Michelle Brasier transformed the heartbreak of losing her brother and father to cancer into a bold and unflinching brand of comedy. After discovering she has a 97% chance of carrying the same deadly gene, Michelle's life took a new direction. Her book, My Brother's Ashes are in a Sandwich Bag, powerfully captures how she uses humour as a tool to confront and navigate grief. In this chat with Antoinette Lattouf, Michelle shares how she mistakenly slapped a priest and why she’s...
Mar 07, 2025•43 min•Season 6Ep. 104
Millions of residents across NSW and Queensland are preparing for Tropical Cyclone Alfred, expected to make landfall tomorrow. Torrential rain and wild winds have already caused widespread damage, prompting evacuation orders across Northern NSW and warnings that tens of thousands could be left without power. So, how bad could this get? And what should those in the impact zone expect? In this Afternoon Edition of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling breaks down the latest updates and emergency response...
Mar 07, 2025•8 min•Season 6Ep. 103
Headlines: Tropical Cyclone Alfred continues slow journey towards land, Teenager arrested after trying to board plane with shotgun, EU leaders close to landmark defence deal as Trump again pauses tariffs, and Aussies are ditching Tesla. Deep Dive: From an explosive meeting at the White House to accusations of an all-out trade war, the last seven days in international politics has been positively batshit insane. We’ve seen the US pull military aid and intelligence sharing from Ukraine, the UK lea...
Mar 06, 2025•27 min•Season 6Ep. 102
Charities and community leaders are raising the alarm, accusing Australian councils of criminalising homelessness, effectively making it illegal. Councils in Queensland and Victoria have been under scrutiny for planning to slap thousands of dollars' worth of fines on people experiencing homelessness in a bid to lower crime and move people along. This has sparked an open letter from a community group in Moreton Bay, calling on all levels of government, saying the move is both an emergency and a v...
Mar 06, 2025•13 min•Season 6Ep. 101
Headlines: Tropical Cyclone Alfred slows but still expected to bring “three natural disasters in one”, US cuts off intelligence sharing with Ukraine and Trumps rejects Gaza rebuild plan, and Aussie men doing no more housework than they were 20 years ago. Deep Dive: White supremacy, antisemitism and neo-Nazis have been making headlines lately in Australia. How worried should we be? We’ve seen rallies in Adelaide, Nazi salutes in Melbourne and politicians racing to legislate tough new penalties to...
Mar 05, 2025•27 min•Season 6Ep. 100
Many of us are considering how we might protect ourselves and our careers if artificial intelligence gets smart enough to do our jobs better than we can. Although unemployment is low in Australia and we are yet to see an AI jobs ‘tsunami’, economic modelling claims up to a third of Australians could be made jobless because of this technology in just five years. So what can we do about it ourselves? And are the Government and the union movement doing enough to help us adapt? In part three of the ...
Mar 05, 2025•12 min•Season 6Ep. 99
Headlines: Concerts and footy matches cancelled as Alfred heads towards land, Zelensky says he’s ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership, Teenager arrested over Sydney mosque threat, and we have an update on stranded astronauts. Deep Dive: Should an act of aggression as blatant as punching a wall be enough to end Married At First Sight? The country’s biggest reality TV show recently aired an incident where a participant punched a wall during an argument with their partner. It app...
Mar 04, 2025•25 min•Season 6Ep. 98
If you can’t beat them – join them? Tech billionaires like Elon Musk say the AI systems they're building will replace lots of people’s jobs, but also create better ones in their place. This week, The Briefing is bringing you a special three-part series on AI and how it’ impacting your job right now. In Part One , Bension Siebert spoke with a prolific Australian voice actor behind some of the world’s largest brands – like Google – and most recognisable characters – like Healthy Harold – about how...
Mar 04, 2025•16 min•Season 6Ep. 97
Headlines: Tropical Cyclone Alfred and the federal election date, new findings on the gender pay gap and the 2025 Oscars wrap Deep dive: What does mental health advocacy for men look like in 2025, and does social media help or hinder the cause? A recent video by charity The Better Bloke Project has gone viral after the founders told women to “shut up” to give men “a minute to think” when discussing the state of men’s mental health in the country. The comments have sparked a fierce debate online ...
Mar 03, 2025•30 min•Season 6Ep. 96
Tech billionaires like Elon Musk say the AI systems they're building will replace lots of people’s jobs, but also create better ones in their place. Is that true? In Part One of the Briefing’s special three-part series on AI and your job, Bension Siebert explains the threat artificial intelligence is presenting to Australian workers. He speaks with the prolific Australian voice actor behind some of the world’s largest brands – like Google – and most recognisable characters – like Healthy Harold ...
Mar 03, 2025•18 min•Season 6Ep. 95
Headlines: Europe is putting together a ‘coalition of the willing’ to stop the war in Ukraine, Israel blocks entry of all humanitarian aid into Gaza, and Labor vows further spending on health while Coalition promises to bolster national security. Deep Dive: Munchausen Syndrome By Proxy is an illness most of us have heard of, having been at the centre of some of the biggest movies, TV series and criminal cases of the decade. But now the widespread awareness of “Factitious Disorder” is leading to ...
Mar 02, 2025•27 min•Season 6Ep. 94
Jen Robinson made headlines as the lawyer who helped secure the release of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange after 14 years, but her advocacy doesn’t stop there. From representing Amber Heard, to challenging major fossil fuel corporations over climate change violations, and fighting for press freedom for Palestinian journalists, she has become a force in global justice. In this chat with Antoinette Lattouf, Jen reveals the reasons behind her fight, why Anthony Albanese is ‘one of her favourite pe...
Feb 28, 2025•42 min•Season 6Ep. 93
Viral emerging pop sensation Go-Jo, also known as Marty Zambotto, will represent Australia at Eurovision in Basel, Switzerland this year. He’s taken the internet by storm and now, he’s hoping to do the same on the Eurovision stage with his track ‘Milkshake Man’. So, who is Go-Jo? How did a social media star land one of Australia’s most coveted music gigs? And does he have what it takes to finally bring the glass microphone home? In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou chats with the artist...
Feb 28, 2025•19 min•Season 6Ep. 92
Casinos are usually synonymous with high rollers and high stakes. But running a business of the size and scale of a casino comes with big risks and big expenses – despite having a possibly never-ending stream of clientele addicted to participating in what you’re selling. The Star Entertainment Group – who operate casinos in Sydney, Brisbane and the Gold Coast – entered a trading halt, minutes before the Australian share market opened today, after failing to post its half-year financial results. ...
Feb 28, 2025•16 min•Season 6Ep. 91
Friday headlines: Australian divorce rates at lowest in half a century, Penny Wong accuses coalition of ‘gunboat diplomacy’, mystery surrounds death of legendary Hollywood actor, and Katy Perry is going to space on all-woman crewed Blue Origin mission. Deep Dive: The government has approved a deal that will let Qatar Airways buy a quarter of Virgin Australia. The deal means an extra 28 flights a week – and there’s hope more competition in the sector equals cheaper airfares going forward. The Tre...
Feb 27, 2025•24 min•Season 6Ep. 90
Overnight, comedian and broadcaster Marty Sheargold parted ways with Triple M after comments he made on his drive show surrounding his views on the national Australian women’s soccer team The Matildas. But what you might have missed in the backlash was additional commentary made by Sheargold on his views on endometriosis, and his perception that women suffering from the condition were exaggerating or making up the experience. Endometriosis is a debilitating disease affecting 1 in 7 females and t...
Feb 27, 2025•13 min•Season 6Ep. 89
Thursday Headlines: Dutton defends share purchases and late property disclosures, religious sect jailed over death of Elizabeth Struhs, cost of private health insurance in Australia to go up and Marty Sheargold and Triple M "mutually part ways". Deep Dive: Millions of people have been displaced, thousands killed, and tensions with Rwanda are threatening to spill into a regional war—so why aren’t we hearing more about the Democratic Republic of Congo? While the country is no stranger to political...
Feb 26, 2025•27 min•Season 6Ep. 88
If it benefits the health of the whole country, would you be willing to pay for someone else in Australia to lose weight? Ozempic, Wegovy and medications like them have revolutionised weight loss in Australia and around the world in the past few years, and both are now approved for treating diabetes and your taxpayer money goes towards subsidising their cost. But the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme has rejected funding them for weight loss. This means that people who are overweight but do not hav...
Feb 26, 2025•15 min•Season 6Ep. 87
Wednesday Headlines: Labor pushes Peter Dutton on allegations of insider trading, ABC says it’s spent $1.1 million on Antoinette Lattouf’s unfair dismissal case and AI videos of Donald Trump kissing Elon Musk’s feet have been played by hackers at federal department in the US. Deep Dive: Have we just witnessed one of the biggest technological achievements in our lifetime? Microsoft has revealed a new quantum computer chip – and an Australian team has been pivotal in its creation. But what’s behin...
Feb 25, 2025•24 min•Season 6Ep. 86
With cost of living dominating the 2025 election, it was only a matter of time before Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made a major move. Over the weekend, he announced an $8.5 billion Medicare investment, aiming to make 90% of GP visits free by the end of the decade. But just hours later, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton matched the pledge dollar for dollar—escalating the battle over who’s to blame for Australia’s bulk-billing crisis. So, will this massive cash injection actually make it easier to...
Feb 25, 2025•18 min•Season 6Ep. 85
Tuesday Headlines: Anthony Albanese speaks about Medicare, racism and the US, New telco rules to protect DV victims announced, SAG awards recap. Deep Dive: Three Chinese warships unexpectedly entered international waters off the coast of Sydney and fired missiles over the weekend. Australian pilots on commercial passenger flights to New Zealand were reportedly radioed directly by the warships, advising them to immediately divert course. So why did China send the ships, how worried should we be, ...
Feb 24, 2025•26 min•Season 6Ep. 84
Pope Francis is currently battling a serious bout of double pneumonia, with his condition described by the Vatican over the weekend as “critical”. As Catholics around the world pray for his recovery and health, you might find yourself asking; what happens if he dies? How is a new pope chosen? And did the movie currently getting Oscars buzz, Conclave, get it right? In today’s deep dive, Sacha Barbour Gatt is joined by Oxford historian and Catholic Church expert, Dr Miles Pattenden, to find out ho...
Feb 24, 2025•16 min•Season 6Ep. 83
Monday Headlines: New poll shows Labor on track to lose the election as the Coalition matches Labor’s Medicare boost, today marks the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Pope asks for more prayers from hospital and Federal US employees asked to list their accomplishments as Elon Musk threatens to fire them Deep Dive: Have you heard the recent rumours that Peter Dutton might be ‘Peggy Sue’? Creator and sex worker Kayla Jade, who boasts 1.9 million followers on TikTok, has made h...
Feb 23, 2025•27 min•Season 6Ep. 82
Resilience is a journey we’re all on - and it's the cornerstone of one of Australia’s top podcasts, The Imperfects. Hosted by Hugh van Cuylenburg, Josh van Cuylenburg, and Ryan Shelton, the show has become a go-to for authentic conversations about life’s challenges. In this chat with Antoinette Lattouf, The Imperfects pour themselves a cup of vulnerabilitea and get real about toxic masculinity, making friends as adults and what Americans really think of them. Find tickets to their live show here...
Feb 21, 2025•46 min•Season 6Ep. 81
Are your noise-cancelling headphones doing you serious damage? In ear, over-ear, for work, for working out, for study, for music festivals – removing background or outside noise has started to become an essential part of our listening experience day-to-day. But what if we’re going to all this effort – only to be doing terrible damage to our hearing, our memory and our brains? Wayne Wilson is an associate professor in the school of health and rehabilitation sciences at The University of Queenslan...
Feb 21, 2025•15 min•Season 6Ep. 80
Friday Headlines: Luis Rubiales found guilty of sexual assault over soccer player kiss, Peter Dutton wrongly says Labor is fast-tracking citizenship for Gazans to win votes, Meta and Google pull out of sponsoring Sydney’s Mardi Gras among DEI fight in the US, and the chances of an asteroid hitting earth yo-yos. Deep Dive: For decades now, whether you like it or not, we’ve had a desire to keep up with famous people, know their secrets and delight over their scandals. Up until recently, we’ve reli...
Feb 20, 2025•26 min•Season 6Ep. 79
During last year’s election, Donald Trump joked about becoming a dictator, but “only on day one” of his second term as president. But over the past month, Trump has ignored laws passed by the US Congress, rejected the authority of US courts, forced the deletion of thousands of government websites and destroyed reams of scientific literature and public health data. It’s starting to look less and less like a joke. On this episode of the Briefing, Bension Siebert dives deep into whether Trump is ge...
Feb 20, 2025•19 min•Season 6Ep. 78
