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The Briefing

A daily news podcast, The Briefing gives you the latest headlines, discussion and explainer interviews to keep you informed and entertained.

Bringing you the news you need to know at 6am and 4pm Monday to Friday, and profile features across the weekend, The Briefing is Australia's go-to news podcast for your commute, coffee or exercise.

Hosted by journalists Sacha Barbour Gatt, Chris Spyrou, Natarsha Belling, Helen Smith and Antoinette Lattouf.

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Episodes

Opening the sealed section of labia shame with a former Dolly Doctor

New research released today from Women’s Health Victoria is showing a sad state of affairs for how people see their genitalia in 2024. The research, which includes a nationally representative YouGov survey of more than 1000 Australians with a labia, found that porn and the 'online world' are having a significant impact on young people's anxiety and shame around their vulva and labia. In this episode, we speak with the longest serving Dolly Doctor and Labia Library ambassador, Dr Melissa Kang. Fo...

Jun 17, 202413 minSeason 5Ep. 277

Should free-to-air sport be an Australian right?

New research has found 69 per cent of Australians access TV via the internet and millions will miss out on watching sport if proposed anti-siphoning laws are not applied to streaming services. A new study has found 29 per cent of Australians watch TV exclusively through an aerial and 18 per cent of those are considering switching to digital soon. If anti-siphoning laws are not extended to digital services, around half (49%) of people who use free streaming services such as 9Now and 7Plus reporte...

Jun 16, 202423 minSeason 5Ep. 276

Two Broke Chicks on good conflict with friends

Sally McMullen and Alexandra Hourigan describe themselves as just two chicks trying to navigate their 20s and their love of online shopping. The duo turned their friendship and passion of scoring a bargain into Two Broke Chicks - dishing out everything from saving hacks to how to make friends as an adult in their podcast, new book and through socials. In this chat with Antoinette Lattouf, Sal and Alex share what they think about the bad rap millennials and zillenials get when it comes to Insta i...

Jun 14, 202440 minSeason 5Ep. 275

Dumbo, Babar and Heffalump: Elephants have names for each other

Animals communicate with one another all the time, but few species have the ability to call each other by individual names. Dolphins are known to invent their own signature whistle as names, while parrots have also been known to use names with each other – and now new research has found that African elephants have found their own way to call each other by name too. In this episode of the Briefing, lead author of the study and behavioural ecologist Mickey Pardo joins Bension Siebert to explain ho...

Jun 14, 202413 minSeason 5Ep. 274

Monkeypox is on the rise. This is what you need to know

There's been a surprising spike this year in the number of Monkeypox cases internationally and in Australia. In a post-pandemic world, fears of a virus that could spread amongst large groups of people are unsurprising - but are concerns about this latest spike warranted? And what's causing the spike of Mpox to occur? In this episode, The Briefing's Simon Beaton speaks with expert in infectious diseases, Professor David Tscharke from the Australian National University. Headlines: Ukraine signs hi...

Jun 13, 202416 minSeason 5Ep. 273

Antoinette's getting explicit. Here's why

14 high-profile Australian women have joined forces to recreate the famous Calendar Girls campaign to raise awareness of domestic violence. Inspired by the Calendar Girls 25 years ago who stripped for a nude calendar to raise awareness of cancer, Let’s Get Explicit is trying to keep the conversation going and to raise awareness of domestic violence in Australia. Politicians like Victorian MP Georgie Purcell, actor Sharon Johal and our own Antoinette Lattouf have been photographed the calendar, d...

Jun 13, 202413 minSeason 5Ep. 272

What Australia can learn from the far-right surge in Europe

The European Parliament held its elections over the weekend, with provisional results showing significant victory for radical-right political parties across the continent. As preliminary election results rolled in, French President Emmanuel Macron called a snap parliamentary election in the country later this month, following strong results for his right-wing rival party Marine Le Pen. In this episode of The Briefing, we take a deep dive into the surge of right-wing parties and policies across E...

Jun 12, 202421 minSeason 5Ep. 271

How to hack running with world champion Katie Williams

Run clubs are trending. They've been called the new dating app, the millennial quarter life crisis, and the cozzie livs gym membership. So if you’ve found yourself lacing up or have signed up for the next fun run in your city - what’s the best way to start running and do it safely? And is this a 2024 fad, or here for the long haul? In this episode of the Briefing Former Australian Athlete of the Year and World Champion sprinter Katie Williams joins Helen Smith to give her advice on how to hit yo...

Jun 12, 202413 minSeason 5Ep. 270

Why you shouldn't be worried about AI taking your job

There’s a lot of talk about AI taking our jobs, but what if we made it find us jobs instead? That’s the premise of UK-based AutogenAI, a rapidly growing generative AI company that went to market six weeks before ChatGPT. It developed software - written by a team that includes historians, psychologists and philosophers – to enable clients to write winning bids for tenders, contracts and proposals. Now it’s launching in Australia, but will it just make big companies richer by taking bigger slices ...

Jun 11, 202419 minSeason 5Ep. 269

Is the cost of saving Israeli hostages in Gaza too high?

Four hostages taken by Hamas during last year’s October 7 attacks were rescued safely from Gaza at the weekend. According to the Gazan health ministry, 274 Palestinians were killed, sixty-four of them children, during the brutal operation to free the hostages. In this episode of The Briefing, we’re joined by Sarah Schwartz, a human rights lawyer and executive officer of the Australian Jewish Council to discuss a morally sound way to react to Israeli lives being saved alongside Palestinian lives ...

Jun 11, 202413 minSeason 5Ep. 268

The other side of child killer Farquharson’s bid for freedom

Robert Farquharson was convicted for murdering his three sons after driving into a dam on purpose on Father’s Day in 2005. A new campaign is trying to prove he is innocent - that he suffered a medical episode. In this episode of The Briefing we hear the other side of the story from crime journalist and author Megan Norris, who covered the original criminal trials and feels a sense of obligation to be a voice for Cindy Gambino -- the mother of the three dead children who is no longer here to tell...

Jun 10, 202420 minSeason 5Ep. 267

How to tell if your boss is stealing your wages

It seems that every few months another massive Australian business is accused of wage theft. Coles, Woolworths, the ABC, BHP, Qantas, big banks, major universities...the list of firms found to have not paid workers what they should is expansive. In response, the federal government has introduced new laws starting January 1 next year will make it a criminal offence to deliberately underpay staff, with massive penalties for companies and individuals. But how do you even know if you’re being underp...

Jun 10, 202410 minSeason 5Ep. 266

The dangers of normalising "the wine mum"

Have you heard about wine mums, or seen videos on social media featuring women drinking at boozy brunches? Historically men have drunk more than women, but in recent years there has been an increase in women’s drinking. In this episode of The Briefing Sacha Barbour Gatt sits down with Maree Patsouras from La Trobe university to find out about the lives of Australian working mothers and the place alcohol has. Headlines: Family of British TV host Michael Mosley pay tribute following his death on a...

Jun 09, 202413 minSeason 5Ep. 265

Nathan Paddison says art saved him from a lifetime in jail

Nathan Paddison spent 13 years of his life in and out of prison for a range of crimes - some small and others violent. But he says art saved him. Antoinette Lattouf and Nathan went to school together in western Sydney and reconnected at his latest art exhibition. You cannot downplay some of his crimes, including a charge of domestic violence, but rarely do we hear about how criminals try to turn their lives around. In this chat with Antoinette Lattouf, Nathan opens up about what what leads young...

Jun 07, 202442 minSeason 5Ep. 264

Woman identified as Baby Reindeer stalker sues Netflix for $175 million

Fiona Harvey is a Scottish lawyer who was depicted as a stalker in the Netflix hit, Baby Reindeer. She’s denied the claims and is suing the streaming giant for $170m. The program depicted Harvey – via a character named Martha – as a serial stalker who bombarded the British comedian Richard Gadd with tens of thousands of emails and text messages. She says it never happened. The show said she was convicted of stalking and spent nine months in prison. Harvey says it’s nonsense. In this episode of T...

Jun 07, 202410 minSeason 5Ep. 263

Why North Korea is flying rubbish-filled balloons into South Korea

North Korea has launched a series of balloons packed with household waste over the border into South Korea. Pyongyang says it’s in response to Seoul distributing anti-North propaganda leaflets into cities and towns across the North. In this episode of the Briefing we take a deep dive with Justin Hastings, Professor of International Relations at the University of Sydney, on why the campaign was launched and what it means for hostilities between the two nations separated since the Korean War in th...

Jun 06, 202417 minSeason 5Ep. 262

Are people lining up to die on Mount Everest?

Another climbing season for those attempting to summit Mount Everest has come to a close. This year, the Nepalese government offered fewer climbing permits in an effort to reduce congestion on the mountain and improve safety, after a record-breaking 18 climbers lost their lives in 2023. Still, this year saw five climbers die on the climb, with three others still missing. So what is it really like to climb the tallest mountain on Earth, and should the Nepalese government be putting more safety me...

Jun 06, 202412 minSeason 5Ep. 261

Rent in regional Australia is more expensive than you think

New CoreLogic data has found rent in three quarters of Australia's biggest regional areas are now higher than ever – with WA and Queensland topping the list. The biggest increase was in Batemans Bay in NSW rising by around 6 percent in the past three months – which is about $32 extra a week. In this episode of The Briefing, we’re joined by CoreLogic’s Eliza Owen to find out why regional rents are soaring and what can be done to make regional areas affordable for Australians unable to afford to r...

Jun 05, 202420 minSeason 5Ep. 260

What role will QAnon play in the upcoming US election?

QAnon first appeared in 2017 and quickly flooded the internet with conspiracy theories from child trafficking cannibal celebrities to suggestions JFK faked his own death and was returning to run for office. Observers say QAnon has gone strangely quiet. So what are they working on? The vast majority of QAnon supporters are Trump supporters so what can we expect as the US prepares to go to the polls in November? Is QAnon waiting to launch? Or has the cult of conspiracy finally petered out? In this...

Jun 05, 202410 minSeason 5Ep. 259

Why you could soon go to jail for sharing deepfake porn

The Albanese government will this morning introduce news laws to parliament banning the non-consensual sharing of deepfake pornography. Those caught sharing sexually explicit images that have been digitally created using artificial intelligence or other forms of technology could find themselves facing a six-year prison term - but is the government fighting a digital runaway train? Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus KC joined Bension Siebert to explain what impact he thinks the governments proposed ne...

Jun 04, 202421 minSeason 5Ep. 258

Who is Mexico's wildly popular first female president?

History was made on Sunday when Mexicans went to the polls to elect a new president. Claudia Sheinbaum won in a landslide victory to become Mexico's first female president, and is the first woman to be picked for the Mexican presidency in 200 years of elections. In this episode of The Briefing, we’re joined by Luis Gomez Romero from Wollongong University to discuss how and why Ms Sheinbaum won, and what it means for the people of Mexico. Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @listnrnewsroom Instagram: @l...

Jun 04, 202412 minSeason 5Ep. 257

Adam Hills on the serious and silly of the UK election

The United Kingdom will go to the polls for a general election on Thursday July 4. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party currently holds 345 seats in the parliament to Labour’s 206 with minor parties making up the balance of the 650 seats in the House of Commons. Polls have Labour’s Keir Starmer well in front and bookies have Labour at unbackable odds. So what are the key election issues, and what can we expect in the lead-up to the election. In this episode of The Briefing, we’re join...

Jun 03, 202419 minSeason 5Ep. 256

Why our Olympians can't compete with the cost of living

It's fair to say that the cost of living pressures are greatly impacting many Australians. One way in which some are surviving financially is by opting out of sports - whether that's those playing socially, or even for those playing at elite levels. Could this impact the next generation of elite athletes, as families cut back on their children's weekend and after-school sporting commitments? And will this mean that we have a smaller pool of elite athletes when the 2032 Brisbane Olympics rolls ar...

Jun 03, 202412 minSeason 5Ep. 255

New hope for psych meds without the weight gain

Researchers at the University of South Australia are developing a coating for anti-depressant and anti-anxiety drugs. The pills have traditionally led to weight gain for those prescribed the drugs. The new coating mitigates weight gain and boosts serotonin levels – combatting a major side effect of the drugs. In this episode of The Briefing, we take a deep dive on how the researchers developed the new technology and what it means for people who have been prescribed the drugs. Our guest is Dr Pau...

Jun 02, 202418 minSeason 5Ep. 254

Eliza Hull on disability, Gaza and big conversations with kids

Eliza Hull is a musician, author and a disability advocate who’s teaching children how to have better conversations about people living with disability. On social media Eliza has been putting a spotlight on what it would be like for people with existing disability in Gaza and all of those with new acquired disabilities because of the constant bombardment. In this chat with Antoinette Lattouf Eliza shares some heart wrenching moments from her childhood and how Gaza has impacted her parenting. WEE...

May 31, 202430 minSeason 5Ep. 253

The fallout from Donald Trump's guilty verdict

Former US President Donald Trump was this morning found guilty on 34 charges relating to paying off a porn star. Trump had sex with Stormy Daniels in a Lake Tahoe hotel room in 2006. The story emerged in the lead-up to the 2016 election and Trump, through his then lawyer Michael Cohen, paid Daniels $130,000 to kill off the story Prosecutors in New York brought the charges against Trump – the first time a US president or former president has faced criminal charges – and he was found guilty on all...

May 31, 202413 minSeason 5Ep. 252

Donald Trump - Guilty!

Former US President Donald Trump has been found guilty on 34 charges in a New York court. In this special bonus episode of The Briefing, you'll hear what Trump had to say after the verdict was handed down. Sacha Barbour-Gatt and Katrina Blowers bring you the very latest on one of the biggest news stories in decades. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 30, 202412 minSeason 5Ep. 251

Richard Reid wants you to cut nepo babies some slack

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s 10-year-old daughter North West made her acting debut not on a school stage like other kids - but in a major 30th anniversary concert performance of the Lion King at the Hollywood Bowl. And people weren’t happy. Hollywood is full of nepo babies and it makes sense - but what about the people missing out on roles or opportunities because they weren’t born into a famous family? In this episode of the Briefing entertainment reporter and gossip guru Richard Reid joins ...

May 30, 202423 minSeason 5Ep. 250

How a teen's death exposed shocking police racism in Australia

The inquest into the death of 19-year-old Kumanjayi Walker wrapped up this week after hearing shocking allegations of racism permeating the Nothern Territory Police Force. Walker was shot dead during an attempted arrest in 2019 by then police officer Zachary Rolfe, who was charged with murder but then acquitted following a trial. In this episode of The Briefing, we’re joined by Melissa Mackay from the ABC’s bureau in Alice Springs, to find out what we learned at the inquiry and what lessons, if ...

May 30, 202412 minSeason 5Ep. 249

How Gen Z MPs are shaking up parliament

24-year-old Laura Nuttall is the youngest ever Greens representative elected to any Australian parliament. Laura is also the first Gen Z Member of the ACT Legislative Assembly ever. Laura and her advisor Dani - who is 22 - are passionate about environmental and economic justice, and young peoples’ participation in decision-making that affects their lives. In this episode of the Briefing, Antoinette investigates what a Gen Z MP can bring to a parliament and how and why young people’s issues ought...

May 29, 202424 minSeason 5Ep. 248
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