Headlines: Trump calls Zelensky a ‘dictator without elections’, ASIO boss says multiple ‘hostile’ nations plotted to murder critics in Australia and Scott Morrison asks for photo album bought at south Sydney Salvos to be returned. Deep Dive: Skibidi Toilet, the wildly popular YouTube web series featuring animated singing human heads emerging from toilets, is making its debut in an art gallery at the Institute of Modern Art (IMA) in Brisbane. Since it burst onto the scene in 2023, the quirky seri...
Feb 19, 2025•29 min•Season 6Ep. 77
When a plane carrying 80 people crash landed, burst into flames and flipped upside down on the tarmac of a Canadian airport yesterday, it was the third plane crash in North America in less than a month. 18 people were taken to hospital but, amazingly, no-one was killed. Although statistically, flying is a very safe way to travel – much safer than driving – these incidents make many of us increasingly nervous about the next time we get on a flight. On this episode of the Briefing, Helen Smith ask...
Feb 19, 2025•16 min•Season 6Ep. 76
Headlines: The Reserve Bank finally cut interest rates, man charged with online harassment of Antoinette Lattouf and a TikTokker finds an album of unseen photos of Scott Morrison from 1996. Deep Dive: If you’re getting your pills tested at a music festival, who ends up with your data from the results – and what should they do with it? Legal pill and drug testing in Australia has made significant legislative steps in recent years – from calls for it to be trialled by community organisations to be...
Feb 18, 2025•27 min•Season 6Ep. 75
Gerald Ridsdale, known as Australia’s most notorious paedophile priest, has died in prison, aged 90. Ridsdale was convicted eight separate times over the sexual abuse of 70 known victim survivors – with the most recent sentencing being in 2023. The impact of his abuse – on victim survivors, on the reputation of the church, and on Australian society – cannot be understated. Lucie Morris Marr is a Walkley-awarding winner investigative journalist, author and broadcaster – who's book Fallen: The ins...
Feb 18, 2025•14 min•Season 6Ep. 74
Stem cell treatments are being offered around the globe as an almost ‘miracle’ intervention promising to help patients avoid major surgeries and treat untreatable conditions. While commercialised and able to be accessed internationally, the bulk of stem cell related therapies in Australia remain ‘experimental,’ with only a limited amount of uses approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration and the National Health and Medical Research Council. So what exactly are stem cells, why are Australia...
Feb 17, 2025•20 min•Season 6Ep. 73
Tuesday Headlines: Big day for borrowers as the RBA meets to consider rate cut, new video emerges of Australian soldier Oscar Jenkins captured fighting for Ukraine, and Donald Trump has been personally invited to NRL Vegas round. Deep Dive: Imagine being told you needed to undergo major surgery to repair a torn ACL or dodgy hip? You know what you're likely in for – a few months of pain, some rehab and medical bill after medical bill. But what if you could avoid all of that with just a few inject...
Feb 17, 2025•23 min•Season 6Ep. 72
The highly anticipated third season of cult TV show The White Lotus has dropped today and as much as we’ll be picking apart the storylines and theme, we’ll also be obsessing over the location. Koh Samui takes centre stage as arguably the main character, just like Maui and Taormina did in the seasons that came before. But what will locals think of its new-found fame among cashed-up tourists? In today’s deep dive, Sacha Barbour Gatt and Australian Traveller’s Quentin Long talk about the “White Lot...
Feb 17, 2025•16 min•Season 6Ep. 71
Monday Headlines: Australia building half as many homes compared to 30 years ago, Ukraine not part of fresh peace talks between US and Russia, and millions to be impacted by Sydney train chaos. Deep Dive: Have the Greens lost their momentum right before a federal election? In 2022, the party had their best federal election result ever, picking up 12 Senate seats and four in the House of Representatives. The result three years ago was dubbed a “green slide” - with the party, along with the Teal i...
Feb 16, 2025•28 min•Season 6Ep. 70
Kishwar Chowdhury never imagined she’d find herself on national TV, but MasterChef took her to new heights giving her the platform to showcase Bengali cuisine to the world. The proud Bangladeshi-Aussie went from cooking in her kitchen to becoming a celebrity chef traveling around South Asia and beyond. In this chat with Antoinette Lattouf, Kishwar shares how cooking helped her navigate grief and reveals why her dream cookbook collaboration is with Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart. Weekend list with...
Feb 14, 2025•30 min•Season 6Ep. 69
Did you know there’s a body responsible for monitoring asteroids, and planning what to do should they set a collision course with Earth? The International Asteroid Warning Network is a UN-backed agency that has recently swung into action with the discovery of Asteroid 2024 YR4, which has 2.2% chance of hitting our planet in 2032. So, who are the people tasked with protecting us from city-destroying space rocks and what happens when the threat goes from unlikely, to likely? In today’s episode of ...
Feb 14, 2025•18 min•Season 6Ep. 68
Headlines: NSW nurses banned from practising anywhere in Australia, Hamas says ceasefire deal back on track, Albo drops strongest hints of a March or April election, and have you woken up single this morning? Deep Dive: Donald Trump promised to end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours – and he’s well past his own deadline. The US President now says he’s spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone, and secured an agreement to start negotiating for peace. But with neither side so far offerin...
Feb 13, 2025•24 min•Season 6Ep. 67
Breaking up with someone is never easy - and new research has found that the week leading up to Valentine's Day is a peak time for relationships break ups. So why does a holiday about love lead to more relationship ends? Communication styles within different generations and the way social media has warped our perception of what love should look has undoubtedly impacted how we approach break ups. In this special pre-Valentine's Day episode of The Briefing, Helen Smith speaks with Dr Lisa Portolan...
Feb 13, 2025•17 min•Season 6Ep. 66
Headlines: Two NSW health nurses to be charged for antisemitic comments, Antoinette Lattouf’s unfair dismissal trial hears from final witnesses, Westpac becomes second big bank to slash fixed mortgage rates, and Beavers 🦫 finish Czech damn project hit by red tape. Deep Dive: Belle Gibson was one of Australia’s first major wellness influencers, claiming to have cured her terminal brain cancer through clean eating and alternative therapies. She built a massive following, launched a bestselling ap...
Feb 12, 2025•29 min•Season 6Ep. 65
Australia is in the grip of a growing medicine shortage, with pharmacists, doctors and patients all feeling the impact. There are currently more than 400 shortages listed on the Therapeutic Goods Administration’s website, with dozens more expected and hundreds of medications being discontinued. But what’s driving the shortages, and is there a fix? In this episode of The Briefing Helen Smith is joined by President of the Australian Medical Association Dr. Danielle McMullin to break down how we ca...
Feb 12, 2025•13 min•Season 6Ep. 64
Headlines: Sam Kerr not guilty in racially aggravated harassment case, Trump tariffs on Australia still on the cards despite PM phone call, Banks to disregard HECS debt in loan test, and Liam Neeson is helping a Melbourne couple sell their house. Deep Dive: Most of us, at one point or another, have had a terrible boss. And while we might fantasise about quitting in a blaze of glory by destroying documents, changing passwords and stealing clients to exact our revenge - most of us stop short of do...
Feb 11, 2025•27 min•Season 6Ep. 63
Have you ever thought about going to therapy? Official stats show mental illness now affects about double the Australians it affected in the early 2000s. But in a cost-of-living crisis, no one wants to waste hundreds of dollars on therapy they don’t really need or spend time with a therapist that's not the right fit. It’s a crowded market – both with people seeking therapy, and the many types of therapy on offer in Australia. So how do you start, and decide on what’s right for you? In this episo...
Feb 11, 2025•13 min•Season 6Ep. 62
Popular rappers Drake and Kendrick Lamar are currently embroiled in a very public spat - which has come to a triumphant head with Kendrick's knockout performance at the Super Bowl yesterday. But why are they fighting again? Last year The Briefing brought you an explainer on why there is so much bad blood and the long history behind the feud. In case you missed it, listen in to catch up on all the context with hip hop journalist and author Simone Amelia Jordan. Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @listn...
Feb 10, 2025•13 min•Season 6Ep. 61
Headlines: Jury in Sam Kerr trial retires, Hamas pauses release of Israeli hostages, Nationals walk back Dutton’s threat of axing public servant jobs and Super Bowl 59 will go down as one for the ages. Deep Dive: Australia has officially entered the tariff war. After weeks of speculation, yesterday US President Donald Trump confirmed Australia will be among the latest targets of sweeping 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Australian PM Anthony Albanese says he’ll have an urgent p...
Feb 10, 2025•26 min•Season 6Ep. 60
Have you been impacted by the recent egg shortages across Australia? The major supermarkets have been hit hard by limited supplies – and a new bird flu outbreak in Victoria this week has sparked a warning that those shortages could persist a while yet. This all comes as experts report a rise in the number of us choosing to own our own chickens – first reported during the pandemic, and more recently as people looked to take control of their food supply when supermarket shelves were often bare of ...
Feb 10, 2025•10 min•Season 6Ep. 59
Headlines: Labor’s major announcement for women’s health, Labor vote dives in Victorian by-elections, Sam Kerr’s lawyers to give final arguments in racial harassment trial, and more than 120 million people are expected to tune in to the Super Bowl today. Deep Dive: Content Warning - this deep dive discusses child sexual abuse. Australian Federal Police have issued a warning about a rise in the use of generative AI in creating child sexual abuse material. Not only is it being used by predators on...
Feb 09, 2025•26 min•Season 6Ep. 58
Maddy MacRae has over 3.5 million followers across her social media accounts, but surprisingly has spent years facing rejection and chasing acting gigs. With $15k debt, multiple hospitality jobs, and a faltering passion for her acting career, she broke into the influencer space almost by accident. In this chat with Antoinette Lattouf, Maddy explains how she turned her stomach into viral content, and what it was like when she finally landed a role in a TV series. Weekend list with Helen Smith TO ...
Feb 07, 2025•34 min•Season 6Ep. 57
Is Australia’s biggest reality TV show unethical? Married at First Sight – one of Australia's most popular reality TV shows, currently in its 12th season – amasses millions of viewers each year. This season it has also garnered major controversy in its airing of toxic behaviour from various members of the show. In this episode of The Briefing, Helen Smith is joined by Alexandria Funnell, ex MAFS post producer and co-host of That’s Show Biz Baby, to unpack what really happens behind the scenes, i...
Feb 07, 2025•21 min•Season 6Ep. 56
Headlines: Peter Dutton holds rare press conference calling for inquiry into PM’s knowledge of explosives caravan, Trump restates plan for Gaza, ABC staff ‘disgusted’ by broadcaster’s handling of Antoinette Lattouf’s Federal Court case and 61% of you say you'll be voting for an independent candidate. Deep Dive: Mastercard will remove the 16-digit number from their credit and debit cards by 2030 and replace them with tokenisation and biometric authentication. The move is designed to crack down on...
Feb 06, 2025•21 min•Season 6Ep. 55
Are you satisfied with the Government right now? If polls are anything to go by, Australians are increasingly getting over being led by majority governments on the left or the right. Labor and the Coalition are unsurprisingly not keen on sharing power with independents and minor parties – and have responded by pushing legislation through parliament to reform our national elections. The Government says this new law would stop billionaires having too much influence on our elections – but independe...
Feb 06, 2025•18 min•Season 6Ep. 54
Headlines: Labor agrees to minimum jail sentences for terror crimes, the world reacts to Trump’s Gaza plan, Sam Kerr’s trial continues, and 50,000 people say life feels best in the morning. Deep Dive: Are Frequent Flyer programs, and supermarket loyalty programs, a scam? If these airlines and big supermarket chains are constantly pressuring us to join up can that really be in our best interests? On this episode of The Briefing, we dive deep into whether these programs are a genuine savings oppor...
Feb 05, 2025•22 min•Season 6Ep. 53
"The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it too. We'll own it.” US President Donald Trump has just announced his intention to expel all Palestinians from Gaza and claim ownership of the land for the United States. To forcefully and permanently exile more than 1.7 million people to neighbouring countries would have huge implications for global community – and potentially Australia, as a key ally to the USA. Has the world just witnessed the end of the two-state solution? In ...
Feb 05, 2025•15 min•Season 6Ep. 52
Headlines: Australia to ban DeepSeek from government devices, China hits back with retaliatory tariffs on US goods, FBI enlisted in case against Melbourne’s Pam the Bird graffiti artist and Putin moves to revive Soviet-era Eurovision rival. You can catch last week's deep dive on DeepSeek on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts now. Deep Dive: How did Elon Musk become one of the most powerful men in the world? The tech billionaire is best known for being the CEO of Tesla and founder o...
Feb 04, 2025•27 min•Season 6Ep. 51
Learning a new language is famously very hard and usually takes years. Could all that be about to change? While we now have apps like Duolingo to help, it’s still likely to take a long time and a lot of effort to be anything close to fluent. What usually helps is spending time in a country where everyone speaks the language you’re learning – but one group of Australian researchers says virtual reality and AI could step in for those who aren’t able to make the trip. Brodie McGee from the Universi...
Feb 04, 2025•15 min•Season 6Ep. 50
Headlines: Major parties rake in over $130 million in political donations last financial year, Sam Kerr faces UK trial over racially aggravated harassment, Trump pauses tariffs on Mexico amid possible “deal” with the country, and Beyonce finally takes home Grammy for Album of the Year. Deep Dive: Have you ever spat in a tube and sent it off for testing? In recent years it feels like everyone knows someone – friends, family, people all over the country and world, who have placed their precious DN...
Feb 03, 2025•25 min•Season 6Ep. 49
Politics is about to be back on for 2025. You'd be forgiven for thinking government has already been in session this year – there’s been a bit on – but this week marks the first sitting of parliament for the year, and a major moment for the Labor government to get some legislative runs on the board before everyone starts fighting for your vote in the upcoming federal election. What will be dominating the debate over the next fortnight – and is what is on the political agenda the same stuff that ...
Feb 03, 2025•16 min•Season 6Ep. 48
