Headlines: Authorities have offered sovereign citizen gunman a surrender plan, Russia strikes EU delegation in Kyiv killing 19, California Governor says Trump seeking third term, Queensland passes bill allowing on-the-spot DV orders, and runners from across the globe will be charging across the iconic Harbour Bridge this weekend for the Sydney Marathon. Deep Dive: It’s National Scam Week. Footy fans are hoping to secure tickets for the NRL and AFL finals and when they see their team qualify they...
Aug 28, 2025•20 min•Season 6Ep. 436
He stabbed his parents and sister to death but now Sef Gonzales has won the right to appeal his life sentence. More than 20 years after he was sent to jail, new evidence is being presented that Sef lives with PTSD after allegedly being abused as a child. In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by criminal psychologist, Tim Watson-Munro, to unpack the latest developments and find out what Sef’s chances are of winning this latest court fight. Headlines : Police address Dezi Fre...
Aug 28, 2025•16 min•Season 6Ep. 435
Thursday Headlines: Two children dead in US school shooting in Minnesota, Manhunt continues for sovereign citizen gunman Dezi Freeman, US government tightening visas for students and journalists, AI data centres soaking up massive amounts of drinking water, and Parliament’s annual midwinter ball happened in Canberra. Deep Dive: A Silicon Valley start-up is changing the future of fertility, letting future parents screen embryos for disease, but also appearance and IQ. And while some are lining up...
Aug 27, 2025•21 min•Season 6Ep. 434
Australia Post has this week suspended deliveries to the United States as the fallout continues over Donald Trump’s tariffs. While it’s a temporary measure as delivery services around the world try and navigate the new fees and charges, it’s another major hit for thousands of small Australian businesses. In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by small business owner Emma Jean Jansen, who unpacks what this shock move means for Aussie retailers, already struggling with rising ...
Aug 27, 2025•11 min•Season 6Ep. 433
A manhunt is underway for a sovereign citizen gunman, who shot dead two police officers and seriously injured a third in rural Victoria, sparking renewed interested in the alternative movement. Sovereign citizens are Australians who reject the authority of the government and believe they’re exempt from laws, taxes and the values of mainstream society. In this bonus episode of The Briefing, Tom Tilley is joined by an Australian dad whose ex-partner became a sovereign citizen and turned his family...
Aug 27, 2025•12 min•Season 6Ep. 432
Wednesday Headlines: Manhunt continues for cop murderer in Victoria, Iran vows ‘reciprocal action’ against Australia after expulsion of ambassador, House calls for Epstein’s 50th birthday book to be handed over, Allergies costing the nation billions, and Tay Tay and Trav engaged! Deep Dive: The world’s richest man is suing two of the world’s biggest tech companies. Elon Musk is claiming Apple and OpenAI are working together on integrating AI into the latest version of Apple’s top-selling iPhones...
Aug 26, 2025•19 min•Season 6Ep. 431
For the first time since World War II, Australia has expelled an ambassador after the Prime Minister confirmed the Iranian Government directed at least two antisemitic attacks on Australian soil. ASIO Director General, Mike Burgess, said Iran was responsible for extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression, in an attempt to undermine social cohesion. In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by intelligence expert Justin Bassi on why this is a dangerous escalation for Austral...
Aug 26, 2025•13 min•Season 6Ep. 430
Tuesday Headlines: AUKUS has come under further US scrutiny, Israeli strike kills at least 20 people, including five journalists and health officials in Gaza, The Wiggles are headed for court, Third person charged in Pheobe Bishop case, Australia’s youngest senator makes maiden speech. Deep Dive: The federal government has fast tracked the expansion of the First Homebuyer Guarantee, allowing more Australians to buy a home with a 5% deposit from October. The Treasury estimates the new eligibility...
Aug 25, 2025•20 min•Season 6Ep. 429
The sole survivor of the deadly mushroom lunch has given compelling evidence in court, saying he forgives killer Erin Patterson. Ian Wilkinson also revealed that he would pray for Erin to become a better person and said he is no longer a victim, instead, Erin is a victim of his kindness. In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by criminologist Xanthe Mallett to unpack the new evidence. *NOTE: After this episode was recorded, Erin Patterson's sentencing date has been earmarked...
Aug 25, 2025•15 min•Season 6Ep. 428
Monday Headlines: Thousands of Australians have protested across the country against the war on Gaza, Erin Patterson is back in court today, Queensland urged to use TikTok and ‘trusted influencers’ to combat misinformation during natural disasters, Trump preparing to send National Guard into Chicago, and Venus Williams is returning to the US Open aged 45. Deep Dive: A first of its kind inquiry is looking into cults and fringe religious groups in Australia, and whether our laws are strong enough ...
Aug 24, 2025•20 min•Season 6Ep. 427
Kathleen Folbigg was once branded Australia’s worst female serial killer, convicted of murdering her four children and locked away for 20 years. But she was innocent. In 2023, a breakthrough in genetics and the work of 90 leading scientists finally cleared Kathleen’s name and set her free. But her fight for justice isn’t over. The NSW government has now offered just $2 million in compensation, a figure that’s outraged her supporters and the Australian public. In this episode, we revisit the extr...
Aug 23, 2025•32 min•Season 6Ep. 426
Natalie Kyriacou is the environmentalist saving the planet one snake clit and fish STD at a time. Before she turned 30, she was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for her contributions to wildlife conservation and education. Creating World of the Wild, a app that’s been dubbed the environmentalist’s Angry Birds. In this chat with Antoinette Lattouf, Natalie explain how she went from stealing from family members to raise money for climate to publishing Nature’s Last Dance. Weekend list with Hele...
Aug 22, 2025•40 min•Season 6Ep. 425
The construction industry has one of the highest suicide rates in the Australia, with employees twice as likely to die compared to other male workers. An often-toxic workplace environment and poor mental health are major contributing factors with experts calling for urgent action. In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Health and Wellbeing expert Tony LaMontagne to explain how we can turn around the deadly trend and the important message for both employees and bosses in t...
Aug 22, 2025•17 min•Season 6Ep. 424
Friday Headlines: Australia post is suspending transit shipping to the US, Trump had a multi-million-dollar win overnight, Three-day productivity summit wrapped late yesterday, Anthony Albanese’s reputation is “forever tarnished” according to Benjamin Netanyahu, Federal government will today push for a national register of childcare workers, and a Freaky Friday story to end the week. Deep Dive: Australians are getting married less, divorcing less and having fewer children than ever before, with ...
Aug 21, 2025•20 min•Season 6Ep. 423
Homophobia in the AFL is back in the spotlight, with star Crows forward Izak Rankine banned for four games for using a homophobic slur against a Collingwood opponent. But Rankine could still play in the AFL grand final if the Adelaide Crows make it. But Rankine is the sixth AFL player to be suspended for a homophobic remark aimed at an opponent in the past 16 months alone, so do bans even work? In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by behavioural scientist Erik Denison from...
Aug 21, 2025•15 min•Season 6Ep. 422
Thursday Headlines: A former SAS soldier will be the first in Australia to ever face trial for a war crime, pedestrian deaths are up by almost 50 per cent, Monash IVF is under pressure to publicly release a review into two separate IVF bungles, the larger the house the less people living in it, and a year one teacher has gone viral for an informative private parts song. Deep Dive: Amazon have just launched ‘their own version of Temu’ in a bid to compete with the ultra-low-cost marketplace called...
Aug 20, 2025•22 min•Season 6Ep. 421
In a bombshell announcement, the Federal Health Minister has announced a major overhaul of the troubled NDIS. Mark Butler claims the NDIS was not fit for large numbers of children with autism and developmental delays, promising the changes will ensure the scheme is sustainable. But will those who need the support the most be unfairly targeted? In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by expert Professor Adam Guastella who warns the government needs to crack down on alleged dod...
Aug 20, 2025•12 min•Season 6Ep. 420
Wednesday Headlines: Bruce Lehrmann's defamation case returns to court, Anthony Albanese has been called a “weak politician" by the Israeli PM, majority of land in NSW sold to developers instead of used as public housing, seven in 10 Australian’s who've signed up to the NDIS in the past year have autism, and a UK woman tries to take her annoying 20 and 30yo colleagues to court for socialising and wasting time. Deep Dive: Australian’s are divided over whether property owners should have the right...
Aug 19, 2025•24 min•Season 6Ep. 419
There were numerous promises made during today’s historic peace talks between the Ukrainian and US presidents regarding Russia, with key European leaders standing by. President Donald Trump claims he’s negotiated talks between Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin, with both wanted lasting peace. But many are now asking at what cost? In this episode of The Briefing Natarsha Belling is joined by international conflict expert Dr Jessica Genauer, who is concerned about what conditions Russia wants ...
Aug 19, 2025•15 min•Season 6Ep. 418
Tuesday Headlines: Major investigation launched after infant found dead in storm drain, Israel’s Foreign Minister revokes Australian visas, Matt Wright's being counter sued over death of mate, AFL launches investigation into alleged homophobic incident, and what do 'delulu', 'skibidi' and 'forever chemicals' all have in common? Deep Dive: It’s an often-polarizing debate: should you go public or private when you need hospital treatment? On the one hand, you might get a nicer room and a shorter wa...
Aug 18, 2025•21 min•Season 6Ep. 417
Tax reform and working from home are top of the agenda at this week’s Productivity roundtable in Canberra. But will the expensive get together just be a waste of time, or will Australia’s business, economic and union leaders show courage and enact much-needed reforms? In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Crikey’s political editor Bernard Keane to unpack the agenda and find out the expected winners and losers. Headlines : Qantas has been fined $90 million, tens of thousa...
Aug 18, 2025•15 min•Season 6Ep. 416
A newly announced ban on greyhound racing in one Australian state has divided the public but left animal welfare advocates celebrating. Last week the Tasmanian Premier told those in the sector, the sport would be phased out by 2029, leaving many in the industry furious and questioning his true motives. In part two of this two-part deep dive, Tara Cassidy speaks with TasRacing CEO Andrew Jenkins and Coalition For The Protection of Greyhounds President Amy MacMahon about the controversial decision...
Aug 17, 2025•11 min•Season 6Ep. 415
Monday Headlines: Trump's NATO-style deal with Putin, shootings in Sydney and Melbourne nightlife precincts, fresh push to extradite Chinese man over baby burning incident, young Australians may have a tougher life than their parents, and a major scientific discovery that could re-write history. Deep Dive: The Australian greyhound racing community is reeling after news last week that the sport will be phased out in Tasmania by 2029, while animal welfare advocates applaud the long-awaited move. M...
Aug 17, 2025•21 min•Season 6Ep. 414
Bonus episode: The Voice Australia is back for its 14th season. But in all those years, no contestant has made an impact quite like shows very first winner, Karise Eden. Today, we’re bringing you Karise’s full-length interview from LiSTNR’s The Moment It Changed: Touchdown podcast . Music journalist Cam Adams sits down with Karise as she opens up about her meteoric rise from struggling artist to national sensation, and the fallout that followed, from industry exploitation to the fight to reclaim...
Aug 16, 2025•35 min•Season 6Ep. 413
Claudia Karvan is a screen legend who grew up in the iconic Kings Cross nightclub district and became one of Australia’s most admired (and drama-free) stars. She first stepped in front of the camera at just 10 years old and hasn’t looked back... creating iconic moments in film and TV from The Secret Life of Us to Bump on Stan. In this chat with Antoinette Lattouf, Claudia reveals what it was like to uncover jaw-dropping details about her own family tree live on camera and explains why she hates ...
Aug 15, 2025•39 min•Season 6Ep. 412
The Australian Defence Force is getting smarter, savvier, and more strategic in its recruitment, with it’s highest annual intake in 15 years, and you might be surprised by what’s causing the trend. In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Behavioural Economist, Professor Robert Hoffman, to unpack the psychology behind a surprising global surge in military enlistment, and why the ADF’s battle for talent might just be its most important mission yet. Follow The Briefing: TikTo...
Aug 15, 2025•11 min•Season 6Ep. 411
Friday Headlines: US warns Australia must meet with Trump over ‘critical’ AUKUS deal, chilling footage revealed of accused Melbourne double murderer, UTS staff facing job loss told to 'do some laundry' to manage stress, the average Aussie is earning more than ever but we still feel broke, and your thoughts on property millionaires, the Denmark Zoo saga and Insta's controversial map feature. Deep Dive: It can be hard to tell what’s real in the world of celebrities, amid a sea of cosmetic surgery,...
Aug 14, 2025•21 min•Season 6Ep. 410
New Australian research has uncovered a dangerous new trend on TikTok, with a growing number of unqualified influencers spreading misinformation about female contraception. Despite having no medical qualifications, these social media stars are giving harmful advice to women about sex, leading to an increase in unwanted pregnancies and STIs. In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling speaks with public health expert Megan Bugden on what they uncovered in their research and the dangerous, l...
Aug 14, 2025•13 min•Season 6Ep. 409
Thursday Headlines: The coalition has slammed Anthony Albanese for his decision to recognise a state of Palestine, Commonwealth Bank urged to repay fees of 2 million low-income customers after recording $10b profit, Netflix star Matt Wright’s trial will hear from more witnesses today, young men Australia's biggest phone addicts, and an Aussie teen chasing his NFL dream has gone viral for a tearful homesick message. Deep Dive: A new study that suggests artificial sweeteners increase your risk of ...
Aug 13, 2025•23 min•Season 6Ep. 408
Real estate agents underquoting is back in the headlines with authorities cracking down on the illegal practice. But now there are calls for the dodgy agents who often make millions of dollars in commission to face tougher penalties. In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by buyer’s agent Julie DeBondt-Barker, who explains how underquoting is preventing young people from buying homes and why the real estate industry needs an overhaul. Headlines : A 34-year-old man has faced ...
Aug 13, 2025•15 min•Season 6Ep. 407
