Calls are mounting to abolish the use of character references in court sentencing, following Queensland’s recent legislation restricting their use in cases involving convicted sex offenders. Character references have long played a controversial role in high-profile cases, including when former Prime Minister John Howard gave one to Cardinal George Pell, describing him as ‘a person of both high intelligence and exemplary character’. More recently in the case of paedophile Ashley Paul Griffith who...
Sep 29, 2025•14 min•Season 6Ep. 496
Monday Headlines: Anthony Albanese promises to "defend democracy" alongside "mate" Keir Starmer, Federal Budget in $18 billion better shape than expected, former Australian political candidate to front court over Nazi salute, Pfizer in court over contraceptive alleged to cause brain tumours and Brisbane sweeps the footy codes with four wins over weekend! Deep Dive: A number of once common, and deadly, diseases have become rare in Australia, but with vaccine hesitancy on the rise, there are fears...
Sep 28, 2025•21 min•Season 6Ep. 495
The Briefing host Tara Cassidy is once again a finalist in a prestigious journalism award for her LiSTNR crime podcast Crime In Focus: Killer Charm. So for today's bonus episode, we're playing out episode three of the award-winning series. You can find the first two episodes in our feed here and here or to binge the full series, go to Crime in Focus . In episode three, Sharon Graham’s movements on the night of the murder are under scrutiny, as suspicions around her grow. Tara tracks down some of...
Sep 27, 2025•47 min•Season 6Ep. 494
Mitch Churi has worn it all, from chicken suits to Spanx, but what really sets him apart is his razor-sharp wit and unapologetic authenticity. Bursting into commercial radio at just 19, he cut his teeth with industry giants Kyle and Jackie O and was eventually thrown the curveball of redundancy last year. Instead of slowing down, Churi leaned in, reinventing himself with the same mix of charm, bite, and self-deprecating humour that makes him one of Australia’s most entertaining youth voices. In ...
Sep 26, 2025•42 min•Season 6Ep. 493
More than 68% of Gen Z are romanticising eras that existed long before they were born, while Millennials and Gen X are increasingly drawn to historical nostalgia. Once classified as a medical condition and later a psychological disorder, nostalgia is now being re-evaluated as potentially beneficial for mental health. In this episode of The Briefing Helen Smith, is joined by Dr Clay Routledge, from the Human Flourishing Lab, whose PHD investigates the psychology of nostalgia and why we are drawn ...
Sep 26, 2025•14 min•Season 6Ep. 492
Friday Headlines: Trump administration says fatal shooting of ICE office was politically motivated, Andrew Hastie pours cold water on claims he's gunning for Sussan Ley's job, Diddy's appeal to be decided by the end of next week, foreign students earn less than half of some domestic graduates, and Albo shouts New York pub a beer! Deep Dive: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Cynthia Erivo and Sydney Sweeney are all in the Oscar conversation six months before the red carpet’s even rolled out. So why the ...
Sep 25, 2025•22 min•Season 6Ep. 491
The AFL remains Australia’s most attended sport, drawing 8.4 million fans in 2024 alone, but the games history with homophobia has been back in the national spotlight. Over the past year and a half there have been six publicised incidences of homophobia within the league. And in the games 130-year history only one player has come out as openly bisexual or gay, Former West Coast Eagles defender Mitch Brown, making him the first current or former openly bisexual male AFL player. In this episode of...
Sep 25, 2025•8 min•Season 6Ep. 490
Public confidence in Australian universities is continuing to erode, as institutions face funding issues, widespread job cuts and allegations of failures to report gender-based violence across campuses. The University of Technology and the Australian National University have both faced various controversies over the past couple of years, prompting renewed scrutiny of university governance and priorities. Experts fear universities are prioritising profit over education, losing sight of their purp...
Sep 25, 2025•14 min•Season 6Ep. 489
Thursday Headlines: Albo and Trump have become Insta official, Trump slammed by London Mayor over 'Islamophobic' sharia law comments, WHO issues statement on paracetamol causing autism claims, fresh warnings for online machete sellers, A-League footballers sentenced over their involvement in a gambling scam and would you pay over $2K for kindy artwork? Deep Dive: Former UFC champion Conor McGregor’s bid for Ireland’s presidency had all the hallmarks of a modern populist campaign - from promises ...
Sep 24, 2025•22 min•Season 6Ep. 488
US president Donald Trump made a fiery 56-minute speech at the UN General Assembly - well over the customary 15-minute time limit - telling world leaders their ‘countries are going to hell’ over migration and that climate change was a ‘con job’ . The speech was delivered to a room of visibly unsettled world leaders and drew immediate global attention, triggering a flurry of fact-checking efforts. In this episode of The Briefing Helen Smith is joined by Cory Alpert, from Melbourne University and ...
Sep 24, 2025•17 min•Season 6Ep. 487
Over four years after Brittany Higgins first went public with allegations she was sexually assaulted in Parliament House; the political and legal fallout is still playing out today. It's included a criminal trial, corruption probes, multiple defamation cases, and fresh allegations aimed at her rapist. In this episode of The Briefing, Tara Cassidy and Chris Spyrou unpack everything that’s happened since the explosive defamation trial between Bruce Lehrmann and Lisa Wilkinson, up to the latest cou...
Sep 23, 2025•12 min•Season 6Ep. 486
Wednesday Headlines: White House confirms Albo meeting after Trump sprays UN, Australian childcare bosses grilled over mistreatment and abuse at inquiry, Elon Musk’s father accused of child sexual abuse, new changes for millions with student debt, and the country’s most culturally powerful people have been named. Deep Dive: Higgins v Lehrmann: Part 1 Brittany Higgins and Bruce Lehrmann are names that continue to dominate headlines over four years after Brittany first went public with allegations...
Sep 23, 2025•24 min•Season 6Ep. 485
Robert F. Kennedy Jr - now Donald Trump’s Health Secretary - has made dubious claims about vaccines, with his latest suggesting common painkillers like Panadol could cause autism in unborn children. His statements, widely rejected by doctors and health experts, have reignited controversy not just in public health but within one of America’s most famous dynasties: the Kennedys. In our first episode of The Beefing , Helen Smith unpacks the feud between Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his family. From be...
Sep 23, 2025•7 min•Season 6Ep. 484
In a bombshell statement sending shockwaves around the world, the US President has claimed paracetamol use in pregnant women is linked to autism. Although admitting he’s not a doctor, Donald Trump also made concerning allegations about vaccines. In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by leading autism researcher, Professor David Trembath, to unpack today’s statements from the US President and shares important advice for concerned women and expecting parents. Headlines : A se...
Sep 23, 2025•15 min•Season 6Ep. 483
Headlines: Opposition leader Sussan Ley welcomed to Israel over Palestine pushback, Super typhoon set to make landfall in China, Hong Kong and the Philippines, The Duchess of York dropped by charities over Epstein apology, Instagram rolls out AI to detect teens lying about age, and AFL's night of nights – the Brownlow! Deep Dive: Boycotts and ‘political consumerism’ are on the rise, with consumers actively choosing to buy from companies that align with their political views. It’s become one of t...
Sep 22, 2025•22 min•Season 6Ep. 482
The fallout continues over the Optus disaster as pressure grows on the Telecommunications Giant after its deadly triple-zero outage. Federal Communications Minister Anika Wells says Optus has failed the Australian people, warning the company will face significant consequences. In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by tech expert Trevor Long to unpack what caused the outrage, who’s to blame and the warning to other telco giants. Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpod I...
Sep 22, 2025•18 min•Season 6Ep. 481
Headlines: Australia joins Canada and the UK in formally recognising Palestine, Charlie Kirk's funeral service is underway at a stadium in Arizona, at least five people tried to warn telco giant Optus of an outage that impacted 000 calls, Tony Abbott, Liz Truss, and Jacinta Nampijinpa Price headline a conservative conference in Brisbane, and it turns out plenty of Aussies are willing to risk a fine when catching public transport. Deep Dive: The fatal stabbings of two boys, aged 12 and 15, in Mel...
Sep 21, 2025•24 min•Season 6Ep. 480
The Coachella 2026 line-up has officially dropped, featuring major headliners like Justin Bieber and Sabrina Carpenter, but one Aussie act also taking the stage is Royel Otis. Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovic make up the pop duo, who recently went viral for their covers of Linger by the Cranberries and Sophie Ellis-Bextor's Murder on the Dancefloor. In this bonus episode of The Briefing, we’re revisiting a chat from last year with Tom Tilley and Royel Otis who explain how they came together and t...
Sep 20, 2025•30 min•Season 6Ep. 479
Gwilym Lee is a proud Welshman and self-proclaimed ‘pretender’, best known for portraying Queen guitarist Brian May in Bohemian Rhapsody. The actor grew up in Birmingham and began his career on stage before staring in television dramas like The Great, Midsomer Murders and Top End Bub - alongside Aussie actor and co-writer Miranda Tapsell. In this chat with Antoinette Lattouf, Gwilym shares what it was like filming in the Northern Territory and playing Ned, the ‘confused white guy’, while gaining...
Sep 19, 2025•37 min•Season 6Ep. 478
The race is on to find the next NSW Police Commissioner, but the top candidate is already plagued with controversy. The NSW Premier says he’s willing to overlook bad decisions and that the NSW police commissioner did not need to have a “lily-white record”. It comes at the end of a massive week for the NSW government... after it passed groundbreaking legislation that could set a precedent across the country. In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by NSW Minister Rose Jackson ...
Sep 19, 2025•18 min•Season 6Ep. 477
Friday Headlines: Donald Trump says Jimmy Kimmel being taken off air is not a free speech issue, Queensland becomes the first state to ban pill testing, doctor who treated Erin Patterson reprimanded by medical board for 'crazy bitch' comments, Brigitte Macron to submit 'scientific evidence' proving she is not a man and a new survey for dog-obsessed Aussies! Further listening from the headlines: The Macrons vs Candace Owens Part I on Apple Podcasts and Spotify PART 2: French president sues podcas...
Sep 18, 2025•23 min•Season 6Ep. 476
Donald Trump’s war on the media has just escalated, with the Jimmy Kimmel Show cancelled after the late-night night host made comments about the US President’s reaction to the assassination of Charlie Kirk. President Trump today also banned Australia’s ABC from attending a news conference after a 4 Corners journalist questioned the US leader over his family’s business dealings. In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Crikey journalist Charlie Lewis to unpack what these lat...
Sep 18, 2025•17 min•Season 6Ep. 475
Thursday Headlines: Thousands protest in London as Donald Trump receives a royal welcome in the UK, Vic Police warn of fake cop collecting donations for Porepunkah victims, Australian-first trial to combat gender-based violence to launch, Ben & Jerry's co-founder quits over Gaza dispute with parent company, and Gout Gout qualifies in Tokyo! Deep Dive: Influencers and content creators are facing backlash for ‘Taliban tourism’, accused of accepting paid trips to militant-ruled Afghanistan. Aus...
Sep 17, 2025•24 min•Season 6Ep. 474
It’s being labelled as a major diplomatic blunder by the Albanese government, with Papua New Guinea pulling out of signing a key defence treaty with Australia at the last minute. While the federal government was confident of sealing the deal, the dramatic turnaround has raised serious concerns over Australia’s security and diplomatic future in the critical Pacific Region. In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Pacific Islands diplomatic expert Mihai Sora to unpack why the...
Sep 17, 2025•16 min•Season 6Ep. 473
Wednesday Headlines: Murder charges laid against Charlie Kirk’s accused killer, terrorism offenses tossed for Luigi Mangione, former broadcaster Alan Jones facing more indecent assault charges, thousands of Palestinians flee Gaza City as UN report finds Israel is committing genocide, White House labels Aussie journo ‘foreign fake news loser’, Albanese government to invest $1.1 billion in sustainable fuels, and Coachella’s 2026 lineup is here! Deep Dive: Some of our big banks have announced mass ...
Sep 16, 2025•21 min•Season 6Ep. 472
Sunscreen is back in the spotlight, with groundbreaking new research showing a link between daily sunscreen use and vitamin D deficiency. Earlier this year, several sunscreen brands were pulled from shelves over conflicting SPF testing results. Now, new Australian research has shown sunscreen use can also affect our vitamin D levels. In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by the author of the study, Professor Rachel Neale, who unpacks the new findings and explains why we sho...
Sep 16, 2025•13 min•Season 6Ep. 471
Dementia is now Australia’s leading cause of death, and it doesn’t just affect the elderly. Around 90 kids die from childhood dementia each year in Australia, that’s about the same number of children that die from cancer. In this bonus episode of The Briefing , we revisit Antoinette Lattouf’s conversation with Meg Maack - CEO of the Childhood Dementia Initiative and mother to two children with childhood dementia. Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpod Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube...
Sep 16, 2025•14 min•Season 6Ep. 470
Tuesday Headlines: FBI says DNA evidence links suspect to Charlie Kirk murder, senior Liberal threatens to quit frontbench over net zero targets, Queensland trio charged relating to 'end of life business,' protestors promise to target Albo’s new office and Cathy Freeman and Nikki Webster return to where it all began! Further listening from the headlines: Who’s responsible for the Coalition crisis? Deep Dive: Anti-immigration protests in Australia and abroad have led to violent, racist attacks, a...
Sep 15, 2025•22 min•Season 6Ep. 469
The Coalition has recorded its worst primary result in Newspoll history, as Sussan Ley struggles to save the Liberal Party. The latest research shows a growing number of Australian voters are continuing to abandon the Federal Opposition and head towards minor parties like The Greens and One Nation. In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by pollster Tony Barry, who says the Liberal Party can be saved, but its members need to return to core values or will continue to lose mill...
Sep 15, 2025•17 min•Season 6Ep. 468
Monday Headlines: UK PM says Britain will ‘never surrender’ its flag to far-right protesters, police can't rule out Dezi Freeman hasn't escaped interstate, Coalition records a historic low in poll history, experts warning STI rates have doubled nationwide, and The Emmys are on today. Deep Dive: Would you hand over your licence, credit card or face ID to access adult content online? That’s exactly what could soon be required, as Australia pushes ahead with new age verification laws for porn sites...
Sep 14, 2025•22 min•Season 6Ep. 467
