The Briefing

We’re living through a once in a century pandemic. Today we explore the mental health impact of having normal life ripped out from under you, with no promise of return. The signs to look out for, and where you can go for help if you are struggling. Our guest is Professor Ian Hickie, co-director of the Brain and Mind Centre at the University of Sydney.   Today's news headlines: Corona wr...

We explore the impact of Coronavirus on live Music and how hard the industry has been hit. Our guests are Michael Chugg (Chugg Entertainment) and singer Dave Hosking (Boy and Bear).   Today's News Headlines: COVID-19 UPDATE: TIME TO GET BACK TO WORK, “RANDOM HUGGING” STILL 10-15 MONTHS AWAY CALLS FOR MINIMUM WAGE TO INCREASE TO $810 PW QUEEN CALLS SCO MO   In today's Briefing...

More than 11,000 Aussie weddings have been affected by the current restrictions. Would you get married over a zoom call, or would you postpone? We’ll also find out why some couples are resorting to drive-thru weddings. Our guests today include Jane Costin (who was supposed to get married on Anzac Day) and Klara McMurray – Co-founder ‘Drive Thru I do wedding’   Today's...

As we edge towards lifting restrictions and slowly get our freedoms back we’re constantly being warned about a second wave of Covid-19 infections. How concerned should we be about this in Australia, given what has happened overseas? We speak to Dr Nic Geard - Computational Epidemiologist.   Today's news headlines: COVIDsafe can’t be hacked International University students may be...

Australians think of ourselves as rebellious and free but has Covid-19 revealed who we really are? What have we learnt about what it means to be Australian in the time of Corona? Our guests include Merrick Watts (Comedian, Presenter, Broadcaster) and Dr Rebecca Huntley (Social Researcher)   Today's news headlines: How Covid restrictions are lifting, state by state America slams Chinas threat...

The question is will Australia’s homeless be turfed back on to the street after this pandemic? Or will the minor miracle that they’ve been kept quite safe help us find a long-term solution? Our guest is Gareth Ward - NSW Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Service.   Today’s news headlines: The Key Covid info you need to know today (COVIDsafe app, NewMarch...

Vaccines usually take years (like, ten years...) but last week Oxford Uni researchers started testing a vaccine on humans they hope could protect us against Covid-19. The first two volunteers were injected last week and one of them is a Sydney PhD working in oncology medical research living in the UK. His name is Edward O’Neill he joins us from London.    Today’s news headlin...

Young Australians have been hit hardest by job losses and short-term economic pain , but we’re also going to be the ones paying it back for decades. Today we find out what we should be doing first before we look at dipping into our super and how we can get through this as best as we can. Our guest today is Danielle Wood – Economist,The Grattan Institute.   Today's News Headlines:...

There have been 270 reports of these horrific attacks so far. We speak to Rosa Do -  a Vietnamese Australian who was the 19-year-old victim of a racial attack that went viral and Race Commissioner Chin Tan (from the Australian Human Rights Commission).   Today's news headlines: COVIDsafe App is live Some states are rolling back restrictions Victorian Truck Driver Charged Harry & Megh...

You’d think that deadly outbreaks of Covid-19 on several cruise ships around the world would be enough to keep holiday makers away from taking a cruise for some time, but people are still booking cruises. A cruise booking site claims their bookings are up 40% from this time last year. Today we speak to a cruise-a-holic who isn’t cancelling her upcoming bookings and a passenger from the...

How do you go on a date when you can’t even go out to dinner? We take a look at what dating is like in an age of isolation. We talk to some singles trying to continue their romantic journey and relationships expert Dr Nikki Goldstein.   Today's news headlines: Four officers killed in Victoria police’s single biggest loss of life Covid-19 update (0.2% increase, Ruby Princess, the P...

They’ve been blamed for Covid-19 but what are wet markets and should they be closed altogether? Guests include Aussie Annabelle Brett, who has visited these types of markets backpacking across China and Dr Delia Linn (Senior Lecturer in Chinese studies) who grew up in Wuhan and believes we’ve got it all wrong.   Today's news headlines: Young Aussies hardest hit by Covid-19 job los...

News Corp journalist Annika Smethurst has spent nearly two years with the threat of jail hanging over her head. Last week, the High Court ruled that the warrant used to raid her Canberra home was invalid. But the evidence seized has not been destroyed, and she could still face prosecution. Today we interview The Briefing's co-host and ask what is it like to be raided by the AFP? Guests include Law...

How is the social tracing app the government wants you to download going to work, what info will it collect, and how will it aid efforts to control the spread of Covid-19? Guests include: Mark Andrejevic (Professor of Communications and Media Studies at Monash University) and John Dawson (an Australian living in Shanghai).   Today's news headlines: Pollies weigh in on the proposed contact tra...