The Briefing

Here's the evidence the jury in the mushroom triple murder trial wasn't allowed to hear. In this special update to The Briefing's coverage of this case, Tara Cassidy reveals allegations that murderer Erin Patterson had tried to poison and kill her estranged ex-husband Simon multiple times before. Until today, this information was under a strict non-publication order by the Victorian Supreme Court....

Friday Headlines: Kathleen Folbigg calls for inquiry into ‘insulting’ $2m wrongful conviction payout, Netenyahu plans full occupation of Gaza, 6yo girl discharged from Sydney hospital twice before dying of influenza, men outearn women in 98% of jobs, and a millionaire donates $100m to Aus vet school! Deep Dive: When you’re socializing in a group, are you the life of the party, a...

It’s the government rort ripping off millions of Australians that could be the next Robodebt disaster. We explain how a broken government payment system is seeing job and support payments cut off or cancelled, in many cases unlawfully.  In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by anti-poverty campaigner Kristin O’Connell, who explains how some of our most vulner...

Thursday Headlines: Lawyers for sex offender Gareth Ward argue against his expulsion from NSW Parliament, Donald Trump says JD Vance is the next likely Republican candidate for 2028, the trial of Outback Wrangler TV star Matt Wright is underway, WhatsApp's deleted over 6.8 million accounts linked to scams, and we're in the 'Golden Age’ of swimming, better than Thorpe and O’Neill. Deep...

The government’s excise freeze on draught beer is being hailed as a win for pubs, but how much is it really saving us?   In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Mick Gibb, CEO of the Nighttime Industries Association, who unpacks how this move has created a two-tier tax system that penalises small bars, live music venues, and cocktail lovers.  Headlines : A Sy...

Wednesday Headlines: OceanGate Titan sub disaster was a 'preventable tragedy', DOJ orders investigation into Obama administrations Russian political interference probe, The Great Barrier Reef has recorded the largest mass bleaching event on record, Kmart denies sourcing products from factories linked to forced labour, and a Danish zoo is asking for unwanted animals to feed its predators. Deep Dive...

Our ASIO boss has warned Australia is under a growing threat from foreign espionage with spying from a number of nations now at unprecedented levels. Days after that warning, Federal Police have arrested a Chinese National accused of allegedly spying on a local Buddhist group.   In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by intelligence expert Chris Taylor to unpack why we&rs...

Tuesday Headlines: Opposition Leader Sussan Ley admits "there is hunger and starvation in Gaza", New evidence released from Erin Patterson murder case, Thousands of murder, rape and assault cases to be re-examined due to DNA lab bungle, Property boom prompts surge in Australian millionaires to global high, Tesla awards chief executive Elon Musk $44 billion worth of shares. Deep Dive: You might hav...

The Victorian government has announced a new plan to legislate working from home. But is the Australian first proposal just a quick grab for votes in the upcoming state election or could this give workers new rights?  In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by employment lawyer Graeme Watson, who unpacks the legal ramifications of this controversial new move and your legal...

Monday Headlines: 100-thousand people march along the Sydney Harbour Bridge yesterday, Home and Away's Lynne McGranger takes out Gold Logie, Emergency crews launch desperate search for passengers on board missing plane, Australian Defence Force increases staff levels through social media and gaming, and Robert Irwin and Nigella Lawson faces of new Tourism Australia campaign. Deep Dive: The Austral...

Bonus episode: Who is Sharon Graham? Tara Cassidy speaks to those closest to the grandmother, who was now one of the police’s main murder suspects. Tara unravels the different sides Sharon presented to people and starts to see some patterns in her behaviour, especially around money and men.  Today our bonus episode is episode 2 of Tara's podcast  Crime in Focus: Killer Charm . You'...

Maz Jobrani is the Iranian-born American comedian who accidently created a fantasy scenario for immigration body ICE. The stand-up comedic and actor found himself swapping his political science degree for telling occasionally deportation-prone jokes and it paid off. He’s been in Hollywood blockbusters, has Netflix specials and was a guest on James Corden, Jay Leno and The Late Show with Stev...

While climate change can feel overwhelming, a bold group of young Australians is turning anxiety into action. They call themselves the Future Council - and they’ve travelled the world challenging global leaders and top CEOs to do better. In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling speaks with filmmaker Damon Gameau and 15-year-old climate activist Ruby Rodgers about their powerful new...

Friday Headlines:  ASIO boss says foreign spies targeting defence employees working on AUKUS, 91 people killed by Israeli fire waiting for aid as US envoy arrives in Israel for ceasefire talks, MMA fighter Conor McGregor loses appeal to overturn a civil rape case, Australia's towns with most Airbnb's and Bonnie Blue doco ‘1000 Men and Me’ causes outrage. Deep Dive:  Imagine i...

Another twist in the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case, as the family as Australian victim Virginia Guiffre releases a new statement lashing out at the US President.  They say the family and survivors deserve answers as pressure grows on the US Administration to reveal who was involved in one of the greatest sex trafficking rings in history.  In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha...

Pressure is mounting on the US government to name names in the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case. It comes as the family of Australian victim Virginia Guiffre who died earlier this year releases a new statement lashing out at US President Donald Trump.  In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by journalist Lucia Osborne-Crowley to unpack who Jeffrey Epstein is, his powe...

Thursday Headlines: Tsunami alerts lifted as record earthquake causes millions to evacuate, Ozzy Osbourne fans flock to Birmingham paying tribute to the Prince of Darkness, convicted triple-murderer Erin Patterson restricted from selling home, cars sold in Australia using more fuel and emitting more toxic fumes than advertised and Katy Perry spotted with former Canadian PM Justin Trudeau. &nb...

Why are we forced to hand over so much private information when all we want is a receipt? As cyber-attacks become more commonplace, protecting our private information is more important than ever.  In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by consumer advocate Chandni Gupta who unpacks your legal rights and the need for an overhaul of privacy regulations to better protect con...

Wednesday Headlines: Israel accused Anthony Albanese of lying about Gaza, a Liberal MP’s made some divisive comments about gender quotas in parliament, a New York gunman who killed four people was meant to target the NFL headquarters, ChatGPT has announced they're launching a “study mode” to encourage responsible academic use of the chatbot, and apparently Sydney Sweeney has grea...

In another twist in the US trade war, US President Donald Trump has flagged some countries may face new penalties of 15 to 20 percent on their exports into the US.  Our Trade Minister Don Farrell says the government is still assuming Australia’s tariff is 10 percent, but will watch and wait. In this Episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by international trade expert D...

Tuesday Headlines: Trump will ‘bring an end to the misery' in Gaza, New child safety bill could see providers feel force of law within weeks, Equality body to argue over whether sex is ‘binary biological reality’, Webjet has been hit with a $9 million fine from the ACCC, and Bend It Like Beckham is set for a re-boot. Deep Dive: Would you pay for a second chance at life after deat...

It’s being reported as the biggest GST scam in Australian History. Tonight, the ABC is running a special investigation into how everyday fraudsters allegedly ripped the ATO off billions of dollars through an apparent loophole.  In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling speaks with Tax expert Ali Noroozi, about how the scam happened, what it means for the ATO and what happens nex...

Monday Headlines: Anthony Albanese says Israel is "quite clearly" breaching international law by withholding aid from people in Gaza, US Gov divided over Ghislaine Maxwell pardon, YouTube is continuing to try and persuade the government not to include them in the under-16s social media ban, Do shark nets save lives or not?, and Gwyneth is now involved in the Coldplay kiss cam saga. Deep Dive: What...

You know Tara Cassidy as the smart, genuine and self-deprecating host of The Briefing's morning edition, who is across everything from hard news to the latest reality show. But did you know she's also an acclaimed investigative journalist who had her own chart-topping LiSTNR crime podcast series before joining our team? Today our bonus episode is episode 1 of Tara's podcast Crime in Focus: Killer...

Joey Watson has spent years inside the minds of extremists - diving deep into the dark world of white supremacy and far-right radicalisation to figure out what makes them tick. The award-winning investigative journalist’s latest project, Secrets We Keep: Lone Actor , uncovers the Christchurch attacks - one of the deadliest terror attacks in modern history where 51 Muslims were murdered as th...