The Briefing

2023 has been a big year for Australia. In this episode of The Briefing Katrina Blowers and Tom Tilley take us through all the big moments from the failed Voice referendum, to the sacking of Qantas and Optus CEOs, and the mushroom poisoning case that had the whole country talking.   Headlines supplied by the Listnr newsroom.   Follow The Briefing: Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast   Facebook: TheBrie...

There has been a rise of well-known Aussies, particularly females, announcing that they have been diagnosed with ADHD as an adult. Due to this rise there have been many conversations on social media about why this is happening, with many saying it’s just being over diagnosed or turning into a trend. We’re joined by Bridget Pringle - a freelance writer, mother of two and advertising professional fr...

We took six well known cosmetics to an independent laboratory for testing. The results show that two of the brands contain PFAS, which are dangerous synthetic ‘forever chemicals.’ Find out which brands and how they respond to the results in this special report from Clair Weaver, Investigations Editor at Listnr. Complaints about PFAS in cosmetics should go to the ACCC (Problem with a product or ser...

It’s Boxing Day and that means there’s a good chance you’re heading to the movies. In this episode of The Briefing Sacha Barbour Gatt wraps of some of the biggest flicks of the season with Justin Hill from The Streaming Service. They’ll be talking everything from Wonka and Mean Girls to Aquaman to help you decide what to watch, as well as a preview of some of the big movies set to be released in 2...

It’s Christmas and that means there’s a good chance you’ll spend most of today in a food coma, even if you’re not religious. In Japan, there’s even a tradition to eat KFC despite the Buddhism and Shinto being the main religion. In this episode of The Briefing we chat to Gastro Obscura’s Diana Hubbell about some of the strangest Christmas foods from around the world.    Follow The Briefing: Instagr...

Welcome to our summer series of the Weekend Briefing featuring some of your favourite interviews from 2023! Maria is a queer, South-Asian woman, the daughter of migrant parents and a former Miss Universe Australia - who stands a petite five foot three in a world of 6 foot something beauty pageant contestants. In this chat with Jamila Rizvi, Maria explains what it was like to be told she wasn’t Aus...

In this morning's episode of The Briefing, we looked into how to manage difficult conversations with family members over Christmas. In this afternoon's episode, we turn the mirror inwards. For many people, this time of the year can be filled with stress, conflict or loneliness. So how can you look after yourself and your mental health through this time? On this extra episode of The Briefing, we sp...

With Christmas just days away, plenty of us are feeling a bit of trepidation (or perhaps a lot) at the prospect of spending time with family members we might otherwise not interact too much with. Whether you're facing the 'body police,' coping with milestone micromanagers, or navigating the 'devil's advocate' of the family, in this episode of The Briefing Tom Tilley and psychologist Jocelyn Brewer...

As public anger mounts over Coles and Woolworths’ super-profits during a cost of living crisis, Brisbane local Dylan Fragomeni is pushing for a boycott of the two grocery giants on December 23 and 24. But could this boycott create any meaningful change? On this extra episode of The Briefing, we speak with Dylan Fragomeni, as well as economist and consumer expert, Professor Gary Mortimer, to find o...

Seven out of 10 Aussies are rewatching TV shows from their childhood and it’s all part of a nostalgia trend. A recent study by Swinburne, RMIT University, and Australian Children's Television Cultures found that jumping back into old shows is a form of comfort watching. Katrina Blowers is joined by Joanna McIntyre from the study to find out why we are choosing to binge shows from the past.   Headl...

The Colorado Supreme Court have just disqualified former US President Donald Trump from being listed in the ballot for the next election.  They claim that his involvement in the January 6th, 2021 attack by his supporters on the US Capitol is a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Trump’s team have already come back, saying they’re going to the US Supreme Court t...

King Charles and Queen Camilla are coming down under next year, making it their first visit to Australia as monarchs. But will it lead to a resurgence in republican sentiment? Sacha Barbour Gatt sits down former PM Malcolm Turnbull to find out what the impact of the visit will have and how soon he thinks we could become a republic.   Headlines: Albanese urges not to give up hope of two-state solut...

Many of us have been hit with record power bills this year – and a predicted hot summer ahead is not going to help with keeping costs down. But what if there was a way to avoid energy bills altogether?   That’s the promise of a new fully electric and sustainable Australian property in Perth that's won global home of the year at the National Association of Home Builders’ Global Innovation Awards in...

Australia is known for its hot summers and because of climate change we’re in for more frequent and intense heat waves going forward. An Australian study by Macquarie Uni analysed close to a million reported incidents of all kinds of assaults and found that as temperatures increase so too does violence. Katrina Blowers is joined by Heather Stevens who was part of the team who carried out this rese...

2023 has seen a 6% rise in the deaths on our roads, with over 1,250 lives lost - and we're yet to wrap up the notorious Christmas and New Years period. So while we’ve all heard the safety messaging and seen the campaigns, why are we seeing an increase in driving-related deaths? And are we missing something when it comes to lowering the road toll?  On this extra episode of The Briefing, you'll hear...

UNICEF spokesperson James Elder is an Australian who has been working in conflict zones for the last 20 years and has most recently been part of humanitarian efforts Gaza. He says has never seen the level of intensity and severity of suffering by children before. In this episode of The Briefing, Katrina Blowers finds out what life is like for children on the ground in Gaza. Headlines: Major floodi...

Marc Fennell is excellent at asking questions. From hosting Stuff the British stole and the Feed on SBS to a podcast series about finding the worlds hottest chilli, he can tell a captivating story. In this chat with Antoinette, Marc gets really honest about why he doesn’t want to share his opinion anymore and the moments in his career that changed his trajectory. Weekend List:  Christmas wrapping...

Did you know that one in five of us will face the risk of food poisoning during this festive season? While this makes sense given the large festive feasts and seafood platters often served on a hot summer day, what can you do to ensure you don't give the unwanted gift of Salmonella, E. coli, or Listeria to your nearest and dearest? In this extra episode of The Briefing, we explore the do's and don...

The UN climate summit in Dubai has culminated with almost 200 countries agreeing to ‘transition away’ from fossil fuels. It’s been a hard-fought win after much back-and-forth over the precise wording with some countries refusing to sign on to ‘phasing fossil fuels out’. COP28 has also been mired in controversy with the president of the conference saying a phase-out of coal, oil and gas would take...

Previously referred to as Australia's worst female serial killer, Kathleen Folbigg has finally had her convictions for killing her four children dismissed.  In 2003, she was convicted of murdering her children Patrick, Sarah and Laura and of the manslaughter of her son Caleb. Though she spent 20 years in prison, she always maintained her innocence.  In this extra episode of The Briefing, we explai...

This week, Queensland’s long-serving leader Anastasia Palaszczuk announced her resignation, signalling the end of the reign of Australia’s pandemic premiers. Leaders of the states and territories became household names during the height of the COVID years between 2020 and 2022. People tuned in daily for their press conferences, their policies (and personalities) were the topic of dinner table conv...

We cross to far north Queensland as locals prepare for the arrival of Tropical Cyclone Jasper. The category two system is expected to hit the coast later today, somewhere between Cairns and Hope Vale. The region is expected to receive 250mm to 300mm of rain in just six hours – and up to 500mm over 24 hours. We're joined by Helen Reed from the Bureau of Meteorology and Georgina Hill from Network Te...

People have been doing things to their eyebrows for millennia; whether it’s plucking them, shaving them, colouring them or getting rid of them completely! But did you know eyebrows tell us a lot about society; from perceptions of beauty to socio- economic status to even reproduction! In this episode of The Briefing, Antoinette Lattouf and makeup historian Sara Long dissect why we’re so obsessed wi...

Already this summer season is proving to be dry, hot and dangerous for the risk of bushfires. And the future is looking bleak, with predictions that our bushfire season will increase in both length and intensity. But while we already undertake hazard reduction burns each year to reduce the fuel for fires to feed off, could we learn more from the cultural burning practices of Australia’s First Nati...

Coles and Woolworths are witnessing a surge in theft, which is being put down to the cost of living crisis. Despite this, the two big supermarkets are raking in profits and facing an inquiry into alleged price gouging. In this episode of The Briefing, Bension Siebert asks Fleur Brown from the Australian Retailers Association whether this spike in theft could be shoppers trying to get revenge again...