The Briefing

It has now been 15 years since the creation of Goop, the wellness giant established by actor Gwyneth Paltrow. But what exactly is wellness?  And why all of a sudden has it become such a big business?  Today we check in with the Therapeutics Goods Association and the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission to discuss the industry and the surrounding wellness scandals.  In this extra episode...

Israel has formally declared war on Hamas, the militant Islamist group that controls the Gaza Strip, following the groups attack on soldiers and civilians in Israel on Saturday. But what (or who) is Hamas, how did it come to the position it is currently in, and why has there been an increase in fighting in the region? Dr Mariam Farida, Lecturer in Terrorism Studies in the Department of Security St...

The world was horrified at the weekend to learn Hamas militants escaped from the Gaza Strip and wreaked havoc on Israel, killing more than 700 people and taking an estimated 130 hostages. Israel has promised a military offensive the likes of which the world has never seen. Sydney couple Joe and Kerry Carnuccio are stuck in a hotel room in Tel Aviv. We managed to get in touch with them between visi...

The disappearance of Lynette Simms from Sydney's northern beaches in 1982 was the cold case that gripped both Australia and the world. Uncovered by journalist Hedley Thomas in the record-breaking Teacher’s Pet podcast, the investigation would develop into a dramatic trial that would find her husband Chris Dawson guilty of her murder in 2022. In this episode Tom Tilley is joined by Hedley Thomas to...

This year, so much of our national conversation has revolved around whether our Constitution should be amended to include an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. But outside of Oz, what is the rest of the world saying about us? With arguments from the 'Yes' and 'No' camps expected to rage right up until Saturday's referendum date, today we look at what other countries are saying about our debate on the...

The Briefing brings you an up to the minute explanation of what has happened in Israel over the last two days. It began on Saturday morning with a shocking attack by Hamas militants on Israeli civilians. Israel has promised an ‘unprecedented price.’ Ali Hashem joins Tom Tilley and Katrina Blowers to explain what that may mean and whether this conflict could spread across the region.     Headlines:...

Elise Loehnen has achieved a lot! She has ghost written 12 books, was second-in-command at Goop and has now released her first book under her own name - On Our Best Behaviour: The Price Women Pay to Be Good. In this chat with Jamila Rizvi, Elise explains where the seven deadly sins originated from (and nope they’re not from the bible) and the pressure women place on themselves to be good. Weekend...

People from all around the world travel to NSW’s Blue Mountains for the serenity. But did you know it’s actually home to a dark secret? The Twelve Tribes - which has been described as a cult - owns a cafe on a popular street in town. On this extra episode, we’re joined by LiSTNR journalist Loren Howarth to unpack what's happening there. You'll also hear from former Twelve Tribes member Matthew Kle...

A TikTok trend created by Swedish influencer Saskia Cort, who told her Instagram followers to ask men how often they think about the Roman Empire, has unexpectedly exposed the way we think about gender and history, with some experts suggesting it’s an example of “white cis gender masculinity” at play. Tom Tilley is joined by Professor of Modern History at Keele University Dominic Janes to discuss...

Paris may be the city of love, but there’s one local you wouldn’t want to share a bed with… Bed bugs. The city and host for the next Olympics in 2024 has been infested with bed bugs - the tiny biting insect that burrows its way into bed linen, furniture, carpets and rugs... And bites. In this extra episode of the Briefing, we’re joined by ecological expert Professor Dieter Hochuli to talk all thin...

For decades rates of doctors prescribing birth control has remained steady - but figures show that since the early 2000’s, the number of those choosing the pill has dropped, as an increasing number of women express concerns surrounding the impact of the pill on weight, mood and fertility. But what actually happens to you if you choose come off the pill? Katrina Blowers is joined by Dr Phoebe Holde...

Bushfires are already creating havoc and hardship across Australia. With the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting a dry, hot summer, things are expected to worsen. We all watched in horror during the Black Summer bushfires of 2019, as firefighters across the country risked their lives to save Australians stranded on fire fronts. So how and why do people become volunteer firefighters? And why aren’t m...

So you’re having trouble paying attention - scrolling has replaced daydreaming, TikTok has replaced reading a book or watching a movie, and focusing on anything for a long time feels hard. If deleting all digital distraction from your life isn’t an option, what steps can you take right now to fix it? In this three-part feature series, The Briefing dives deep into what has happened to make us all f...

Gender affirming surgeries reduce suicide, depression and gender dysphoria among transgender and gender-diverse people who need them. But they cost patients tens of thousands of dollars. In a historic moment for trans rights in Australia, an application has been made to get gender affirming surgeries fully funded under Medicare - and it’s estimated 47,000 people could take up the treatment in the...

Are you having trouble paying attention? Studies show most of us are increasingly feeling more distracted and less attentive - but if we’re all in the same boat, why should you care? In this three-part feature series, The Briefing dives deep into what has happened to make us all feel so distracted, why it matters, and what you can do to fix it. In this episode, Jan Fran speaks with Adam Guastella,...

Private islands have always been fascinating for Australians and popular with celebrities. With several small islands in Tasmania and Queensland recently hitting the market for just a few million dollars, could they be becoming more attainable? Former Victorian politician Clem Newton-Brown has owned Picnic Island in Tasmania for 20 years and is now selling for $5 million.  Richard Vanhoff gives hi...

Have you noticed your attention waning? Texts, emails and notifications; podcasts, meetings and social media - while everyone is fighting for it, it feels increasingly like we have less attention it to spare. In this three-part feature series, The Briefing dives deep into what has happened to make us all feel so distracted, why it matters, and what you can do to fix it. In this episode, Jan Fran e...

Welcome to this special series of the Weekend Briefing, where Jamila talks to some of her favourite guests - old and new - about a single, fascinating subject. During this series you’ll hear from singers, writers, models, actors and change makers on topics as diverse as the interview subject themselves. Today you’ll hear from our final series guest Hannah Ferguson, on feminism. Hannah is the co-fo...

Going on holiday is one of life’s greatest pleasures. It’s a chance to let your hair down and blow off a bit of steam. While it usually pays to have travel insurance just in case of the unexpected, what happens when something does go wrong and you’re not covered? In this episode of The Briefing, we hear the story of a surfer in Bali who was left facing a huge medical bill after a horrific accident...

Kenny Bollwerk has built over 240,000 TikTok followers and amassed millions of views of his livestreams showing some of the most rat-infested streets of New York City. Interest has been so great, the creator of ‘RatTok’ is now running free rat tours across the city, taking tourists to “rat hotspots” seven nights a week. He joined Tom Tilley to explain where he thinks the fascination has come from....

The top blood donors in Australia are older men – but young blood and plasma are needed to keep saving lives. Data shows young people are sporadic donors at best, and most don’t turn up to appointments. However, one young donor, Sam Ryan, has become a prolific donor after his life was saved by 22 bags of donated blood after an accident when he was 17. On this extra episode of The Briefing, we hear...

Jordie van den Berg (known by his influential social media alias PurplePingers) and Lauren Michaelides (known as Toilet Paper Australia on X) have launched a free database to call out “shit rentals” across the country. With the aim to better empower renters facing sometimes shocking rental conditions, Shitrentals.org has already received over a thousand reviews from tenants since it’s launch last...

Canada and India are at loggerheads, with both nations in a diplomatic storm that looks like it’s going to get much worse before it gets better.  Canadian Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was assassinated in Vancouver earlier this year. But now, Canada has blamed the Indian government, saying it was a political assassination, and sparking a massive confrontation between the two powerhouse nati...

Dan Andrews, Labor’s longest reigning Premier in Victoria, has announced he will resign from the top job. What was the reasoning behind his decision, what impact will that have on the future of Victorian Labor party, and what can other leaders around the country learn from his time in power? Tom Tilley is joined by Kos Samaras, Director of polling and research company RedBridge group and former La...

Victorian Premier Dan Andrews has announced he’ll retire at 5pm tomorrow. He says he has no plans, and will take time to spend with his family. He led Victoria for nine years and was Labor leader for 13 years. His legacy will be mixed, with there being many who will say he was a brilliant but divisive leader.  In this episode of The Briefing, we’re joined by The Age newspaper's Victorian State Par...