The Briefing

Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts, is a proud Bundjalung Widubul-Wiabul woman who was taken away from her family and her country at age 11. Vanessa would live with more than a dozen different foster families, before she was old enough to return home to country at age eighteen. Since then she has completed her law and social work degrees, with first class honours and is embarking on a PHD.  In this chat wit...

At the National Press Club on Monday Julian Assange’s wife said 'we're the closest we've ever been' to securing his release and earlier this year Anthony Albanese expressed his frustrated over the detention of Assange. Gabriel Shipton believes 2023 will be the year his brother Julian will be released, as a Free Julian Assange Rally in Sydney saw over 1000 people in attendance on Wednesday. Gabriel...

If you pay tax, this story will make your blood boil. We explain how PwC, a firm that’s received hundreds of millions of tax payer funds, shared confidential information with corporations trying to pay less tax in Australia. Find out how this happened and why it took so long to hit the headlines with Carl Rhodes, Professor of Organization Studies at the University of Technology Sydney.   Headlines...

Last week Q&A presenter Stan Grant announced he was leaving the ABC after constant racial abuse, and a lack of institutional support. Torres Strait Islander Rhianna Patrick who is a Briefing host and also a former ABC journalist, speaks to The Briefing about her time and experience at the ABC and discovering what she calls ‘workplace trauma.’     Headlines: Convicted paedophile and entertainer...

China has been the world’s most populous country since 1950, but last month according to UN demographers India has now surpassed China. India is now home to nearly a fifth of humanity and is continuing to grow. How did this happen and what does it mean for geopolitics? Emeritus Professor in Asian Studies at the University of Adelaide Purnendra Jain joins us to explain the significance.    Headline...

Young men are the main victims of sextortion in Australia, according to new data to be presented by the eSafety Commissioner in parliament. Sextortion is when a person is extorted for money under threat of having nude images released to family, friends and beyond. Last year around 60% of reports received by the eSafety scheme were reports of sextortion, we go inside with an eSafety commissioner in...

Kayla Itsines went from training clients in her parents’ backyard to touring around the world hosting sold out boot camps.  But since then she’s become a mother of two and is tackling the idea of ‘bounce back’ culture.  In this chat with Jamila Rizvi, Kayla explains how she is doing the high wire act of new-mum juggling and her approach to fitness since discovering her own vulnerabilities.    THE...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has officially dropped restrictions that prohibit gay and bisexual men from donating blood. The ban was implemented in 1983 for men who have sex with men due to the AIDS epidemic.   In today’s episode of the Briefing, we discover that since the early 80s, scientific advances and more testing has led to the ban on LGBT men and transwomen donating blood being li...

11,500 Hollywood television and screenwriters are on strike, they’re determined to get better pay and conditions and want safeguards in place against AI. The studios say they can’t hand out pay rises as investors are no longer gung-ho about streaming. We go inside the strike with writer Josh Gondelman who used to work on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver to find out exactly what’s going on.   Hea...

Snapchat has introduced an AI chatbot that users can ask any question and receive an answer in extreme detail. Users can customise the chatbot’s name, design a Bitmoji avatar for it and it sits alongside conversations with real friends. Snapchat’s chatbot may feel less transactional but AI ethics expert Julian Koplin says the new technology can be misleading.   Headlines: Search for bodies resumes...

Anti-crime groups have taken to the streets going door to door targeting suspected thieves in the Queensland town of Rockhampton. The vigilante groups formed on social media despite police warning them that vigilantism is not the answer to community crime. Indigenous leaders and police are worried, Dr. Terry Goldsworthy, an associate professor in criminal justice and criminology explains why.   He...

New Netflix show Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story has hit the number one spot on the streaming service and gives the back story of the British Queen Charlotte. The show has been sparking conversation about whether or not she was the first black Queen. British historian Cindy McCreery joins Jan Fran to explain why.   Headlines: Two charged over neo-Nazi rally Road death toll climbs despite natio...

Sarah Harris is the newest host of The Project, filling the shoes of Carrie Bickmore who has been with the agenda-setting news show since its inception. Harris is no stranger to television. She previously hosted Studio 10 for nearly a decade, and before that was a reporter for Channel 9 and Channel 7.  In this chat with Jamila Rizvi, Sarah explains how nothing could have prepared her for the invas...

Former NRL player Jarryd Hayne is expected to be sentenced today. The 35-year-old was found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman on grand final night in 2018, following a third trial last month.  Host of This Arvo in Sydney Sacha Barbour Gatt takes us through the backstory of Jarryd Hayne, his massive fall from grace and why it’s taken so long to get this conviction.    Headlines: - Opposition le...

Eurovision is back again, this year being played out in the UK. It’s a change from the norm after Ukraine won last year’s contest, but couldn’t host themselves.   We go behind the scenes with commentator Myf Warhurst to hear all the goss all the way from Liverpool.    Headlines: - Inquiry into the handling of the Brittany Higgins rape trial continues - The Opposition to deliver its budget reply to...

We’ve heard artificial intelligence could take our jobs, now a new investigation shows how it could make inequalities worse.  We speak to Tracey Spicer about her new book Man Made: How the bias of the past is being built into the future.    Headlines: Budget breakdown Donald Trump has been found liable for sexual abuse Jenny Craig Australia in voluntary administration   Follow The Briefing: Instag...

110 people have been confirmed dead in a Kenyan forest, believed to have starved themselves after following the teachings of a cult called The Good News International Church. The church taught that the end of the world was coming and its followers should starve themselves before that time and then they would go to heaven. Children were to die first, then the unmarried, then mothers and the elderly...

Is that it? Housing market data shows the downturn in prices is over, for now. One of Australia’s leading property market analysts, Tim Lawless from CoreLogic, explains what this means for first home buyers.    Headlines: The Coronation celebrations continue Federal Budget update Eight people killed in another US mass shooting   Follow The Briefing: Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast   Facebook: TheBr...

While you may not have heard Michael Lucas’ voice before, you’ve almost certainly heard his words. Michael is an award winning screenwriter who has been at the helm of some of Australia’s most loved TV shows, from Offspring, to Wentworth and The Newsreader.  In this chat with Jamila Rizv, Michael deep dives into what draws him to telling certain kinds of stories and how his own life experiences sh...

It’s a big weekend for the royalists around the world with the coronation of King Charles III to take place in London.  It’s been 70 years since the last coronation – that of Elizabeth II in 1953.  More than 2000 guests are invited including our PM Anthony Albanese. He’s taking with him around 20 upstanding Australians with him including comedian Adam Hills, who joins us from London.   Headlines:...

Singer Katy Perry has lost her long running legal fight with Australian clothing designer Katie Perry. Our Federal court has ruled the pop-star infringed in the trademark of the local brand, which was established in 2007 before the singer’s rise to international fame. We speak with clothing designer Katie Perry about why the case went on so long, and how she feels now she finally has a verdict.   ...

This year’s Met Gala theme is ‘Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty' which sparked backlash due to the late fashion designer's views on women's bodies and the #MeToo movement. We find out about why he was controversial and also dive into the rising issue of cancel culture in major fashion houses with brand consultant and editor Alison Izzo.   Headlines: Interest rates lift again Qantas appoints first...

Thousands of households are refinancing their mortgages. In February alone $20billion worth of loans were remortgaged. With the fixed rate cliff just around the corner, even more Australians will be looking for a better deal. In this episode we speak with RateCity’s Sally Tindall on what to do if you’re looking at refinancing and what traps to avoid.   Headlines: Tributes flow for Masterchef’s Joc...

This strange saga has a few twists and turns which have culminated in Disney taking Florida’s governor Ron DeSantis to court. It's the latest move in a year-long battle that started when Disney publicly criticised Florida’s ‘don’t say gay' laws. In retaliation, DeSantis stripped Disney of its 56-year-long self-governing status and even threatened to open a prison near its theme park.   We find out...

When Melissa Leong tastes her food, everyone pays attention. As the first female MasterChef judge her elegant and evocative descriptions make you feel part of the experience. When it comes to food, there isn’t much Melissa hasn’t done and in 2022 she was nominated for a Gold Logie.  In this chat with Jamila Rizvi, Melissa touches on her experience of fame as a self-described introvert and what it...