The Briefing

Tuesday Headlines: AUKUS has come under further US scrutiny, Israeli strike kills at least 20 people, including five journalists and health officials in Gaza, The Wiggles are headed for court, Third person charged in Pheobe Bishop case, Australia’s youngest senator makes maiden speech. Deep Dive: The federal government has fast tracked the expansion of the First Homebuyer Guarantee, allowing more Australians to buy a home with a 5% deposit from October.   The Treasury estimates the new eligibility caps on income and home prices will see an extra 20,000 guarantees will be issued within the first year, but is it all too good to be true?  In this episode of The Briefing, Helen Smith is joined by David Koch, Compare the Market’s Economic Director, to explain what the scheme means for the housing market and if the pros outweigh the cons for first homebuyers.   Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @LiSTNRnewsroom Facebook: @LiSTNR NewsroomSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The sole survivor of the deadly mushroom lunch has given compelling evidence in court, saying he forgives killer Erin Patterson. Ian Wilkinson also revealed that he would pray for Erin to become a better person and said he is no longer a victim, instead, Erin is a victim of his kindness.  In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by criminologist Xanthe Mallett to unpack the new evidence. *NOTE: After this episode was recorded, Erin Patterson's sentencing date has been earmarked for September 8. Headlines: Economists are concerned about the Federal Government’s first home buyer scheme, Virginia Guiffre's book to be published posthumously, and Naked Sundays sunscreen pulled from the Australian market.  Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @LiSTNRnewsroom Facebook: @LiSTNR NewsroomSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Monday Headlines: Thousands of Australians have protested across the country against the war on Gaza, Erin Patterson is back in court today, Queensland urged to use TikTok and ‘trusted influencers’ to combat misinformation during natural disasters, Trump preparing to send National Guard into Chicago, and Venus Williams is returning to the US Open aged 45. Deep Dive: A first of its kind inquiry is looking into cults and fringe religious groups in Australia, and whether our laws are strong enough to protect members.   It's looking into recruitment and retention tactics, particularly any deemed coercive, dominating, and harmful.   While the inquiry isn’t focusing on the cults or groups beliefs, just behaviours, other mainstream religions are concerned some of their practices could get caught in the crosshairs.   In this episode of The Briefing, Tara Cassidy speaks with investigative journalist Richard Baker, about his evidence at the inquiry, and his message to any religions sounding the alarm.  Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @LiSTNRnewsroom Facebook: @LiSTNR NewsroomSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kathleen Folbigg was once branded Australia’s worst female serial killer, convicted of murdering her four children and locked away for 20 years. But she was innocent. In 2023, a breakthrough in genetics and the work of 90 leading scientists finally cleared Kathleen’s name and set her free. But her fight for justice isn’t over. The NSW government has now offered just $2 million in compensation, a figure that’s outraged her supporters and the Australian public.  In this episode, we revisit the extraordinary case from the very beginning. Professor Stephen Cordner, one of the scientists who campaigned for Kathleen’s release, takes us inside the science, the battle against the legal system, and how one woman’s life was destroyed by a terrible miscarriage of justice. Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @LiSTNRnewsroom Facebook: @LiSTNR Newsroom See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Natalie Kyriacou is the environmentalist saving the planet one snake clit and fish STD at a time. Before she turned 30, she was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for her contributions to wildlife conservation and education. Creating World of the Wild, a app that’s been dubbed the environmentalist’s Angry Birds. In this chat with Antoinette Lattouf, Natalie explain how she went from stealing from family members to raise money for climate to publishing Nature’s Last Dance. Weekend list with Helen Smith TO WATCH: Real Housewives of London on Hayu TO TRY: Lay flat on the floor TO DO: Always get a second opinion TO WATCH: The Handmaid's Tale season 5 onwards Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @LiSTNRnewsroom Facebook: @LiSTNR NewsroomSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The construction industry has one of the highest suicide rates in the Australia, with employees twice as likely to die compared to other male workers. An often-toxic workplace environment and poor mental health are major contributing factors with experts calling for urgent action.  In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Health and Wellbeing expert Tony LaMontagne to explain how we can turn around the deadly trend and the important message for both employees and bosses in the workplace.  Headlines: New major childcare changes announced, Ultra Violette has pulled one of its most popular products from shelves, and Erik Menendez has been denied parole.  If this episode raised any issues for you, help is available via Lifeline on 13 11 14.  Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @LiSTNRnewsroom Facebook: @LiSTNR NewsroomSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Friday Headlines: Australia post is suspending transit shipping to the US, Trump had a multi-million-dollar win overnight, Three-day productivity summit wrapped late yesterday, Anthony Albanese’s reputation is “forever tarnished” according to Benjamin Netanyahu, Federal government will today push for a national register of childcare workers, and a Freaky Friday story to end the week. Deep Dive: Australians are getting married less, divorcing less and having fewer children than ever before, with the rate of marriage more than halving since 1971.   The way people are getting married is also changing, with less traditional ceremonies, religious weddings taking a slide line, millennials and gen z now dominating the scene and social media influencing how much we spend.   In this episode of The Briefing, Helen Smith chats with Jye Marshall, a wedding expert and fashion design lecturer at Swinburne University, to explain the origins of a white wedding dress and how cost of living is changing the way we wed.   Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @LiSTNRnewsroom Facebook: @LiSTNR NewsroomSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Homophobia in the AFL is back in the spotlight, with star Crows forward Izak Rankine banned for four games for using a homophobic slur against a Collingwood opponent. But Rankine could still play in the AFL grand final if the Adelaide Crows make it. But Rankine is the sixth AFL player to be suspended for a homophobic remark aimed at an opponent in the past 16 months alone, so do bans even work? In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by behavioural scientist Erik Denison from Monash University's Faculty of Arts, who argues that bans don’t work and there are serious cultural issues in Australian sporting codes that need urgent action.  This episode contains references to suicide and homophobic language. If you or anyone you know needs assistance, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or QLife on 1800 184 527.  Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @LiSTNRnewsroom Facebook: @LiSTNR Newsroom See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thursday Headlines: A former SAS soldier will be the first in Australia to ever face trial for a war crime, pedestrian deaths are up by almost 50 per cent, Monash IVF is under pressure to publicly release a review into two separate IVF bungles, the larger the house the less people living in it, and a year one teacher has gone viral for an informative private parts song. Deep Dive: Amazon have just launched ‘their own version of Temu’ in a bid to compete with the ultra-low-cost marketplace called Amazon Haul.   From mid 2023 to 2024 Temu reached nearly 4 million Australian shoppers and Shein reached about 2 million, with experts predicting that number could be greater in 2025.   In this episode of The Briefing, Helen Smith is joined by Dr. Bo Pang associate director of consumer innovation at Swinburne University to explain the ethical and regulatory concerns within the ultra-low-cost marketplace and how Haul is different from the Amazon we know.   Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @LiSTNRnewsroom Facebook: @LiSTNR NewsroomSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a bombshell announcement, the Federal Health Minister has announced a major overhaul of the troubled NDIS. Mark Butler claims the NDIS was not fit for large numbers of children with autism and developmental delays, promising the changes will ensure the scheme is sustainable. But will those who need the support the most be unfairly targeted?  In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by expert Professor Adam Guastella who warns the government needs to crack down on alleged dodgy providers who are exploiting a broken system.   Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @LiSTNRnewsroom Facebook: @LiSTNR NewsroomSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.