The Briefing

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 Nations Peoples?  On this extra episode of The Briefing, we speak with former Emergency Management commissioner for Victoria, Craig Lapsley, and cultural burning practitioner Trent Nelson, to find out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 against Coles and Woolies.   Headlines: Essential poll finds 57% of Aussies are financially struggling  COP28 draft resolution drops historic deal to “phase out” fossil fuels   Donald Trump says he will not take the stand in his fraud case  Golden Globes nominations have been announced   Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

They’re the non-surgical cosmetic procedures that get spruiked and glamorised with hashtags like #BarbieBotox, #FoxEyes and #LipFlip by influencers on social media.  These procedures can be performed by non-medical practitioners like nurses, dental practitioners and pharmacists, and include injectables and fillers, cosmetic dentistry, hair transplants, fat freezing, and thread lifts (to only name a few). But now a national crackdown is coming, with a regulator releasing draft guidelines that would ban or restrict many common dubious advertising tactics. On this extra episode of The Briefing, we speak with the consumer advocate at Operation Redress, Michael Fraser, to learn more about how dangerous the advertising tactics around these procedures currently are, and just why reform is needed.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many young people are struggling with the rising cost of living: rent, bills, groceries and transport. But imagine you’re doing it all alone, without the support of your parents or family. That’s the reality for young people who have grown up in care. And it’s a key reason so few make it into higher education. If you’re working all the hours you can just to get by, you don’t get the opportunity to study and break the cycle of poverty, irrespective of how bright you are. But a charity scholarship program is trying to change that. In this episode of The Briefing, Katrina Blowers speaks to former foster care kid Ruby Sait about her journey to university.   Headlines: New migration strategy and foreign investor reform  Annastacia Palaszczuk’s last week as Queensland Premier  Royals release Christmas cards   Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kath Ebbs is an accidental influencer, they was scouted on Instagram when they were just 17 and since then has dominated the social media scene.  Kath is a queer artist and actor and they grew up on the internet and their relationship with social media like many of us has changed throughout the years.  In this chat with Helen Smith, Kath explains the importance of pronouns, how we can make the film industry more inclusive and the impact social media has had on their body image.  Weekend list: Everyone and Everything by Nadine J Cohen Easy Red Pesto Gnocchi Antoinette’s ethnic mother cooking hack Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones audiobook by James Clear  Send us your Weekend List suggestions on Instagram at @thebriefingpodcast!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For those who celebrate Christmas, this time of year is sold to us as being all about togetherness, joy, gift giving and family – it's the most wonderful time of the year after all.  While we all love opening pressies and sitting down to a Christmas feast, there aren’t magical elves running around organising everything – it usually falls on the shoulders of women. Ask any woman in your life how long they’ve been thinking about all the things that have to be organised in the lead up to the festive season, plenty will tell you it’s been bubbling away in the back of their minds for months.  On today’s extra episode of The Briefing, hosts Sacha Barbour Gatt and Antoinette Lattouf are asking: why are women carrying most of the mental and physical load at Christmas? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission is cracking down on our online space. Two new reports flag major concerns when it comes to social media influencers disclosing advertising; and businesses commissioning and collating their own reviews. In this episode of The Briefing ACCC Acting Chair Catriona Lowe takes us through what we should be looking out for online. Headlines: New industrial relations reforms passed Heatwave hitting most of the countries east with temperatures in the 40s  Alan Jones lawyers issue defamation notice over assault claims  Scientists found a better way to grind coffee    Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A man has been arrested in the US over links to the deadly Wieambilla massacre almost a year ago, which saw two Queensland police constables and a civilian shot dead on a remote property.  Their murderers; Gareth, Nathaniel and Stacey Train were killed in the resulting standoff with officers.  Detectives will allege the Trains had been radicalised after discovering the idea of “premillennialism” - a belief system with roots in Christianity that predicts Jesus Christ will return to earth before the next millennium, sparking the end of times.   In this extra episode of The Briefing, we take a look at premillennialism, and how an American came to be so influential to three Australians, resulting in three people being murdered.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you’ve been thinking there are have been a lot of female leaders under fire lately, you might have noticed the glass cliff phenomenon; it’s when a woman is put into a position of leadership during a company crisis. Fortescue Metals chief executive Fiona Hick and the Australia Post CEO Christine Holgate have both had to resign after relatively short tenures and major issues at their companies. Now RBA boss Michelle Bullock and Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson have both just been appointed during very murky times for both organisations. In this episode of The Briefing Antoinette Lattouf speaks with Shivani Gopal, CEO of EllaDex, about what needs to be done to change this phenomenon.   Headlines: Boris Johnson has begun Covid Inquiry   Immigration re-detain laws passed FBI arrests man in the US connection to Queensland Wieambilla shootings  Taylor Swift named Time magazine's Person of the Year   Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last month, a 600-kilogram seal made himself at home in front of a woman’s car in Tasmania’s south, giving her the best excuse not to go to work. Affectionately known as Neil, the elephant seal routinely causes havoc when he comes back to the coast. And this isn't the only example of how urbanisation has necessitated changes in the behaviour of the animals around us - just think of the rebranding of the majestic ibis to the 'bin chicken', known for roaming our streets and raiding our rubbish. In this extra episode of The Briefing, we speak with LiSTNR journalist Tessa Randello to get the scoop on a Tasmanian icon 'Neil the Seal'. You'll also hear Sean Dooley from Bird Life Australia, who explains the effect we've had on the behaviour of the ibis.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.