The Briefing

Patrick deWitt is an award winning author, and screenwriter. In this chat with Tom Tilley, Patrick talks about his latest novel The Librarianist, and why he hopes it provides readers with an escape from the “ugly” world we live in. Patrick also reflects on his decision to leave high school to pursue his dream of becoming a writer, and explains his take on why literature and art should focus less on young people.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sydney-based content creator Veronica B is many things, but she’s perhaps best known for her hilarious comedy skits where she plays Aunty Salma, a character she says represents “every ethnic mum”. In this chat with Antoinette Lattouf, Veronica takes us back to the moment she invented Aunty Salma, opens up about her decade-long journey in content creation before having her breakout moment on TikTok during the pandemic- and tells us why she wishes she could be a sellout. She also chats about using humor to cope with chronic illness- having grown up with colitis and Crohn’s disease.   WEEKEND LISTBroadsheet’s episode with Hannah GadsbyAldi ProseccoRunning clubsAntoinette’s episode of Abbie Chatfield’s It’s A Lot podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The first ever academic study has finally been written about Salad Fingers, a video series created in 2004 that later went viral on YouTube. Salad Fingers featured a sickly green figure with lettuce leaves for hands who liked to stroke rusty spoons. The study argues Salad Fingers was a trailblazer of “weird youtube” and is still influencing internet culture today.  In this episode of The Briefing, Eleanor Harrison-Dengate speaks with Jessica Balanzategui, a Senior Lecturer in Media at RMIT University, about why she thinks the series has been so influential. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a new phone-scam that’s being reported around the world, and it’s petrifying. It uses an AI generated cloned version of a loved one, who calls, claiming that there’s an emergency (often that they’ve been kidnapped and a ransom needs to be paid). They’re emotive, they’re high-quality replications, and they’re expected to hit Australians soon. So how does the scam work, and what do you need to know to ensure that you or your loved ones don’t fall victim to it? In today’s episode of The Briefing, Bension Siebert speaks with Toby Murray, Associate Professor of Computing and Information Systems at the University of Melbourne to find out more. Headlines: Federal government under fire for pulling Palestinian Visas  Australian women died in Bali landslide EV purchases soar in Australia Space X mega rocket reaches new heights, before ending up lost   Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Haiti has been all over international headlines this week, and it’s culminated in the Caribbean country’s Prime Minister Ariel Henry being forced to step down. His resignation follows weeks of mounting pressure and increasing violence. Henry is currently stranded in Puerto Rico after being prevented by armed gangs from returning home. Now the Caribbean country is looking towards creating a transitional government for the foreseeable future. In this episode of The Briefing, Bension Siebert sits down with Australian National University's Professor Nicolas Lemay-Hebert to find out why Haiti is in such strife, and what will happen next.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Facebook and Instagram could soon be wiped of news content. It’s after their parent company Meta, announced it will stop paying for news content in Australia when the current deals it has expire. In the future, Meta will encourage news publishers to buy extra services to increase their own traffic, flipping the flow of funds from Meta to news publishers, rather than the other way around. The move brings into question the issue of the sustainability of news journalism in Australia. The Albanese government has said it will move to force Meta to negotiate. In this episode of The Briefing, Sacha Barbour Gatt sits down with Cheek Media’s Hannah Ferguson, whose platform grew through Instagram, to talk about how she plans to deal with the change, and what she thinks the impact will be on news in Australia. Headlines: The US is one step closer to banning TikTok Two-thirds of women report bias in Australian healthcare  Hot autumn ahead for Australia Clive Palmer unveils plans, again, to build the Titanic II    Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1969, Leila Khaled became the world's first female aeroplane hijacker when she took control of a flight from Rome to Tel Aviv. Now, at almost 80, she remains on the national committee for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and is set to appear as a speaker at Green Left’s Ecosocialism 2024 conference in WA in June.   But with her past history and her more recent activism, would she be allowed entry into Australia? Or would her name be added to the long list of other controversial figures - like Novak Djokovic, Chelsea Manning, Chris Brown, who have been banned from entering the country? In today’s episode, Bension Siebert speaks with LiSTNR Investigations Editor, Clair Weaver, about how visa decisions on controversial figures are decided.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia’s housing market has been in crisis for years and it only seems to be getting worse. Interest rate hikes last year have pushed many families’ budgets to the brink while renters are finding more and more of their pay cheque disappearing each month. All sides of politics have their own ideas to tackle rising rents, supply issues and soaring house prices, from assisting first home buyers to increasing the number of new builds.So is it time for a royal commission into the real estate industry and would that make a meaningful dent in fixing the housing crisis? In the final episode of this three-part series, Sacha Barbour Gatt sits down with Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather to find out. Headlines: Illicit drug use in Australia soars by 17% year-on-year  Andrew Tate to be extradited to the UK  Gaza medics tell BBC of inhumane treatment 1 in 4 properties in NSW, Victoria and QLD were paid for in cash    Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia’s love of an underdog is really special and unique – we're always cheering on the Aussie battler.   It goes hand in hand with our belief that everyone deserves a fair go, but we’re also pretty renowned for being the first to cut down someone who might stand out.  It’s called Tall Poppy Syndrome and has become synonymous with Australian culture. But why? And is it time to rethink our approach to success and standing out?  On today’s episode, The Briefing host Sacha Barbour-Gatt talks to Dr Rumeet Billan, the author of 2023 study ‘The Tallest Poppy’, to find out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia’s housing market has been in crisis for years and it only seems to be getting worse. Interest rate hikes last year have pushed many families’ budgets to the brink while renters are finding more and more of their pay cheque disappearing each month. All sides of politics have their own ideas to tackle rising rents, supply issues and soaring house prices, from assisting first home buyers to increasing the number of new builds.So is it time for a royal commission into the real estate industry and would that make a meaningful dent in fixing the housing crisis? In the second episode of this three part series, Sacha Barbour Gatt sits down with Jordie Van Den Berg a.k.a. Purple Pingers, to find out. Headlines: Princess of Wales apologises for editing family photo  Ramadan starts in Gaza without a ceasefire deal  Roosters prop Spencer Leniu cops eight week ban over racial slur  Oppenheimer sweeps the Oscars    Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.