The Briefing

Headlines: Easey Street murder suspect lands in Melbourne after extradition, South Korean Parliament rejects president’s martial law declaration, concerns over ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, Commonwealth Bank urged to rethink $3 cash withdrawal fee, and the most visited Wikipedia pages for 2024 have been revealed. Deep dive: A five-year legal battle is playing out between the NT government and residents of Laramba, an Aboriginal community 205km north-west of Alice Springs, over clean drinking water. The community's drinking water was found to have contained uranium at levels three times the maximum safe level set out in the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. In this episode of The Briefing, Bension Siebert is joined by Daniel Kelly, a solicitor at Australian Lawyers for Remote Aboriginal Rights, to unpack the latest developments. Follow The Briefing:TikTok: @listnrnewsroomInstagram: @listnrnewsroom @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @LiSTNRnewsroomFacebook: @LiSTNR NewsroomSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When you think of hard jobs, does influencing or content creation top the list? After a video from the 2024 TikTok Awards went viral, that’s exactly the conversation happening online right now. Content creators were asked if their work is “hard,” with some answers sparking debate and backlash. One of those influencers seemingly in hot water is Veronica B. The TikTokker, who has  over half a million followers on the app, joins Chris Spyrou in this episode of The Briefing to unpack whether she believes being an influencer is tough, what goes on behind the scenes, and how she’s handling the wave of hate.  Follow The Briefing:TikTok: @listnrnewsroomInstagram: @listnrnewsroom @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @LiSTNRnewsroomFacebook: @LiSTNR NewsroomSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Headlines: The fallout from Hunter Biden’s pardon, biggest cocaine bust in Australian history sees 13 charged and Australia just sweltered through its hottest spring ever. Deep dive: 2024 has become the deadliest year for aid workers with harrowing risks of humanitarian work laid bare over the weekend. Aid workers from Save the Children and World Central Kitchen were killed in an Israeli Defence Forces airstrike in Gaza, prompting World Central Kitchen to halt operations after it destroyed one of its vehicles and killed three staff members. With Israel’s new legislation banning the operation of the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency in Israel and occupied territories by January 28, what happens to arguably the most oppressed and starving people in the world if aid workers can no longer help? Australia-born Roger Hearn is the UNRWA's Director of Relief and Social Services, and he joins Antoinette Lattouf in this episode of The Briefing. Follow The Briefing:TikTok: @listnrnewsroomInstagram: @listnrnewsroom @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @LiSTNRnewsroomFacebook: @LiSTNR NewsroomSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s been eight years since Pokémon Go took the world by storm. But was the global phenomenon just a big data mining scam? By the end of its launch year in 2016, over 200 million people had downloaded the game and today 90 million users are still trying to catch em’ all. But it's come to light that the game’s developers, Niantic, have been using its player’s data to train “the next frontier of AI”. In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou chats with freelance games journalist Harry Kalogirou to find out how this happened, whether users are justified in feeling scammed and what this means for the future of AI. Follow The Briefing:TikTok: @listnrnewsroomInstagram: @listnrnewsroom @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @LiSTNRnewsroomFacebook: @LiSTNR NewsroomSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Allegra Spender, Independent Wentworth MP and tax policy expert, dives into the striking tax disparities between young and older Australians earning the same income. She reveals how the tax system disproportionately burdens younger generations and explores broader issues like housing affordability and financial insecurity. Spender discusses her work on a green paper aimed at tax reform, highlighting potential solutions and the crucial role of community involvement in creating a fairer economic landscape.

Georgia Grace AKA Gspot knows a lot about sex. She’s a pleasure activist, the co-founder of sexual wellness company Normal and an expert in somatic sexology, embodied counselling and trauma informed approaches. The Modern Guide to Sex is Georgia’s latest book where she breaks down taboos, myths and the sexual shame society holds. In this chat with Antoinette Lattouf, Georgia explains the importance of pleasure and gives her take on Bonnie Blue. Weekend List TO EAT: Avo on toast roast with labneh and za'atar TO READ: I Am Pilgrim by former journalist and screenwriter Terry Hayes TO TRY: We listen and we don't judge trend on TikTok TO WATCH: Fisk season 3 on ABC iView Follow The Briefing:TikTok: @listnrnewsroomInstagram: @listnrnewsroom @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @LiSTNRnewsroomFacebook: @LiSTNR NewsroomSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whether you’re a fan or not, you can’t deny the absolute juggernaut that has been the Wicked movie press tour. After kicking off in Australia earlier this month, the cast of the Broadway adaptation have been going viral while chatting with the media and public about the film. Headlined by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, the press tour has copped some flak for being cringey and over the top, amid viral videos of reporters crying in interviews to ridiculous platitudes about “holding space” for the lyrics of the movie’s title track Defying Gravity. On today’s episode of The Briefing, Sacha Barbour Gatt is joined by Justin Hill, host of LiSTNR’s The Streaming Service, to break down the insanity of the Wicked press tour and explain why it’s got people so riled up. Follow The Briefing:TikTok: @listnrnewsroomInstagram: @listnrnewsroom @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @LiSTNRnewsroomFacebook: @LiSTNR NewsroomSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alicia Schiller is a convicted murderer – and the Victorian Government has given her permission to start IVF treatment during her sentence. She stabbed her roommate to death in 2014 and she’s currently serving a 16-year-sentence in a maximum-security prison in Victoria. The decision has provoked outrage from the family of her victim, from politicians and members of the public. If she gets pregnant, it’s being reported that she plans to raise the child with her in prison for the first five years, then hand the child over to her parents while she serves what's left of her sentence. In part two of this special two-part episode of The Briefing, Victorian Liberal MP Brad Battin argues the Victorian Government should stop Schiller having a child. Follow The Briefing:TikTok: @listnrnewsroomInstagram: @listnrnewsroom @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @LiSTNRnewsroomFacebook: @LiSTNR NewsroomSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Headlines: Australia approves world first social media ban for kids, Israel fires on southern Lebanon after ceasefire deal, top trends for 2025 revealed. Deep Dive: Alicia Schiller is a convicted murderer – and the Victorian Government has given her permission to start IVF treatment during her sentence. She stabbed her roommate to death in 2014 and she’s currently serving a 16-year sentence in a maximum-security prison in Victoria. The decision has provoked outrage from the family of her victim, from politicians and members of the public. If she gets pregnant, it’s being reported that she plans to raise the child with her in prison for the first five years, then hand the child over to her parents while she serves what's left of her sentence. In part one of this special two-part episode of The Briefing, Australian barrister and criminal justice spokesman with the Australian Lawyers Alliance Greg Barnes joins Bension Siebert to argue why Schiller has every right to access IVF. Follow The Briefing:TikTok: @listnrnewsroomInstagram: @listnrnewsroom @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @LiSTNRnewsroomFacebook: @LiSTNR NewsroomSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Australia, community water fluoridation programs have been underway since the 1950s. It’s a practice endorsed by the World Health Organisation as an effective and safe way of reducing tooth decay. But earlier this year Donald Trump's pick for Secretary of Health, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., promised remove fluoride from water supplies, a move that Trump has endorsed. RFK Jr, often labeled a vaccine skeptic and conspiracy theorist, claims fluoride is linked to conditions like arthritis, cancer, and lowered IQ. It’s a case his supporters say is strengthened by a recent US-government report which found a tentative link between high fluoride levels and reduced neurodevelopment in children. So, is it really safe and is it time we give it a rethink? In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by Dr Brad McKay, GP and author of ‘Fake Medicine: Exposing the wellness crazes, cons and quacks costing us our health’ to unpack it all. Follow The Briefing:TikTok: @listnrnewsroomInstagram: @listnrnewsroom @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @LiSTNRnewsroomFacebook: @LiSTNR NewsroomSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.