The Briefing

Monday Headlines: 100-thousand people march along the Sydney Harbour Bridge yesterday, Home and Away's Lynne McGranger takes out Gold Logie, Emergency crews launch desperate search for passengers on board missing plane, Australian Defence Force increases staff levels through social media and gaming, and Robert Irwin and Nigella Lawson faces of new Tourism Australia campaign. Deep Dive: The Australian gas sector makes billions off our natural resources each year, yet over half is being given away and exported for free, with little to no benefit for the everyday Aussie.   It’s been described as a loophole by some, “the great gas scam” by others, with taxpayers estimated to be missing out on $13 billion because of it.   And we're not just missing out on money, it’s also costing us cash, with the gas sector and untapped exports contributing to surging gas and electricity prices too.   In this episode of The Briefing, Tara Cassidy speaks with independent senator David Pocock on what’s behind the costly problem, and what it’ll take to fix it. Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @LiSTNRnewsroom Facebook: @LiSTNR NewsroomSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bonus episode: Who is Sharon Graham? Tara Cassidy speaks to those closest to the grandmother, who was now one of the police’s main murder suspects. Tara unravels the different sides Sharon presented to people and starts to see some patterns in her behaviour, especially around money and men.  Today our bonus episode is episode 2 of Tara's podcast Crime in Focus: Killer Charm. You'll hear how a murder investigation opens after a man falls into a woodchipper in suspicious circumstances. And what has a suburban grandmother in a bizarre love quadrangle got to do with it? To keep listening, you can get the full series of Crime in Focus: Killer Charm for free on Apple, Spotify, LiSTNR or wherever you get your podcasts.  All people convicted of murder related to this case have lodged their intentions to appeal the outcomes. At the point of publishing this podcast those appeals have not progressed further.  Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @LiSTNRnewsroom Facebook: @LiSTNR NewsroomSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Maz Jobrani is the Iranian-born American comedian who accidently created a fantasy scenario for immigration body ICE. The stand-up comedic and actor found himself swapping his political science degree for telling occasionally deportation-prone jokes and it paid off. He’s been in Hollywood blockbusters, has Netflix specials and was a guest on James Corden, Jay Leno and The Late Show with Steven Colbert. In this chat with Antoinette Lattouf, Maz reveals how he finds comedy in global geopolitical chaos, and whether recently being named a top 20 ‘Great Immigrant’ is code for ‘watch your back, immigration body ICE is coming for you’. He’s currently on tour here in Australia, find dates here! Weekend list with Helen Smith TO READ: Boogie Wonderland, a memoir by Kate Halfpenny  TO EAT: No bake banana bread cookie dough balls TO TRY: Somatic therapy by a registered practitioner TO TRY: Facebook hair model groups e.g. Hair Models Sydney NSW *No In-Home Salons! Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @LiSTNRnewsroom Facebook: @LiSTNR NewsroomSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While climate change can feel overwhelming, a bold group of young Australians is turning anxiety into action. They call themselves the Future Council - and they’ve travelled the world challenging global leaders and top CEOs to do better. In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling speaks with filmmaker Damon Gameau and 15-year-old climate activist Ruby Rodgers about their powerful new documentary and the movement they hope will inspire the rest of us to act. Headlines: Australia has escaped a feared jump in US tariffs, A Western Australian woman found guilty of giving birth to a baby that was later discovered in a freezer has avoided going to prison, and Father Chris Riley, founder of charity Youth Off the Streets, has died aged 70. Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @LiSTNRnewsroom Facebook: @LiSTNR NewsroomSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Friday Headlines: ASIO boss says foreign spies targeting defence employees working on AUKUS, 91 people killed by Israeli fire waiting for aid as US envoy arrives in Israel for ceasefire talks, MMA fighter Conor McGregor loses appeal to overturn a civil rape case, Australia's towns with most Airbnb's and Bonnie Blue doco ‘1000 Men and Me’ causes outrage. Deep Dive: Imagine if you couldn’t brush your teeth, put on your mascara or gel your hair because the products you wanted to use weren’t accessible to you.   This is the reality for 20% of our population who live with disability, but only 4% of products are accessible, according to a global study on the accessibility of personal care products.   In this episode of The Briefing Helen Smith is joined by Storm Menzies, founder of ByStorm Beauty, to explain the importance of accessible beauty tools for both mental and physical wellbeing.   Further listening: Nest of Traitors - Episode 1 - Operation Liver and ‘I'm not a predator’: OnlyFans' Bonnie Blue defends Schoolies sex plan and What a survivor of sexual violence thinks of Bonnie Blue Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @LiSTNRnewsroom Facebook: @LiSTNR NewsroomSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Another twist in the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case, as the family as Australian victim Virginia Guiffre releases a new statement lashing out at the US President.  They say the family and survivors deserve answers as pressure grows on the US Administration to reveal who was involved in one of the greatest sex trafficking rings in history.  In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by journalist Lucia Osborne-Crowley who reveals who really knows the truth and why she believes convicted offender Ghislaine Maxwell will walk free after receiving a Presidential Pardon.   Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @LiSTNRnewsroom Facebook: @LiSTNR NewsroomSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pressure is mounting on the US government to name names in the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case. It comes as the family of Australian victim Virginia Guiffre who died earlier this year releases a new statement lashing out at US President Donald Trump.  In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by journalist Lucia Osborne-Crowley to unpack who Jeffrey Epstein is, his powerful friends and the question we all should be asking.  Headlines: The identity of a Sydney childcare worker charged with more than a dozen child sex abuse offences has been revealed, Melbourne’s gangland war has erupted again, with a 21-year-old man shot dead in Melbourne’s outer north, and the family of Virginia Giuffre has spoken out after bizarre new allegations from Donald Trump.  Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @LiSTNRnewsroom Facebook: @LiSTNR NewsroomSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thursday Headlines: Tsunami alerts lifted as record earthquake causes millions to evacuate, Ozzy Osbourne fans flock to Birmingham paying tribute to the Prince of Darkness, convicted triple-murderer Erin Patterson restricted from selling home, cars sold in Australia using more fuel and emitting more toxic fumes than advertised and Katy Perry spotted with former Canadian PM Justin Trudeau.   Deep Dive: The Sydney Harbour Bridge has been closed for reconciliation in 2000, World Pride month and even for a Hollywood movie, but what about Gaza?  The Palestine Action Group are planning to defy police this weekend by marching across the Harbour Bridge over concerns of mass starvation in Gaza. But authorities have denied the request and threatened prosecution of protesters who attempt to cross the bridge.   In this episode of The Briefing Helen Smith is joined by David Mejia-Canales, Senior Lawyer at the Human Rights law Centre, to explain what our rights are to protest in Australia.   Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @LiSTNRnewsroom Facebook: @LiSTNR NewsroomSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why are we forced to hand over so much private information when all we want is a receipt? As cyber-attacks become more commonplace, protecting our private information is more important than ever.  In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by consumer advocate Chandni Gupta who unpacks your legal rights and the need for an overhaul of privacy regulations to better protect consumers.   Afternoon Headlines: Millions of residents across the Pacific are on tsunami alert after an 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit off the coast of Russia, Donald Trump claims Jeffrey Epstein was stealing female staff from his Mar-a-Lago resort, and inflation has eased for the June quarter.  Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @LiSTNRnewsroom Facebook: @LiSTNR NewsroomSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wednesday Headlines: Israel accused Anthony Albanese of lying about Gaza, a Liberal MP’s made some divisive comments about gender quotas in parliament, a New York gunman who killed four people was meant to target the NFL headquarters, ChatGPT has announced they're launching a “study mode” to encourage responsible academic use of the chatbot, and apparently Sydney Sweeney has great jeans! Deep Dive: The Gen Z stare is taking over our algorithms, but what is the blank expressionless look young people are serving up trying to tell us?   Millennials have the ‘millennial pause’, that happens before they record a video and baby boomers even have their own version of the stare, known as the "lead paint stare" allegedly from the amount of lead they consumed over the years.   In this episode of The Briefing Helen Smith is joined by TikTok expert Susan Grantham from Griffith University to unpack why the Gen Z stare is dividing the Internet and if there’s any scientific evidence to back it.   Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @LiSTNRnewsroom Facebook: @LiSTNR NewsroomSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.