The Briefing

It's been over four years since COVID-19 first shook the world. And though vaccines have allowed many of us to move on with our lives, a large number of people are not recovering from the virus. In fact, scientists believe at least 65 million people worldwide have, or have had, long covid.  A recent study from WA found about 20 per cent of people infected during one of the state’s COVID waves still had fatigue, memory loss and trouble with concentration, three months after they first became sick.  On this episode of The Briefing, Sacha Barbour Gatt speaks with Dr Margaret Van Heekeren, a university lecturer and mother of two, whose life has been turned upside down after she contracted long covid.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Earlier this week the Federal Government released a draft of the National Autism Strategy, in the hopes to improve the lives of autistic Australians. The development of the strategy was first announced back in 2022 and covers key reform areas including access to services, healthcare, education, and employment. Will it change the lives of people with autism? In this episode of The Briefing, we're joined by Professor Cheryl Dissanayake, a leading autism researcher at La Trobe University to find out what the strategy means for people with autism in Australia. Headlines: Former heads of World Central Kitchen question strike that killed aid workers Rescue efforts continue in Taiwan after earthquake Brittany Higgins and Linda Reynolds mediation talks collapse Magpie and staffy besties a step closer to being reunited Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seven aid workers for the World Central Kitchen, including Australian Zomi Frankcom, are confirmed to have been killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza. Since news of the attack broke, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has spoken with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, conveying the country’s outrage over the death. The Israeli government says it will investigate how the deaths occurred.  One of Australia's leading voices on humanitarian aid and the former head of World Vision Australia, Reverend Tim Costello, says he is devastated by the news, and that he hopes this will be a turning point in the conflict. But will already limited aid in the conflict come to a halt after this death? He joins The Briefing's Bension Siebert to discuss.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Armaguard, the cash delivery business, is going broke. No one uses cash anymore so the nation's number one cash-in-transit business is losing money. What does the collapse of Armaguard mean for Australia's cash flow? Most consumers use tap-and-go to pay for goods and services, and it means businesses like big supermarket chains simply don't have cash reserves like they used to. In this episode of The Briefing, we investigate what the Armaguard crisis tells us about the future of cash, what Australia would look like if we go cash-less and what is thefuture of cash in Australia? Headlines: Albanese demands meeting with Netanyahu over aid killings in Gaza Channel Ten wins bid to reopen Bruce Lehrmann defamation trial NASA investigating after chunk of metal from ISS rips through Florida home Taylor Swift is listed on the billionaire rich list for the first time Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Late last month, Richard Slayman became the first person in history to successfully undergo an organ transplantation of a genetically modified pig kidney. While human-to-animal transplant, or xenotransplantation, isn't new (heart valves from horses, cows and pigs having been used for over 30 years), cases of entire organ transplants are incredibly complex, while raising a host of other ethical and health concerns. So how significant is the recent pig kidney transplant, where are we at with this science, and could this one day be our go-to solution for those in desperate need of an organ transplant? To explain the science of xenotransplantation, Bension Siebert is joined by Wayne Hawthorne, professor of transplantation at the University of Sydney.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Reddit has gone public, making its debut on the New York stock exchange. Its value made it over $9b. Reddit is one of the world’s most popular websites, with 73 million unique active visitors a day—and can engage in over 100,000 forums. Going public could majorly change the platform though, with everything from ads through to how Reddit forums are moderated likely to be put under the microscope. In this episode of The Briefing, Sacha Barbour Gatt sits down with James Hennessy to find out what this IPO means for the future of the website. Headlines: Australia could become a dumping ground for nuclear waste under AUKUS deal IDF ends 14-day Al Shifa Hospital siege in Gaza amid protests in Israel against Netanyahu New evidence could be heard in Lehrmann defamation case Round up of the best April Fool's pranks   Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Though Beyoncé has claimed that Cowboy Carter is a 'Beyoncé album', rather than 'a country album', it's a release that definitely dips into the genre. And country music has a complex relationship with Black musicians - a few years back, Lil Nas X faced a heavy backlash from Old Town Road, which was scrapped from Billboard's country chart, triggering criticism that the reason was in part racially motivated. Yet over the last few years, country has seen a massive boom in its widespread popularity, with many large-name artists delving into the sound. So what can we expect next, and why is it significant that Black artists are making music in the space? In this episode of The Briefing, Bension Siebert speaks with LiSTNR journalist Loren Howarth to find out.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you have thousands of emails in your inbox, or are you an Inbox Zero type of person? A new study is looking at personal email management, and has found only half of people are happy with how they deal with their inbox. In this episode of The Briefing, Sacha Barbour Gatt talks to Matt Balogh from the University of New England about what we should be doing with our emails.    Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tom Ballard is possibly the most political comedian in Australia, with his stand up tackling issues including asylum seekers, racism, the monarchy and capitalism. His new show, Good Point Well Made, is no different. He reflects on Australia's failed voice referendum and Donald Trump- alongside a healthy dose of toilet humour. In this chat with Tom Tilley, Ballard opens up about the process of writing the show, why he loves performing, and the rise of fellow comedian and friend Hannah Gadsby. Send us your Weekend Briefing suggestions on Instagram at @thebriefingpodcast!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Emma Chow is one half of the 14-years strong radio duo Mike E & Emma- broadcasting live every weekday nationally for their breakfast show. Emma has achieved radio queen status with her radio husband but admits that there have TMI moments throughout her career. In this chat with Antoinette Lattouf, Emma reminisces about having one of the most unique gender reveals on air- and then copping slack for returning to work weeks after giving birth. You can hear Emma on Mike E & Emma live 6-9am Nationally on RnB Fridays Radio as well as 9am-11am on 2DayFM in Sydney! WEEKEND LIST Challengers movie Beyond Utopia documentary McoBeauty eyebrow gel House of Gods on ABC iview Send us your Weekend Briefing suggestions on Instagram at @thebriefingpodcast!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.