

The Briefing
LiSTNR
A daily news podcast, The Briefing gives you the latest headlines, discussion and explainer interviews to keep you informed and entertained.
Bringing you the news you need to know at 6am and 4pm Monday to Friday, and profile features across the weekend, The Briefing is Australia's go-to news podcast for your commute, coffee or exercise.
Hosted by journalists Sacha Barbour Gatt, Chris Spyrou, Natarsha Belling, Helen Smith and Antoinette Lattouf.
Bringing you the news you need to know at 6am and 4pm Monday to Friday, and profile features across the weekend, The Briefing is Australia's go-to news podcast for your commute, coffee or exercise.
Hosted by journalists Sacha Barbour Gatt, Chris Spyrou, Natarsha Belling, Helen Smith and Antoinette Lattouf.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Feb 4, 2024 • 21min
Could the collapse of China's biggest property developer lead to another GFC?
In this episode, we speak with guest_name_1, an expert on China's real estate market, about the collapse of Evergrande, China's biggest property developer. We explore its consequences for China's economy, the Australian economy, and global risks. Additionally, we touch on topics such as fuel efficiency standards in Australia, US airstrikes, controversies over police participation in Pride marches, and a Russian cosmonaut's record-breaking time in space.

Feb 2, 2024 • 27min
How Caleb Finn became one of the most influential Aussies on social media
Caleb Finn was named the 2nd most influential Australian on social media in 2022, known for his avant-garde, dress-ups, and short horror stories. He has nearly 16 million followers on TikTok and 800k on Instagram. And yet he describes himself as an introvert and doesn’t like to leave the house. In this chat with Antoinette Lattouf Caleb explains how long it takes him to create content and how it’s changed since having a baby. Weekend List: Wicked the musical Aldi insulated tumbler with straw Going to your local library Listeners recommendations! Keep them coming Send us your Weekend List suggestions on Instagram at @thebriefingpodcast!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 2, 2024 • 12min
After 40 years, is Medicare living up to its promise?
Medicare is 40 years old this month, and the little green card is now a ubiquitous presence in our wallets and on our phones. It has become a point of pride for Australians - especially those of us who have ventured over to the United States. But that wasn’t always the case. The birth of Medicare was fraught; with its first iteration, Medibank, finding a very controversial reception by the public when it was first introduced by Gough Whitlam. In this episode of The Briefing, Sacha Barbour Gatt speaks with Kees Van Gool, a professor of health systems and policy at the University of Sydney, about how it all came together, and what still needs to be improved. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 1, 2024 • 19min
New Year’s resolution already failed? Here’s why
Up to 80 percent of new years resolutions fail by the end of January. So what is our obsession with starting fresh in the new year? Dr Gordon Spence from the University of Sydney sits down with Sacha Barber Gatt to reveal what tools you can use to help change your habits and why so many people become unstuck. Headlines: US to launch air strikes on Iran-backed militia group AEC releases the who's who of political donations Universal music has been taken off TikTok Chinese spy pigeon is set free by Indian authorities Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 1, 2024 • 11min
The spicy legal battle over who really invented butter chicken
For many Australians, Indian food equals butter chicken. It’s delicious and creamy and it’s incredibly popular here and across the world. But it hasn’t been around forever – in fact, it’s less than 100 years old. And now, a fight over exactly who invented butter chicken and when has erupted in India’s high court, with two families - and two restaurants - battling it out for bragging rights. On today's afternoon episode of The Briefing, Bension Siebert is joined by Delhi chef and food writer, Sadaf Hussain, to hear more about what's been going on.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 31, 2024 • 24min
Inside the hunt for the spy who betrayed Australia
The latest series in the Secrets We Keep podcast is called “Nest of Traitors” and follows LiSTNR journalist Joey Watson’s three-year journey to find the spy who betrayed Australia. During the Cold War an Australian spy turned to work for the enemy, providing intel to the KGB and potentially sabotaging ASIO from the inside. In this episode of The Briefing, Joey Watson sits down with Sacha Barbour Gatt to talk through his journey into a world of deception Headlines: Tech firms face US Senate hearing Millions of songs are being pulled from Tiktok States fight for more school funding Medicare is turning 40 today Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 31, 2024 • 12min
Is recycling in Australia just rubbish?
Most of us try to do the right thing with recycling. We sort our rubbish into plastics, cardboard and paper, and our landfill waste, in the hope we’re saving the planet. But there have been reports of recyclable waste ending up in landfill, or even being shipped overseas for processing (that’s quite a carbon footprint). So The Briefing team decided to do our own experiment, placing trackable AirTags into plastic bottles at locations across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Central Coast to see where they ended up. On today's afternoon episode of The Briefing, Bension Siebert speaks with LiSTNR Investigations Editor, Clair Weaver, to unpack what was found. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 30, 2024 • 22min
How Australia's 'Stop the boats' policy got exported to the UK
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is trying to pass a bill that would allow the UK to deport refugees, asylum seekers and illegal immigrants to Rwanda. The inspiration for the idea has come from Australia and our use of third-party countries like Nauru to deal with illegal immigrants. The policy is extremely controversial, it was initially launched by Boris Johnson in April 2022, and was then struck down by the Supreme Court over safety concerns. Bension Siebert is joined by Jill Rutter, Director of Strategy and Relationships at the UK think tank British Future, to explain the bill. Headlines: December retail spending dips US President has decided on response after soldier deaths New Zealand is banning PFAS in make up products Channel Nine apologises after altering politician image Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 30, 2024 • 12min
How worried should you be about neo-Nazism in Australia?
While a neo-Nazi demonstration was shut down in Sydney over the Australia Day long weekend, this isn't the only time that white supremacist groups have made the news recently. Last month a group of masked men marched through Ballarat chanting that 'Australia is for the white man', while earlier last year, about 30 men repeatedly performed the Nazi salute during an anti-trans rally. So how worried should you be about neo-Nazism in Australia? Nick McKenzie is one of Australia's most renowned investigative journalists, with an extensive knowledge of how white supremacist groups operate in Australia. On today's afternoon episode of The Briefing, Bension Siebert is joined by Nick to find out more about the current situation and the threat that they pose. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 29, 2024 • 22min
Christian Hull on the nine-month cruise blowing up TikTok
A ship called The Serenade of the Seas has embarked on a nine-month cruise, visiting more than 60 countries across all seven continents. It's being hailed as the world's longest cruise, and it gained notoriety when passengers began posting on TikTok - and it's now gone completely viral. In this episode of The Briefing, we're joined by Christian Hull, comedian, YouTuber and host of the Complete Drivel podcast here at LiSTNR, to find out why the cruise is taking the world by storm. Headlines: New poll shows what we think of Albanese's tax cuts Rental listings drop to record low Another La Nina event possible this year King Charles and Princess Kate leave hospital Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.