The Briefing

Trump speaks and Biden's last stand: America's crazy week in politics

19 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s been an absolutely batshit crazy week in American politics. Donald Trump has accepted the Republican nomination to be president, days after sur...

Why JFK's hot grandson is Vogue's new political correspondent

18 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meet Jack Schlossberg, a self-described silly goose, John F. Kennedy’s only grandson, social media sensation and Vogues’ newly appointed political...

If you could get paid leave for period pain, would you take it?

18 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There are growing calls for Australian women to receive paid menstrual, menopausal and reproductive leave – separate from sick leave. Queensland pub...

Why star signs are now part of your nightly news bulletin

17 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Australia's media sector has been rocked by mass sackings over the last month. The culling started at Seven and continued a week later at Nine. Many o...

Think before you ink - why the tattoo removal trend is rising

17 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Are you one of the 30% of Aussies who have a tattoo? The majority of those who have one - 57% - are getting their first ink aged 18-24. There's a grow...

The bin fire that is the Victorian branch of the CFMEU

16 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There's drama unfolding with one of the county's most powerful organisations - the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU).Dodgy contr...

Why Brazilian model and wellness influencer Kat Torres is going to jail

16 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Influencers behaving badly isn’t new, but are we seeing an increase in social media star being accused of, or charged, with serious crimes of late? ...

Sudan is a country at the brink

15 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A catastrophe is unfolding in Sudan right now. Nearly 26 million people are facing crisis levels of hunger, cholera is rampant and many trying to find...

Heavy metals have been found in tampons. What happens next?

15 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Its a research result that has left tampon users across the globe stunned. A team of scientists from U.C. Berkeley, Columbia University and Michigan S...

The attempted assassination of former US President Donald Trump

14 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The world is reeling from the shocking attempted assassination of Donald Trump over the weekend.  In this episode of the Briefing, we bring you every...

Malcolm Turnbull unfiltered: world leaders, thugs and complex characters

12 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Since leaving politics Malcolm Turnbull hasn't slowed down, or stopped sharing his opinions on politics in Australia and the world, the state of the e...

Biden’s big press conference - will he survive the weekend?

12 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

US President Joe Biden has mistakenly introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “President Putin” on stage at the North Atlantic Treat...

Could the next Dalai Lama be reincarnated in Australia?

11 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tibet’s highest religious leader, the Dalai Lama, has just celebrated his 89th birthday. And though he’s prophesied that he’ll live to 111, ques...

What's in Australia's first national prison newspaper? Hopes and dreams

11 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Australia is getting its very first national prison newspaper – About Time.  It's aim is to be distributed to every prison cell in the country, and...

Exclusive: Uni Melb students speak out on their surveillance

10 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The world watched as earlier this year footage of students across the world mobilised to protest against Israel’s ongoing killing of defenceless Pal...

Russel Howcroft on why it sucks to be a 30-year-old right now

10 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Every generation thinks they have it tougher than their predecessors. But arguably, 30-year-olds in Australia right now actually do.  In this episode...

'An integral part': the case for sex work to remain on the NDIS

09 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

NDIS Minister Bill Shorten has promised to ban funding sex work services for people with disability under the national disability insurance scheme.  ...

Has the world heard the last of France's far-right movement?

09 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

French voters have stunned the world by turning their back on the country’s far-right in an election result few saw coming. France's left-wing parti...

The missing children of Gaza

08 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The war in the Middle East continues to impact hundreds of thousands of innocent people, with Save The Children now estimating more than 21,000 childr...

Fake it till you make it - the rise and rise of dupes

08 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dupes are the new copycat trend. From cosmetics to accessories, electronics, homeware and even motor cars, for every high quality product with a big p...

Apps that strip you naked are already here. How can we stop them?

07 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Artificial intelligence is seeping into every aspect of our lives, so it was only a matter of time before it coupled with the porn industry – and th...

Inside Tucker Carlson's far-right Australian 'Freedom' Conference

06 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Far-right political commentator, Tucker Carlson, is known for pushing extreme views on social and political issues, conspiracy theories and a strong s...

Poh Ling Yeow reveals who actually chooses the MasterChef winner

05 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Poh Ling Yeow is proof that second place doesn’t always have to suck. Joining MasterChef as a contestant in 2009 now 15 years later she’s gracing ...

What will Britain look like under a Starmer government?

05 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Conservative Party have ruled the UK for the past 14 years – but it hasn’t been smooth sailing with 5 different Prime Ministers occupying 10 D...

Your no-bullshit explainer on nuclear power in Australia

04 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Since Peter Dutton’s announcement on the Liberal party’s intention to go nuclear, there has been fierce debate on if it will work and if the Austr...

Senator Fatima Payman has quit Labor over Palestine. Now what?

04 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

“With a heavy heart but a clear conscience, I announce my resignation from the Australian Labor Party. I have informed the Prime Minister that, effe...

SpaceX's billion-dollar deal to destroy the International Space Station

03 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

NASA have announced that the International Space Station is doomed to de-orbit by 2031, and SpaceX are going to help take it down with a contract wort...

The US lawsuit that could change live music around the world

03 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

One of the world’s biggest live entertainment companies, Live Nation, has been hit with a double whammy. It’s being sued by the US Department of J...

‘No inherent cruelty’: What farmers think about the live export ban

02 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, campaigners for animal rights won a years-long battle to ban the live export of sheep, with the practice to end by 2028 after it was passed...

After today's court ruling, could a US president kill a political rival?

02 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

For the first time ever, the American Supreme Court has ruled that former presidents are protected from criminal prosecution for some of what they do ...

How to spot the key signs your suburb's about to be gentrified

01 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

You love where you live and locals are worried the suburb’s about to be ‘gentrified’. It can be a good thing and a bad thing. Great news if you ...

Why the internet is worried about teen TikTokkers Aussie Bro Squad

01 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Have you heard of Aussie Bro Squad? The four brothers from regional NSW have made a bit of a name for themselves on TikTok after filming and uploading...

If Triple M shuts up, will you open up?

30 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, microphones across Triple M’s 49 radio stations will switch off for the network’s annual No Talk Day, with a goal to create space for liste...

Jenny Tian’s viral journey from TikTok to Taskmaster

28 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jenny Tian admits she is committed to two things in life – making comedy and sleeping.\ When she started to go virial on social media for her comedy...

The presidential debate: did Joe Biden just lose the election?

28 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

US President Joe Biden and wannabe second term president Donald Trump faced off in the first presidential debate earlier today, with many expecting it...

Have we swiped left on dating apps?

27 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Last year popular online platforms were also threatened with government regulation unless they improve safety for users, following a spike in reports ...

Enshittification: has everything become a bit shit?

27 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The term ‘enshittification’ was coined by British-Canadian blogger Cory Doctorow at the start of 2023 to describe the decline of social media plat...

Julian Assange is home. How does that feel for his brother?

26 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Julian Assange is a free man after pleading guilty to one charge of espionage in a federal United States court as part of a plea deal with prosecutors...

Why Youtube star MrBeast is taking over Australia

26 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

You might not have heard of MrBeast, but chances are the Gen Z’er you share a house, office or gym with has. The 26-year-old content creator from Wi...

What convinced Jacinta Allan to allow pill testing in Victoria?

26 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Pills, powders and liquids that might be harbouring deadly substances will be able to be legally tested across Victoria, following a major policy chan...

The Greens want vapes to be sold in pharmacies without prescriptions

25 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Albanese government has announced sweeping new changes to Australia’s vaping laws, which will see the products continue to be sold – but only ...

Julian Assange is free and may shortly be home, says WikiLeaks

25 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, has agreed to plead guilty to a single felony count in relation to charges over disseminating national secur...

Playing chicken with biohazards. Are humans at risk from bird flu?

24 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Bird flu – or Avian flu – has been detected at a number of chicken farms in Victoria and NSW. The discovery comes in the wake of an outbreak in th...

Are you a victim of weaponised incompetence?

24 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Weaponised incompetence is a term that's gaining some traction at the moment. It's a passive-aggressive pattern of behaviour where someone in a relati...

The costly mistakes to avoid this tax time

23 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tax time is right around the corner and this year the ATO are cracking down on working from home expenses. Last year more than 8 million Australians c...

LA taught Victoria Latu how to make it anywhere

21 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What’s the difference between style and Fashion? Well Victoria Latu can answer that. She was born in a region now considered Ukraine, interviewed al...

Is Caitlin Clark WNBA's saviour, or its newest villain?

21 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Women’s basketball would be lucky to rate a mention in America, let alone Australia. Yet that has all changed since Caitlin Clark came along. The 22...

The dangers of Putin and Kim Jong Un's explosive bromance

20 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s first visit to North Korea in 24 years has resulted in thesigning of a partnership agreement for mutual aid if ei...

Does smashing Australian MPs' windows help stop the killing in Gaza?

20 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week saw a Labor MP’s office vandalized in Victoria in protest of the party’s inaction surrounding the war in Gaza. The protest has sparked o...

Peter Dutton's made a nuclear promise. Will he deliver it?

19 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Peter Dutton has provided Australians with more detail than ever before with how he plans to make the country enter a nuclear power boom. On Wednesday...

Australia's ski season could be halved by 2050

19 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Planning on heading to the slopes this winter? A new study has found climate change could forever change Australia’s ski season, with less snow for ...

I don’t have a mortgage, why should I care about the cash rate?

18 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Yesterday the Reserve Bank of Australia announced that they were holding the cash rate at 4.35% - the same position since November, 2023.  While this...

Inside the top-secret bunker where your most sensitive data is held

18 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever thought about the physical places where our most sensitive and private digital information is stored?  Around Australia lie ultra-secur...

Panda Propaganda: Why China is sending us diplomacy bears

17 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

China’s long history of panda diplomacy is back in the headlines. Governments trading native animals is nothing new and can form a key part of diplo...

Opening the sealed section of labia shame with a former Dolly Doctor

17 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

New research released today from Women’s Health Victoria is showing a sad state of affairs for how people see their genitalia in 2024. The research,...

Should free-to-air sport be an Australian right?

16 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

New research has found 69 per cent of Australians access TV via the internet and millions will miss out on watching sport if proposed anti-siphoning l...

Two Broke Chicks on good conflict with friends

14 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sally McMullen and Alexandra Hourigan describe themselves as just two chicks trying to navigate their 20s and their love of online shopping. The duo t...

Dumbo, Babar and Heffalump: Elephants have names for each other

14 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Animals communicate with one another all the time, but few species have the ability to call each other by individual names. Dolphins are known to inve...

Monkeypox is on the rise. This is what you need to know

13 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There's been a surprising spike this year in the number of Monkeypox cases internationally and in Australia. In a post-pandemic world, fears of a viru...

Antoinette's getting explicit. Here's why

13 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

14 high-profile Australian women have joined forces to recreate the famous Calendar Girls campaign to raise awareness of domestic violence. Inspired b...

What Australia can learn from the far-right surge in Europe

12 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The European Parliament held its elections over the weekend, with provisional results showing significant victory for radical-right political parties ...

How to hack running with world champion Katie Williams

12 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Run clubs are trending. They've been called the new dating app, the millennial quarter life crisis, and the cozzie livs gym membership. So if you’ve...

Why you shouldn't be worried about AI taking your job

11 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There’s a lot of talk about AI taking our jobs, but what if we made it find us jobs instead? That’s the premise of UK-based AutogenAI, a rapidly g...

Is the cost of saving Israeli hostages in Gaza too high?

11 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Four hostages taken by Hamas during last year’s October 7 attacks were rescued safely from Gaza at the weekend. According to the Gazan health minist...

The other side of child killer Farquharson’s bid for freedom

10 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Robert Farquharson was convicted for murdering his three sons after driving into a dam on purpose on Father’s Day in 2005. A new campaign is trying ...

How to tell if your boss is stealing your wages

10 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It seems that every few months another massive Australian business is accused of wage theft. Coles, Woolworths, the ABC, BHP, Qantas, big banks, major...

The dangers of normalising "the wine mum"

09 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Have you heard about wine mums, or seen videos on social media featuring women drinking at boozy brunches? Historically men have drunk more than women...

Nathan Paddison says art saved him from a lifetime in jail

07 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Nathan Paddison spent 13 years of his life in and out of prison for a range of crimes - some small and others violent. But he says art saved him. Anto...

Woman identified as Baby Reindeer stalker sues Netflix for $175 million

07 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Fiona Harvey is a Scottish lawyer who was depicted as a stalker in the Netflix hit, Baby Reindeer.  She’s denied the claims and is suing the stream...

Why North Korea is flying rubbish-filled balloons into South Korea

06 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

North Korea has launched a series of balloons packed with household waste over the border into South Korea. Pyongyang says it’s in response to Seoul...

Are people lining up to die on Mount Everest?

06 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Another climbing season for those attempting to summit Mount Everest has come to a close.   This year, the Nepalese government offered fewer climbin...

Rent in regional Australia is more expensive than you think

05 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

New CoreLogic data has found rent in three quarters of Australia's biggest regional areas are now higher than ever – with WA and Queensland topping ...

What role will QAnon play in the upcoming US election?

05 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

QAnon first appeared in 2017 and quickly flooded the internet with conspiracy theories from child trafficking cannibal celebrities to suggestions JFK ...

Why you could soon go to jail for sharing deepfake porn

04 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Albanese government will this morning introduce news laws to parliament banning the non-consensual sharing of deepfake pornography. Those caught s...

Who is Mexico's wildly popular first female president?

04 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

History was made on Sunday when Mexicans went to the polls to elect a new president. Claudia Sheinbaum won in a landslide victory to become Mexico's f...

Adam Hills on the serious and silly of the UK election

03 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The United Kingdom will go to the polls for a general election on Thursday July 4. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party currently holds 3...

Why our Olympians can't compete with the cost of living

03 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It's fair to say that the cost of living pressures are greatly impacting many Australians. One way in which some are surviving financially is by optin...

New hope for psych meds without the weight gain

02 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Researchers at the University of South Australia are developing a coating for anti-depressant and anti-anxiety drugs.  The pills have traditionally l...

Eliza Hull on disability, Gaza and big conversations with kids

31 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Eliza Hull is a musician, author and a disability advocate who’s teaching children how to have better conversations about people living with disabil...

The fallout from Donald Trump's guilty verdict

31 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Former US President Donald Trump was this morning found guilty on 34 charges relating to paying off a porn star.  Trump had sex with Stormy Daniels i...

Donald Trump - Guilty!

30 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Former US President Donald Trump has been found guilty on 34 charges in a New York court. In this special bonus episode of The Briefing, you'll hear w...

Richard Reid wants you to cut nepo babies some slack

30 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s 10-year-old daughter North West made her acting debut not on a school stage like other kids - but in a major 30th an...

How a teen's death exposed shocking police racism in Australia

30 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The inquest into the death of 19-year-old Kumanjayi Walker wrapped up this week after hearing shocking allegations of racism permeating the Nothern Te...

How Gen Z MPs are shaking up parliament

29 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

24-year-old Laura Nuttall is the youngest ever Greens representative elected to any Australian parliament. Laura is also the first Gen Z Member of the...

Can international law stop Israel killing children in Gaza?

29 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Traumatic vision has emerged showing the aftermath of recent Israeli airstrikes on a makeshift tent city in Rafah, in the south of Gaza, that reported...

Kochie on the bank of mum and dad

28 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Over the next 10 years in Australia $5 trillion is expected to move down the generations, with around $2.3 trillion to be given to Boomers’ children...

God knows why this millennial is becoming a saint

28 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

News broke last week that a teenager is about to become the world’s first millennial saint.  Carlo Acutis passed away in 2006, but spent his life s...

Is this a drill? The latest tensions between Taiwan and China

27 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Late last week, China launched a comprehensive two-day military drill around Taiwan, mimicking a full-scale attack. The drills included dozens of figh...

Part 2 - How Temu conquered the world

27 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s become one of the world’s biggest online shopping marketplaces, churning out more than a million parcels to be flown to customers around the ...

Part 1 - The truth about Temu

26 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Amid a cost of living crisis, who can resist the invitation to “shop like a billionaire” at bargain-basement prices? Online juggernaut Temu is Aus...

Abbie Chatfield on pretty privilege and the value of a hoe

24 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Abbie Chatfield is an Australian media personality, television host, radio presenter and podcaster. She is best known for her appearances in reality t...

Have we heard the last of Sean 'Diddy' Combs?

24 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Earlier this week, Sean “Diddy” Combs admitted to physically assaulting his former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, back in 2016, after brutal footage ...

Can you catch a tic from TikTok?

23 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There’s been a huge increase of Functional neurological disorder or FND in teenage girls since the pandemic and the rise of TikTok. FND occurs when ...

The real reason AstraZeneca dumped its vaccine

23 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

AstraZeneca has withdrawn their Covid 19 vaccination after admitting it can cause rare blood clots.   This month marks 50 years since the global roll...

Why some are celebrating the death of Iran's president

22 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Iran’s president Ebrahim Raisi and the foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahain have both died during a helicopter crash earlier this week. What do...

Antoinette Lattouf is defending Gina Rinehart

22 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Discourse around a portrait of Australia’s richest person has hit a fever pitch this week, after she made a private plea to have it removed from an ...

David Littleproud wants a nuclear reactor in your suburb

21 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Australians will be heading to the polls to vote in a federal election in 2025, and nuclear power is shaping up to be a key battleground.Labor is push...

Inside the tragedy of transgender homelessness

21 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Trans men, women, and nonbinary young people are twice as likely to experience homelessness compared to cis-queer men and women.  Australian research...

You’ve heard of Insomnia - but what about Sexsomnia?

20 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sexsomnia is a sleep disorder that causes people to engage in sexual behaviors in their sleep, such as dirty talk, masturbating and even intercourse. ...

Nitazene - the super-strength opioid turning up in our party drugs

20 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A new drug has been detected in Australia that can be up to 25 times stronger than fentanyl – which is already stronger than heroin. Introducing nit...