The Briefing LiSTNR

The term ‘enshittification’ was coined by British-Canadian blogger Cory Doctorow at the start of 2023 to describe the decline of social media platforms. 
It captures the idea that something which was once great eventually becomes crappy overtime due to excessive profit-chasing. 
The term has broken into the cultural zeitgeist and is now being used to describe everything from major events to clothes, coffee, housing, and everything in between. 
Recently, disgruntled Sydneysiders used the term to describe this year’s Vivid festival, which they say has deteriorated in the pursuit of making money. So, why does a chunk of the population feel like everything is just a bit shit right now? And is it just capitalism in action? 
On this episode of The Briefing, expert in 'Uncomfortable Conversations' Josh Szeps joins Sacha Barbour Gatt to explore if everything really is becoming a bit shit.
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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, bringing to end an international saga surrounding war, access to information, freedom of speech and the role of journalism in the digital age.  
Facing a judge in a US federal court in the remote Northern Mariana Islands, Assange told the court that he “believes the First Amendment and the Espionage Act are in contradiction” and that he was within his rights while working as a journalist when he “encouraged (his) source to provide information that was said to be classified in order to publish that information”.  
Assange landed on Australian soil late on Wednesday afternoon, bringing the long fight by many for him to be allowed to return home to an end.
What will his life look like going forward, and how does his family feel now that he’s returned? Julian’s brother, Gabriel Shipton, joins Sacha Barbour Gatt on The Briefing to share how he feels in this historical moment.  
 
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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 Wichita, Kansas has amassed hundreds of millions of followers and is the most- subscribed-to page on YouTube.
He’s best known for putting on his own version of Squid Game – before Netflix did – and sharing hundreds of thousands of dollars in random giveaways.
In this episode of The Briefing, we’re joined by Justin Hill, entertainment guru and host of The Streaming Service podcast on LiSTNR, to find out who MrBeast is, and why he’s having such a massive global impact.
Headlines:
Julian Assange is back in Australia
Fatima Payman cops caucus suspension after crossing the floor 
Kenyan government concedes defeat on tax increases after deadly protests
Two astronauts are stuck in space 
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Pills, powders and liquids that might be harbouring deadly substances will be able to be legally tested across Victoria, following a major policy change announced by Premier Jacinta Allan this week.
Pill testing will become permanent after an 18-month trial starting this summer, with a mobile service to attend up to 10 music festivals. In Victoria, paramedics responded to more drug overdoses at festivals in the first three months of 2024 than during all of 2023. 
The announcement is a change from Labor's previous stance against pill testing, and comes alongside the party choosing to not support a second safe drug injecting room in Melbourne’s CBD despite experts' advice saying it would help reduce fatal heroin overdoses in the state.
In this episode of The Briefing, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan joins to explain the reasoning behind the change of heart in the Victorian government, and Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell gives her take on the proposed rollout.
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The Albanese government has announced sweeping new changes to Australia’s vaping laws, which will see the products continue to be sold – but only in pharmacies.
To secure the support of the Greens in the Senate, Labor has agreed to backtrack on its prescription-only model.
It means vapes will be made available at pharmacies across the country – but they will be regulated and subject to plain packaging requirements, with flavours limited to mint, menthol or tobacco.
In this episode of The Briefing, we’re joined by Greens leader Adam Bandt to find out why the Greens negotiated the new laws and what the new regulations mean for vapers and smokers wanting to quit cigarettes.
Headlines:
Julian Assange will face court at 9am today on a US island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean
Senator Fatima Payman crosses the floor
Jarryd Hayne won’t face a fourth trial  
Listeners respond to vaping story
 
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Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, has agreed to plead guilty to a single felony count in relation to charges over disseminating national security material. 
The plea deal was in exchange for his release from a British prison, clearing the way for him to return to Australia, and avoiding the need to face charges in the United States. 
It brings to an end the 14-year ordeal that saw him spend seven years in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London and a further five years in a British prison fighting US attempts to extradite him. 
In this episode of The Briefing we’re joined by Kym Staton, documentary filmmaker and Director of ‘The Trust Fall: Julian Assange', to find out how and why Assange has finally decided to end his campaign for justice and return home. 
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