The Briefing

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We’re your friends in news. Sacha Barbour Gatt and Chris Spyrou wake up early to bring you all the important daily news headlines. Then, we deep dive on an essential news story that'll make you feel smarter about the world. Listen every weekday to know more in minutes.

1 day ago

Our Take: Why we say ‘allegedly’, leave Miley alone + Vote #1 Strawberry Kisses

We’re back with this weekend’s installment of Our Take, our looser, goosier look back at the week that was. We kick off this weekend with The Inbox, talking all about what we can and can't report in the media after one of our posts from the biggest news story this week caused a bit of a stir. Then we jump into The Debrief to unpack why the internet needs to leave Miley Cyrus alone after her Hollywood Bowl concerts. Plus, Curtis from Triple M NRL is back to try and take on the quiz AGAIN, while Chris kicks off his campaign to get Strawberry Kisses to the top of the Triple M 1000 countdown! The Weekend List: To Try: Eucalyptus oil to get a stain out (listner Spinksy) To Do: Warehouse Sales (Tessa) To Do: Vote for Nikki Webster's Strawberry Kisses in the Triple M 1000 The Weekend Quiz: Why were curfews enforced in parts of France this week? Why did Prince Harry make headlines after an interview with GQ? The main river of a major Australian city is aiming to become safe and swimmable by 2050 – which city and river? The BOM’s radars have been showing rain where there isn’t any for the last month – what is causing the error in the sensors? Which Emmy-winning TV show is getting a reboot? Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpod Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2 days ago

Ben Roberts-Smith denies war crimes in 2.5hr interview + Fact-checking Elon’s flying car

Friday Headlines: Global scramble to fix program flaw impacting 70% of the internet Man charged after allegedly threatening WA MP Ben Roberts Smith denies war crimes in 2GB interview Nationals leader Matt Canavan could be moving to the lower house Reporter saves driver from floodwaters in Brisbane Deep Dive: A Tesla sports car launched off a ramp in Texas last week, flipped mid-air and cleared a row of parked cars. Elon Musk calls it proof the future has flying cars. Back on the ground, Australians are only just warming to EVs, and driverless cars are still being road-tested. So are we really ready to take traffic into the sky... and who’s writing the rules if we do? In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by futurist Steve Sammartino to unpack what Tesla actually built, who else is racing to make flying cars a reality, and whether Australia is anywhere near ready for them. Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpod Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
3 days ago

MPs spending thousands on security + How your boss is spying on you

Thursday Headlines: Helen Haines' husband reveals she has lost both legs Man arrested after allegedly taking nunchucks into a WA MP's electorate office US envoy meets with Putin for Russia-Ukraine talks Australian e-bike hospitalisations on the rise Glee reboot is coming Deep Dive: Microsoft Teams knows when you’re online, when you’re in a meeting and, with the right add-ons, how fast you’re typing. Workplace monitoring has quietly moved from CCTV cameras into the everyday software we use for our jobs. Now AI is turning that data into dashboards that rank staff on how “productive” they are. Most workers have no idea it’s happening, and a few lines buried in their employment contract may be the only warning they ever get. So how much is your boss allowed to know about you ... and what can they actually do with it? In this episode of The Briefing, Tessa Randello is joined by Professor Edward Santow, co-director of the Human Technology Institute at UTS, to unpack how everyday tech became a surveillance tool and what you can do if you think you’re being watched. Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpod Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
4 days ago

Haines' alleged attacker charged + Can we cool Australia’s political rage?

Wednesday Headlines: Brendan Nugent to face court accused of intentionally targeting Helen Haines France to deploy troops ahead of further protests planned this weekend Pauline Hanson apologises for Jacqui Lambie cartoon Prince Harry admits he wants to reconcile with his family Moths that are wreaking havoc on weather radars across south east Australia. Deep Dive: Australia is reeling following the vehicle attack on Independent MP, Helen Haines, on Monday night. The violent incident has sparked nationwide conversations about political violence in this country and how we can turn the temperature down when it comes to how we speak about and interact with politics and our elected officials. In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by Chief Political Analyst at The Australia Institute, Amy Remeikis, to discuss the situation, what’s driving it, and how we move forward. Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpod Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5 days ago

The latest on the Helen Haines 'attack' + The Greens’ new anti-Labor playbook

Tuesday Headlines: Independent MP Helen Haines critically injured in apparent vehicle attack Israeli police make arrests over settler attacks in West Bank French PM urges curfews after riots Hanson tells Lambie to 'lighten up sweetheart' over One Nation cartoon mocking her Plans to make Melbourne’s Yarra River swimmable by 2050 Deep Dive: The Greens have been powering ahead with a renewed strategy under new leader David Shoebridge to take up the fight to Labor in a more aggressive approach to policies. In the space of just a week, the party has blocked or delayed two crucial pieces of government legislation, with the help of the Coalition. But in the same time frame it’s also been forced to confront negative headlines surrounding allegations against WA senator Jordon Steele-John and claims of political point-scoring by factions within the party. In this episode of The Briefing, Sacha Barbour Gatt chats with co-host of the Serious Danger podcast, Tom Ballard, to take a closer look at the Greens’ new strategy, and how recent headlines might help or hinder the party’s future success. Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpod Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6 days ago

Thousands arrested in France protests + Ozempic: The good, the bad, the ugly

Monday Headlines: Jordon Steele-John releases lengthy statement, says he’s not on leave Violent cost of living protests sweep France with more than 2000 arrested Trump endorses Netanyahu as his administration calls for more to be done over Israeli settler violence in the West Bank Pope Leo makes first public appearance since lung surgery Katie Zachariah fired after five days in White House press secretary role Deep Dive: They started out treating type 2 diabetes. Now hundreds of thousands of Australians are taking them, many for a completely different reason. GLP-1s. You probably know them as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro. And the more people sign up, the longer the fine print gets. There are side effects GPs are still learning about, prices many can’t afford, and growing concern about online clinics posting pens to people they’ve never met. So, years after they went from diabetes medication to weight-loss wonder drug... what do we actually know about them? In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by Dr Michael Wright, President of the Royal Australian College of GPs, to unpack what we’ve learnt about these drugs, who should be taking them, and who definitely shouldn’t. Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpod Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
17 Oct

BONUS: When God and medicine collide

This week an inquest launched, looking at whether system failures led to the death of 8-year-old Elizabeth Struhs, and what could have been done to save her. Elizabeth passed away in 2022 after her parents stopped giving her insulin due to their religious beliefs. Her mum and dad were found guilty of her manslaughter in a later court case. It comes after a case earlier this year, when Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital took a 15-year-old girl to the Supreme Court after she refused treatment for her leukaemia – also for religious reasons. In this bonus episode of The Briefing, we revisit Chris Spyrou's chat with University of Sydney law professor Cameron Stewart about what happens when medicine, parental authority and religious beliefs collide. Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpod Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
16 Oct

Our Take: Will Katie Zacharia last? And wait, where’s South Australia?

Take your ties off and put your wigs on, we're back with The Briefing Our Take. It's the weekend hangout where we take you behind the scenes of the week that was, and what we (and you) thought of it. Sacha and Chris dive into a story we didn't get a chance to cover this week – the new White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia and her first briefing that REALLY made an impression. We crack open the inbox to get your thoughts on some of the biggest stories this week, including plans to get rid of screens for some kids in WA and Aussie cricket. We're also joined by LiSTNR audio producer and sound designer, Nial, who takes on the weekend quiz, before topping it all off with recommendations on the weekend list! As always, we want to hear from you! Reach out to us on Instagram @thebriefingpodcast and feel free to leave a comment if you’re listening on Spotify. The Weekend Quiz: Donald Trump announced a ceasefire this week between two countries which ones? And, for a bonus point – what type of ceasefire did he claim it was? WA is banning screens in the classroom for some students in a pilot program; what grades will be included? Petrol prices are back at levels seen at the start of the Iran war. What’s the national average? A) 2 dollars 70 a litreB) 2 dollars 16 a litreC) 2 dollars 41 a litre The first restaurants in Australia were given Michelin stars this week and they were all in one state – which one was it? The Fair Work Ombudsman gave advice on how to take leave for the release of what game this week? For an extra point – what date is it being released? The Weekend List: To watch: The State of Man on ABC iView (Chris) To (not) watch: The Bledisloe Cup Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpod Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Chris Spyrou

Host
Sacha Barbour Gatt

Host
Steve Sammartino

Guest
Edward Santow

Guest
Amy Remeikis

Guest
Tom Ballard

Guest
Michael Wright

Guest
Cameron Stewart

Guest
Niall McCallum

Guest
Marc Fennell

Guest

We’re your friends in news. Sacha Barbour Gatt and Chris Spyrou wake up early to bring you all the important daily news headlines. Then, we deep dive on an essential news story that'll make you feel smarter about the world. Listen every weekday to know more in minutes.

Channel

LiSTNR
Creator

LiSTNR
Years Active

2020 - 2026
Episodes

1k
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© 2026 LiSTNR - Text, image, music and sound comprising this podcast are owned by or licensed to SCA. By accessing, communicating or using this podcast, you agree to be bound by the terms available at https://www.listnr.com/terms
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The Briefing