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The Briefing

LiSTNR

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.

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33 episodes
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Avg 26 min
English

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S7 · E354
August 19 · 26 min
IDF clears itself over Zomi Frankcom’s death + Pocock on Labor’s ‘tragic’ gambling laws
Thursday Headlines: Swans players issue apology as investigators travel to Sydney IDF clears soldiers over Gaza strike that killed aid worker Zomi Frankcom Jacqui Lambie’s emotional plea to the PM over plan to cap veterans’ health spending Nick Kyrgios suspended from tennis after positive cocaine test Karl Stefanovic responds to Robert Irwin’s Logies jab Deep Dive: Today, the Senate is expected to pass the government's long-awaited gambling reform package, with tougher rules on advertising and inducements. Labor is calling the legislation the toughest gambling reforms the country's ever seen, but critics say they don't even scratch the surface of harm that is caused by betting platforms. In today's episode of The Briefing, Sacha Barbour Gatt is joined by independent senator David Pocock to discuss where the legislation falls short and why he thinks the Australian public has been betrayed by the government. Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpod Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S7 · E353
August 18 · 27 min
Gov's gambling reforms a ‘betrayal’ + Unpacking the 'disastrous' Swans coverage
Wednesday Headlines: Swans board meets to decide on player sanctions over incident that lead to a sexual assault allegation NDIS reforms pass senate as Labor strikes deal with Coalition over gambling regulations Landmark trial against Meta begins Erin Patterson’s appeal begins SpaceX rocket splashes down off Christmas Island, Musk called in to remove it Deep Dive: Several Sydney Swans players are at the centre of a police investigation in Melbourne, over an alleged sexual assault at the team's hotel in the early hours of Monday morning. The club has confirmed its players were involved, notified the AFL, and says it's cooperating fully. No charges have been laid. But alongside the allegations sits a second question - how a story like this gets reported, and why the focus turns so quickly to a finals campaign 'in jeopardy.' In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by journalist and sports creator Lavender Baj to unpack it all - what she made of the Swans' statement, and how a trial by social media can wreck the chance of a fair one in court. Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpod Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S7 · E352
August 17 · 27 min
Sydney Swans under investigation + Trump’s mouthpiece has quit. What now?
Tuesday Headlines: Sydney Swans footballers involved in 'alleged incident' in Melbourne hotel Pauline Hanson’s plan for $21 cigarette packets American actress Hayden Panettiere has died at the age of 36 Coles and Woolworths test facial recognition technology to combat crime Ten Aussie YouTubers added to the National Film and Sound Archive Deep Dive: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is on her way out, marking the fifth high-profile woman gone from Donald Trump's second administration, though how they went varies. Her announcement landed days after news broke that Trump had been secretly moved off Air Force One leaving a NATO summit, fuelling an online theory that Leavitt walked after being stranded on a decoy plane. She wasn't even on the plane, or the trip - she was on maternity leave. In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by David Smith, Associate Professor at the United States Studies Centre at USYD to unpack why the theory took off - what it says about how Trump really runs the place, and whether any of this churn at the top actually reaches the voters who'll decide the midterms. Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpod Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S7 · E351
August 16 · 29 min
Sam Pang wins Gold Logie + Can guns keep our nurses safe?
Monday Headlines: NSW to begin Australia’s biggest gun buyback in decades Gov confirms it’s slowing the processing of backpacker visas Anthony Albanese deepfakes featured in celebrity scams to con Australians out of $7.4 million DRC Ebola outbreak set to become the deadliest ever Sam Pang takes out the Gold Logie Further reading from the headlines: Andrew Thorpe's Ebola piece in the ABC Deep Dive: The Victorian Opposition has announced a two-year trial of 70 PSOs across seven major hospitals, including emergency departments, high-risk areas and staff car parks. The proposal comes amid almost 24,000 violent incidents in Victorian hospitals in 2024–25, including 680 “code black” incidents. It’s a similar story across the country. In this episode of The Briefing, we’re joined by Maddy Harradence, Secretary of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation. Rather than asking “Are guns in hospitals a good idea?” We focus on what actually makes nurses and midwives safer, whether PSOs address the problem, and what should happen instead. Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpod Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S7 · E350
August 15 · 12 min
BONUS: No more ‘good blokes’: Inside the fight to scrap character references
Australia’s courts have long allowed judges to consider “good character” references during sentencing, even in child sexual abuse cases. For many survivors, hearing offenders described in court as “good people” or “champions of young people” can be deeply retraumatising and after years of campaigning, the laws are being changed right around the country. NSW changed its laws earlier this year, and this week Victoria announced it intends to do the same. In this episode of The Briefing, we're revisiting Chris Spyrou's powerful conversation with survivor advocate and Your Reference Ain't Relevant co-founder Harrison James - on why these laws had to change, and why he won't stop until the reform goes national. Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpod Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S7 · E349
August 14 · 23 min
Our take: Bension’s spicy new chapter, melon-gate and we 💛 Ted Lasso
We're back with The Briefing: Our Take, our weekend hang-out where we loosen our ties and kick off our shoes to take you behind the scenes of the week that was, and what you (and we) made of it. This weekend Chris is joined by Dan Mullins - LiSTNR's Acting Head of Factual, and a voice you'll already know from The Briefing - to debrief the story we couldn't stop talking about: Bension Siebert turning to sex work to fund his investigative journalism. From there Chris and Dan crack open the inbox and read your comments on Bension's story, the fuss over the PM and those Japanese melons, and whether anyone outside a newsroom actually cares about the Census. We’re also joined by Karli from marketing who takes on this weekend’s quiz and then we of course cap it all off with The Weekend List! The Weekend Quiz: One of Donald Trump's key allies resigned this week. Who was it? Did the RBA increase, decrease or leave unchanged the official interest rate this week? What occurred across Australia on Tuesday night? Two planes almost collided at an airport this week. Where was it? What were school students protesting when they walked out of school? The Weekend List: To Watch: Ted Lasso Season 3 (Listener Georgie) To Watch: Dark Matter with Joel Edgerton (Listener Jane) To Read: Realms of Gold by A.J. Mackinnon Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpod Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S7 · E348
August 13 · 20 min
Third near miss at Sydney airport + Tupac's "thug life" on trial
Friday Headlines: Third near miss at Sydney airport Meta, TikTok, Youtube and Snapchat to face Social Media ban enquiry today Penny Wong to speak on the dangers of Monoculturalism Popular weight loss drugs suspected links to more than 60 deaths in Australia Deep Dive: It's been 30 years since rapper Tupac Shakur was shot dead in the streets of Las Vegas, his death sparking three decades of conspiracies, mysteries and an enduring question: who killed him? Amid disappearing witnesses and a street code that made talking to police punishable by death, the case went cold. But in 2023 former gang boss Duane 'Keffe D' Davis was charged with Tupac's murder ... only he's not believed to have been the one to pull the trigger. In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by hip hop historian Michael Namikas to discuss the upcoming trial of Keffe D, but also Tupac's life, career and legacy. Michael’s book: The Tupac Encyclopedia - Volume 1 Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpod Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S7 · E347
August 12 · 26 min
Mass school walkout over Hanson + How sex work saved Bension’s career
Thursday Headlines: Students to stage school walkout over Pauline Hanson One dead and more than 200 rescued after Bali ferry fire News bargaining incentive hits parliament today Victorian authorities prepare for mass vaccine event of little penguins Tooth decay cases soar across Australia as people put off expensive dentist work Deep Dive: When Bension Siebert's role was made redundant, the award-winning journalist found himself staring down a shrinking media industry that no longer seemed willing to invest in the investigations he'd spent his career chasing. A week later, he was walking out of a stranger's apartment with $600 in his pocket, having just taken his first paid in-person sex work booking. In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou and Sacha Barbour Gatt welcome their former colleague and co-host back to the mic to unpack an unlikely career move - and the essay about it that's turned his life upside down in a matter of days. Bension explains how five hours of sex work can out-earn a week of journalism, why he sees it less as a last resort than a kind of liberation, and how a media landscape squeezed by redundancies and legal risk pushed him toward telling the stories he says newsrooms won't. Bension’s essay on Cheek Media: How sex work saved my investigative journalism career Bension’s Instagram: bensionfindsout Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpod Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S7 · E346
August 11 · 28 min
Coalition backs One Nation bill + Harry Potter and the undersea cables
Wednesday Headlines: Coalition to back One Nation’s foreign fighters bill PM refuses to apologise over melons comment Colombia quake death toll climbs above 200 RBA leaves door open to hikes after leaving rates on hold Donald Trump signs executive order to reduce the number of childhood vaccines New canine study reveals they're skilled in responding to human emotion Deep Dive: Harry Potter fans this week had a major win. They managed to have critical infrastructure worth almost a billion dollars moved to protect a memorial for Dobby the house elf. That critical infrastructure was a single undersea cable. These cables rest in the ocean and are responsible for 95% of all internet and data traffic. Cat videos, financial transactions, email – all of it would disappear if these thin cables were cut. In this episode of The Briefing, we’re joined by Dean Veverka, the Chair of the International Cable Protection Committee, to learn who built this critical infrastructure, and who’s protecting the world’s undersea cables from threats and sabotage. Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpod Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S7 · E345
August 10 · 26 min
Aus-first AI royal commission + The survivor taking on Australia's cults
Tuesday Headlines: Hanson to introduce foreign fighters bill as PM and Taylor hammer out gambling, NDIS and widow tax deal More than 80 people dead after Colombia earthquake South Australia announce royal commission into AI Aussies being urged to challenge their car insurers over price hikes It's Census night Deep Dive: How do you escape from a cult? That was one of the questions a Victorian parliamentary inquiry has been trying to answer, ever since a LiSTNR podcast exposed an abusive cult in Geelong and sparked a firestorm of advocacy from cult survivors. Last month, that inquiry handed down its report, “Coercion and harm in high control groups”. There are 39 recommendations in the report, with a focus on protecting children and better support for those exiting a coercive group. One of the advocates behind that inquiry was Laura McConnell, a survivor of the Two By Twos fundamentalist cult who speaks to Sacha Barbour Gatt in this episode of The Briefing. You can listen to Pray Harder – Episode 1 – Noel's War here. Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpod Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S7 · E344
August 9 · 23 min
Another near miss at Sydney airport + The Census: AI, lies & influence
Monday Headlines: Parliament returns, support for Labor slumps to decade low Two airport workers stood down after another near miss at Sydney airport Netanyahu rejects US peace proposal for Gaza Ukraine says 50,000 North Korean soldiers will be deployed to fight for Russia 90,000 take part in world’s biggest fun run in Sydney Deep Dive: Tomorrow is census night, and this year the form looks a little different. For the first time, Australians are being asked directly about their sexual orientation and gender - and for the first time, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) says artificial intelligence is helping process the millions of responses that pour in. In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou goes behind the questionnaire with someone who's helped shape it for the best part of thirty years. How does the ABS land on which categories make the cut? Where do your name and address actually end up? Can the online system survive the night after its infamous 2016 collapse? And in an era of shaky faith in government, does the ABS really expect all of us to tell the truth? Chris is joined by Jenny Telford, General Manager of the Census and Population Division at the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpod Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S7 · E343
August 8 · 7 min
Kochie on the first home buyers' 5% deposit scheme
Fresh data shows nearly 1,500 homes purchased under the federal government's 5% deposit scheme have been flipped into investment properties. It’s a bit of a plot twist for an initiative built on a very specific promise: helping everyday Aussies get onto the property ladder as owner-occupiers with just a fraction of the usual deposit and zero lenders mortgage insurance. In this episode of The Briefing we revisit Helen Smith's chat with David Koch from last year about the scheme to get you across how it all works and what you need to know about it. Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpod Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S7 · E342
August 7 · 35 min
Our Take: Kmart’s ‘pedo’ glasses, Kyle feedback + Delta Goodrem’s in GTA?!
We're back with The Briefing: Our Take, our weekend hang-out where we loosen our ties and kick off our shoes to take you behind the scenes of the week that was, and what you (and we) made of it. This weekend Chris is joined by Justine Landis-Hanley and they unpack how Miles Phillips and his Eastern Rosellas went from a backyard novelty to the ARIA record books. Chris answers your questions about the Kyle Sandilands interview, before they dig into your thoughts on Kmart's knock-off Meta glasses (+ the bird flu conspiracy theory we didn't know existed). We’re also joined in studio by LiSTNR entertainment executive producer Elise Cooper for The Weekend Quiz, who brings more live vocals to the show than actual recording artists. Plus we cap it all off with the Weekend List. The Weekend Quiz (just questions, no answers): Which airline announced it will start charging passengers to put carry-on luggage in the overhead lockers? Which former NRL player and viral book-tokker alleged this week that gambling company promoters would supply him with drugs and alcohol to keep him betting? Who said this and who was he talking about? "What single answer does she have to any of the list of problems and challenges which I went through before? Zip is the answer to that.” What crashed into the moon this week? Name one song Delta Goodrem performed in the Comm Games closing ceremony. The Weekend List: To Watch: Enola Holmes 3 (listener Georgie) To listen to: Dungeon Crawler Carl (listener Narikka) To read: Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpod Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Showing 21–33 of 33 episodes