The Briefing

David Shoebridge, Greens senator and justice and foreign affairs spokesperson, discusses the controversy around President Isaac Herzog’s visit to Australia. He talks about why the invitation was political, concerns about normalising relations amid alleged war crimes, planned nationwide protests, and tensions between security measures and civil liberties.

Chappell Roan took home the Grammy for Best New Artist in 2025, clocked more than 68 million streams in the first 6 months of 2024 and she's currently touring Australia, headlining Laneway music festival.  Over the last few years, female-made, female-focused pop has been in the middle of a full-blown renaissance and all signs suggest it’s carrying straight through into 2026 - with artists like Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX still dominating and Lily Allen re-entering the race.  In this bonus ep of the Briefing from 2024 Sacha Barbour-Gatt is joined by Nic Kelly, host of The Hot Hits on the Hit Network, to unpack the female pop revolution and the secret ingredient to becoming a pop star today.  Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At just 19 years old, Sherele Moody’s life was irrevocably changed when she learned her stepfather had murdered a child in the home he shared with her, her siblings and their mother. Since then Sherele has become a pioneer in the domestic violence space - widely known as Femicide Watch on Instagram with over 123k followers, where she tracks every woman and child killed by violence. She went on to found The RED HEART Movement - a living memorial and meticulously maintained public database for victims and survivors of violence in Australia, ensuring their stories are named, seen, and never forgotten. In this chat with Sacha Barbour Gatt, Sherele shares her deeply personal journey and how she’s transforming grief into accountability and silence into action. She also gives her verdict on ethics in crime reporting and the frenzy over the case of Erin Patterson that elevated the convicted murderer to a "true crime popstar". Weekend list with Helen Smith Listener Issy TO WATCH: Tell Me Lies on Disney Plus TO WATCH: Bridgerton season 4 on Netflix TO DO: Imagine a holiday! TO DO/WATCH: EUROPA Film Festival Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hundreds of new 'Jeffrey Epstein files' were dropped this week, with more damaging allegations about high-profile politicians. The British PM Keir Starmer’s leadership is now under serious threat after his links to former ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson.  In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Foreign Editor of 7 News, Hugh Whitfeld, who unpacks this week’s developments and explains why the political fallout from the Epstein files is only just beginning.  There is no suggestion that Peter Mandelson, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor or Bill Clinton have committed any sexual offences.  Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Friday Headlines: Deadline looms for Coalition reunion, Penny Wong defends Israeli President’s visit among death threats, Queensland man charged with 596 child abuse offences, child vaccination rates plunge to 30-year low and footy fandom has tangible impact on our stress levels. Deep Dive: The Super Bowl halftime show is set to make history this year, with Bad Bunny becoming the first artist to perform solely in Spanish - sparking both celebration and backlash.  From a supermarket job in Puerto Rico and SoundCloud uploads to Grammy wins and four years as Spotify’s most-streamed artist, his rise has reshaped global pop music.  In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by Seany B from the HIT Network’s The Pulse to unpack Bad Bunny’s rise to superstardom, why this moment matters, and whether his Super Bowl stage could double as a political statement.  Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Pramudie Gunaratne, psychiatrist and CEO of the Australian Society of Psychiatrists, outlines systemic problems in Australia’s mental health care. He discusses the coronial findings from the Bondi Junction attack, the urgent need to rebuild community and homeless health teams, gaps in oversight and missed opportunities over years. The conversation calls for systemic policy and funding changes.

Thursday Headlines: Future of Coalition in doubt after peace talks fail again, Donald Trump’s would-be assassin handed life sentence, Bill Gates denies ‘false’ allegations in new Epstein files, prominent neo-Nazi has become Australia’s first person to be jailed for performing a nazi salute, Australia’s Winter Olympics flag bearers named, and Draco Malfoy has become an unlikely Chinese New Year symbol. Deep Dive: Political campaigns are known to be run on slogans, slick visuals and attack ads, but what voters don’t see is the money quietly powering it all.   New Australian Electoral Commission data for the 2024/25 financial year shows millions flowing from well-known donors like Clive Palmer, Gina Rinehart and Climate 200, alongside tens of millions in legal but undisclosed “dark money.”   With the rules set to change and questions over whether they’ll work, Sacha Barbour Gatt speaks with The Australia Institute’s Bill Browne in this episode of The Briefing.  Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every year, hundreds of young Australians aged 15 to 29 take part in the Burnet Institute’s Sex, Drugs and Rock ’n’ Roll survey - a look into the behaviours, attitudes, and well-being of our nation’s youth. First launched at the Big Day Out in Melbourne more than a decade ago, the survey covers sexual behaviours and alcohol and other drugs, giving us a rare, long-term look at how young people are living, thinking, and experimenting.   In this episode, Natarsha Belling is joined by the study’s lead researcher, Megan Lim, who breaks down the latest findings, exploring what’s changing, what’s worrying, and what it all means for young Australians today.  Headlines: The government will sell off more than $3b worth of defence land, Clive Palmer has announced he will launch a High Court challenge to Labor’s new electoral donation caps, the US Military says they’ve shot down an Iranian drone, and Bunnings may have a solution to the housing crisis.  Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wednesday Headlines: Four major banks pass on interest rate hike, first senior royal publicly comments on latest release of Epstein files, Melbourne man charged over allegedly giving Nazi salute to Jewish schoolchildren, Sydney’s biggest Mardi Gras party cancelled, and Aussie teen hailed a hero after swimming 4km to save family swept out to sea. Deep Dive: AI-generated inanimate objects have been dominating social media feeds in recent weeks, dishing out what seems like innocent health and home hacks.  Pages generating this content have exploded in popularity as each post gets more clicks and more comments, but many are asking whether we can trust the content, but also who is behind it and what their goals are.  In this episode of The Briefing, Sacha Barbour Gatt sits down with Dr Karl Kruszelnicki to unpack it. Further listening from the headlines: What to expect from interest rates in 2026 Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi is the latest recruit to join One Nation as support for the party continues to soar. So, will the swing to the hard right One Nation party work in the long-term as disillusioned voters desert the major parties?  In this episode of The Briefing Natarsha Belling is joined by ANU Political Expert Dr Jill Shepard to unpack the latest developments and why the major parties need to do better.  Headlines: The Reserve Bank has announced it will lift the official cash rate, a last-minute deal to reunite the Coalition has collapsed, NSW Police have extended restrictions on protests ahead of Israeli President Isaac Herzog's visit, Bill and Hilary Clinton have agreed to testify in the House investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and investigators in the US say the mother of a high-profile TV host has been kidnapped.  Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.