The Briefing

Aussie music journalist Mawunyo Gbogbo has written a memoir taking us from where she was born in Ghana; to country NSW where she grew up; to how she became a music writer; and eventually to the bright lights of New York, the heart of hip hop. ‘Hip Hop and Hymns’ is about Mawunyo’s two great loves - music and her faith – and how both helped her confront life’s curve balls.  The memoir is about moving to Australia from Africa, and growing up Black in country New South Wales. It also tracks her tumultuous journey from a mining town to the epicentre of hip hop: New York. Today's Headlines: - PM to meet with French counterpart- July 1: What’s changing?- Guy Sebastian’s agent guilty of embezzlement- Ketanji Brown Jackson sworn in as first black woman on US Supreme Court- Kyrgios’ wild upset at Wimbledon Follow The Briefing: Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

America has been rocked by the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade - the case that has protected the right to abortion in the US for almost 50 years.  Already, states are banning the procedure and it may be just weeks before half of the states across the US ban abortion.    In today’s episode of The Briefing, Nick Sweeney, an Australian born director of a documentary called AKA Jane Roe tells us the unbelievable story of a young Texan woman called Norma McCorvey – who was to become Jane Roe.  You won’t believe what Nick learned in the making of the documentary.  It left Americans reeling, and turned the entire saga on its head.  In today’s Briefing: the story behind the abortion case dividing America. Today's Headlines: - R Kelly sentenced to 30 years for sex trafficking- Secret Service agent considers testifying to defend Trump over Capital riots- France Terror attack trial concludes- Hannah Clarke’s family calls for more DV support across the country- Ride share agreement struck between Uber and unions Follow The Briefing: Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The world watched on as Tesla founder Elon Musk told his staff working from home is over – and if they didn’t want to return to the office, they could look elsewhere for a job.  Atlassian’s Scott Farquhar came straight out and said any Tesla staffers looking for work would be welcome at Atlassian.  So is Musk right?  Is working from home dead?  Dr Libby Sander is Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management, the founder and director of the Future of Work Project.  Libby says for so long big corporations were inflexible and saying remote working wasn't an option, but then quickly proved it can be thanks to the pandemic.    So now we’re no longer mandated to stay home to work and life is largely back to normal, what happens next? Is work from home really here to stay? And who does it truly benefit?  Today's Headlines: - Ghislaine Maxwell sentenced to 20 years- FTA agreement with Europe on the cards- Australia hopes to reopen Kyiv embassy- 50+ dead in Texas people smuggling incident- Scottish independence vote 2023 Follow The Briefing: Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So, you’ve been elected to Parliament.  What next?  How do you navigate the 75,000 square metres of Parliament House in Canberra?  Where do you get a coffee?  And where’s your office?  Annika Smethurst, the Age newspaper’s Victorian parliamentary correspondent and The Briefing’s Canberra insider, worked in the halls of federal parliament for more than a decade.  She explains what 35 new members of the House of Reps face as they start their new jobs today. They’ll be given an office, an advisor, and a showbag. So what’s it like to be a brand new MP? Today's Headlines:- PM to attend NATO summit- Census: Less than half the population is Christian- Dads could get 20 weeks leave- Teacher’s Pet creator on the stand- More protest action planned following Sydney traffic chaos Follow The Briefing Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More than 3,000 Australians take their lives each year and a further 65,000 attempt suicide. A suicide aftercare service developed by Beyond Blue is helping to restore a sense of hope and belonging for people recovering after a suicidal crisis. Early evaluation findings show that measures of suicidality decreased 63% and psychological distress decreased 30% among those who participated in Beyond Blue’s The Way Back Service. Beyond Blue’s CEO Georgie Harman tells us how the service supports people who have been discharged from hospital after a suicide attempt with personalised, practical, one-on-one assistance in the community.  The program has helped more than 15,000 Australians in the wake of their suicide attempt. If you need to talk to someone, call Lifeline on 13 11 14, Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 or the new help line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders 13 YARN (13 92 76) Today's Headlines:- PM heads to NATO- Crossbenchers angry over staff cut- 9 US states have already banned abortion- Blues win Origin II- NASA launches rocket from NT Follow The Briefing: Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The incredible Art Simone, fan favourite on Ru Paul’s Drag Race Down Under, joins us on this week’s episode of The Weekend Briefing.   In this conversation Jamila and Art cover it all! Everything from Art’s early forays into drag, her shock elimination and return from Drag Race Down Under. Plus, they dive into what it is about Aussie drag that sets this country apart.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pandemic restrictions have mostly lifted and Australians are gearing up to travel overseas. But many can’t get their passport to allow them to leave the country.  The queues to collect passports are hundreds of metres long, snaking outside passport offices in all capital cities. We’re joined by Amanda, a Briefing listener whose family had to cancel a holiday in Fiji because they couldn’t get passports in time; and Dean Long, a travel industry expert and CEO The Australian Federation of Travel Agents to unpack the crisis. On today’s Briefing, how the passport crisis emerged and what you can do to streamline the process and get your passport sooner rather than later. Today's Headlines: - PM to reset relationship with France- Damning new report on WA’s mining industry- Report into VIC’s Country Fire Authority reveals toxic culture- Senior MPs’ exodus from VIC government- New York’s new gun laws overruled Follow The Briefing Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s been a big week in international sport with FINA and the International Rugby League announcing bans on transgender athletes. It follows an announcement late last year from the International Olympic Committee that it would leave it up to individual sports to formulate policy on trans competitors. Trans athletes even surfaced as an election issue at the federal poll in May. Caroline Layt, a trans woman and former elite rugby league player joins us to tell us what the bans mean for trans athletes. Tracey Holmes, host of the ABC sport podcast The Ticket tells us what the bans mean for the future of other sports. On today’s Briefing, the trans athlete debate and why it’s become such a contentious issue.  Today's Headlines:- Energy market suspension ends- Earthquake kills thousands in Afghanistan- Swimming coach charged with historic sex offences- Landmark gig economy case results in $800k pay out- Sydney’s Crown casino to open its doors Follow The Briefing Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NASA is preparing to launch three rockets from the Arnhem Space Centre in the Northern Territory, scheduled for the end of this month and early July. Professor Melissa Zwart from Flinders University tells us the three rockets are “sounding” rockets. They won’t actually reach orbit, but they will collect scientific data.  It’s a big deal, it’s the first time NASA has conducted a rocket launch from a commercial facility outside the United States.  The traditional custodians of the land, the Gumatj people, support the project. Gumatj Corporation chair Djawa Yunupingu said the launch plans are “a step towards the future for our people”. What does NASA’s plans to launch rockets from the Northern Territory mean for the future of space research in Australia? Today's Headlines: - Higgins' trial delayed after Wilkinson's Logies speech- International Rugby League bans trans athletes- Energy market shutdown could be lifted- La Nina weather pattern ends Follow The Briefing Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An energy crisis across Australia took us to the brink of blackouts last week.  A cold snap; the war in the Ukraine; and escalating global coal and gas prices formed a perfect storm where we were being urged to turn the dishwasher off.  The crisis prompted the market operator to suspend the short term market and take control over supply.  Mark Ludlow writes for the Australian Financial Review on energy.  He says the long term solution is renewables with storage, but how do we manage that transition whilst avoiding crises like last week’s.  The Energy Security Agency has proposed a capacity mechanism which would essentially keep quickly dispatchable power on standby for moments of shortfall.  So, how would it work and how likely is it to be passed by a Senate stacked with Greens and independents? Today's Headlines:- NSW and QLD reveal budgets- Greens slam proposed energy solution- Single Covid and flu jab nears final stage- Higgins rape trial could be delayed after Logies speech- Mixed reaction to FINA's trans policy Follow The Briefing Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.