Mack Horton: Olympic Swimming Champion and enemy of drug cheats

Tuesday Headlines: Australia Day and Invasion Day events marred by bomb threat and antisemitism, heatwave hits large parts of southeastern Australia, Trump says his administration is ‘reviewing everything’ after ICE shooting of Alex Pretti, calls to tradie mental health hotline soar, and the quarter finals of the AO get underway!Deep Dive: Hackers are promising to release tens of millions of audio files they claim to have scraped from Spotify, in what’s been described as one of the most brazen digital heists of all time. It comes as global piracy rates continue to rebound after years of decline, prompting some to declare we’re living through a new “golden age” of piracy. In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou walks us through what this new ‘age’ looks like and what role streaming services and governments have played in it. Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

26 Jan 23min

Monday Headlines: Australian of the Year named, dingoes involved in Canadian backpacker’s death euthanised. calls for a full investigation after second fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis, heatwave to hit millions of Australians this week, and Alex De Minaur is through to the AO quarter finals.Deep Dive: Patriotism in Australia is shifting, with once‑common symbols of national pride now bringing with them significant political and cultural baggage. From the anthem to the flag to January 26, the way we talk about and display national pride has changed, with some expressions now seen as ‘cringey,’ while others are viewed as outright racist. In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou speaks with historian and associate professor at Central Queensland University, Dr Benjamin Jones, about how patriotism in Australia has changed and whether it can survive the 21st century. Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

25 Jan 23min

The Beckham family feud has reignited after Brooklyn Peltz Beckham posted a damning statement addressing his fractured relationship with his parents. In this bonus episode of The Briefing, Alexandria Funnell breaks down the timeline of events and the swirl of rumours, unpacking how one of the world’s most famous families went from picture-perfect to fractured. From public absences to whispered feuds, she explores whether the Beckham legacy can withstand the cracks now spilling into public view. Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

24 Jan 10min

Wil Anderson (not to be confused with Adam Hills) is one of Australia’s most enduring and influential comedians - with a career that spans radio, television, podcasting across generations. You might remember him from Triple J Breakfast, hosting Gruen or more recently from one of his hugely popular podcasts which reach hundreds of thousands of listeners. In this chat with Sacha Barbour Gatt, Wil reflects on navigating a never-ending news cycle, the evolution of comedy and why the Sunday scaries hit us all - no matter how successful we appear. Weekend list with Helen Smith TO WATCH: It Was Just an Accident by Jafar Panahi TO DO: Pap smear check up! TO WATCH: The Australian Open TO EAT: Cadbury Dairy Milk Biscoff Chocolate Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

23 Jan 44min

It’s the multi-billion-dollar industry that’s preying on the insecurities of young men with dangerous consequences. The MANOSPHERE is fuelled by social media and is now playing out in the real world, with major impacts on mental health, behaviour, and relationships. In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by extremism researcher Vivian Gerrard to explain what the Manosphere is and the solutions we all need to fight for. Headlines: A major manhunt continues for 37-year-old Julian Ingram after three people were shot dead in the central west of NSW, the Prime Minister claims the Liberal Party has undermined its first female leader, and a number of NSW beaches are set to reopen this weekend after four shark attacks this week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

23 Jan 19min

Friday Headlines: PM apologises to Jewish community at Day of Mourning service, regional NSW town in lockdown after three people shot and killed, Victorians told to brace for another heatwave, the Special K's crash out of the AO doubles, and the 2026 Oscars nominations have been revealedDeep Dive: The Beckham family feud has dominated headlines all week, after Brooklyn Peltz Beckham posted a damning statement addressing his fractured relationship with his parents. But beyond the celebrity fallout, the story raises bigger questions about family breakups, performative parenting and so-called “boy mum” culture. In this episode of The Briefing, Helen Smith is joined by Associate Professor Megan Willis from ACU to unpack the psychology behind family estrangement, public parenting and the pressures of growing up in the spotlight. Further listening from the headlines: How to rig the Oscars The Marty Supreme hype machine Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

22 Jan 21min

Prince Harry is back in court, giving emotional testimony as part of a High Court lawsuit against the publishers of The Daily Mail. In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Journalism Professor Andrew Dodd, who explains this latest court case and what it means for Harry’s ongoing war with the media. Headlines: Speculation is rife once again that Sussan Lee’s days as Liberal leader are numbered after the Coalition formally split again, a number of people are missing after a major landslide in New Zealand, Australia’s unemployment rate dropped from 4.3% to 4.1% in December, and the lead singer of Men at Work has slammed the use of his hit song Down Under at anti-immigration rallies. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

22 Jan 13min

Thursday Headlines: Coalition’s future in doubt after mass shadow cabinet walkout, Australia to mark National Day of Mourning for Bondi victims today, Trump rules out using force to acquire Greenland, Gen X overtake Baby Boomers as richest landholders by generation, and Alex De Minaur becomes the first Aussie through to round three of the AO.Deep Dive: The ACT government has reopened an investigation into its fleet of Chinese-made electric buses amid renewed warnings they could be remotely disabled through a "kill switch.” Security experts say the issue goes far beyond buses and points to a broader trend where we're trading national security in the interest of affordability. In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou speaks with Alastair MacGibbon, Chief Strategy Officer at CyberCX, about when concern over Chinese-made EVs is warranted and how seriously we should be taking these new warnings. Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

21 Jan 25min