The appeal of celebrity downfall – with special guest Perez Hilton

Coal mining employs around 50,000 people directly... so why does coal dominate Australian politics?! It came up again at the weekend’s NSW by-election where Labor got smashed and the Nationals were re-elected. Kosmos Samaras is a former Labor strategist and is a director at the political consultancy firm Redbridge. He provides a fascinating insight into why these electorates hold such massive influence. There are around 240,000 people employed by the mining industry in Australia. 50,000 in coal... but there’s 250,000 who work in arts and recreation - health care for example employs 1.8m but they don’t seem to be swinging elections as voter block... so what’s going on? The answer lies in a surprising insight into the psyche of rural Australia. TODAY'S HEADLINES Victoria enters first day of lockdown Federal government slammed over vaccine rollout Court finds young people should be protected from climate crisis De belin free to play after prosecutors drop charges Japanese doctors warn of Olympic Covid variant Follow The Briefing Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU YouTube: http://bit.ly/TheBriefingSUBSCRIBE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

27 Maj 202125min

Of all the things to destabilise Bitcoin... it turns out the environment has been a key factor. The digital currency has seen some wild price drops over the last two weeks. It peaked at 63,000 USD in mid-April and since then it’s dropped as low as $31,000. Dr Sean Foley, Associate Professor of Finance at Macquarie University, joins us to explain why. Dr Foley says mining for Bitcoin around the world, currently consumes half the electricity of Australia’s entire yearly usage. Could the environment bring about Bitcoin’s demise? TODAY'S HEADLINES Victoria bracing for more restrictions as government considers lockdown Holgate backs Senate bid to have PM apologise Uncertainty over Melissa Caddick’s remains Shell ordered to cut emissions by Dutch court Follow The Briefing Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU YouTube: http://bit.ly/TheBriefingSUBSCRIBE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

26 Maj 202121min

Monica Dux has written a book called Lapsed... about walking away from Catholicism, her childhood religion. It’s a relevant story in today’s world because Catholicism in Australia has been in slow decline over the last 50 years... but at 22% of all Australians, it’s still the biggest single religion in Australia and it’s held ground much better than the Anglican Church. It’s partly about growing up Catholic... but it’s more about why it has such a hold over people... even once they think they’ve left it behind. Losing your religion is not as easy as you think. TODAY'S HEADLINES Covid restrictions in Melbourne amid fears of MCG spread Wave of sex crime allegations hits politics Hundreds of thousands of Queenslanders affected by blackouts Sorry day: Greens call for Stolen Generation compensation George Floyd anniversary marked in the US Follow The Briefing Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU YouTube: http://bit.ly/TheBriefingSUBSCRIBE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

25 Maj 202119min

Violent protests have broken out on the streets of Colombia. Demonstrations about tax reform have turned into massacres on the streets. Neighbourhoods have become battlegrounds as Colombians fight with police and the military – and the government struggles to maintain order. Alexandra Phelan is an expert on Colombian politics. We learn what the protests are about, and what the government will need to do to quell the violence. Today’s Briefing is a response to one of our listeners, Carol, reaching out via Instagram. Send us a message via our DMs. We want to tell YOUR stories. TODAY'S HEADLINES Victorians told to be vigilant as race starts to find missing Covid link Fitzgibbon calls on Labor to take a different approach, as NSW leader Jodi McKay on borrowed time. Australia packs up Kabul embassy Aung San Suu Kyi makes first court appearance Follow The Briefing Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU YouTube: http://bit.ly/TheBriefingSUBSCRIBE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

24 Maj 202119min

There’s been a lot of talk this year about housing affordability after another surge in home and apartment prices. But interest rates have remained at record lows, meaning borrowing money is cheaper than ever. So on, balance, is housing really as unaffordable as we’re making it out to be? We’re joined by Steven Koukoulas, leading economist and economics consultant and former economic advisor to PM Julia Gillard. Ignore the noise and stay calm as the property market surges out of reach TODAY'S HEADLINES Government promises more Pfizer doses Second India repatriation flight lands Huge win for NSW Nats in Upper Hunter by-election BBC savaged as Bashir defends interview Eurovision winner to take drug test Follow The Briefing Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU YouTube: http://bit.ly/TheBriefingSUBSCRIBE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

23 Maj 202121min

The Royal Record is your weekly dose of Royal news, without the spin! Royal correspondent and expert Juliet Rieden and journalist Bryce Corbett use their insider info on The Royals to separate the fact from the fiction behind the latest Royal headlines.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

22 Maj 20213min

Rick Morton’s book My Year of Living Vulnerably is topping best-seller lists around Australia for unpacking Australian masculinity. Jamila Rizvi sits down with Rick to talk about the male role models throughout his life, reckoning with his sexuality and the lightning bolt moment that made him realise he was grappling with complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Warning: This episode contains difficult conversations and graphic descriptions of injuries. THE WEEKEND LIST: Listen: Hey How You Going podcast Read: The Believer: Encounters with Love, Death & Faith by Sarah Krasnostein Watch: My Octopus Teacher (Netflix) Cook: The Great Pumpkin Pie recipe by Sally’s Baking Addiction Send us your Weekend List suggestions on our Instagram at @thebriefingpodcast!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

21 Maj 202128min

Everyone knows a conspiracy theorist. Someone who believes we didn’t make it to the moon; or the September 11 attacks were a hoax. How do you talk to them? Is engaging with them, giving their theories legitimacy? Professor John Cook is from the Centre for Climate Change Communication at George Mason University in the US. He’s also written a book “Cranky Uncle v Climate Change” We talk about how to deal with conspiracy theorists – and how seemingly ludicrous concepts gain traction. TODAY'S HEADLINES News of an Israel/Gaza truce Doctors, opposition calling for better vaccine campaign Tourism, hospitality sectors still struggling as unemployment falls Journalist lies and BBC coverup behind Diana interview Internet explorer to end in 2022 OR watch Today's Headlines on YouTube: http://bit.ly/TheBriefingSUBSCRIBE Follow The Briefing Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

20 Maj 202120min