India: a Covid-19 catastrophe

In today’s Briefing, we go back to a story we did two weeks ago about the inventor of bitcoin. A Florida court has ruled that Craig Wright, the Aussie who says he invented the blockchain currency, won’t have to pay half of his coins to his late business partner... David Kleiman. Klieman’s family were suing Wright for half of the 70B$ of bitcoin controlled by bitcoin inventor Satoshi Nakamoto... a pseudonym Wright says is him. The jury found Wright does not owe Kleiman’s family half of the coins. We’re joined by Paul Vigna, journalist covering Bitcoin for the Wall Street Journal. He explains, while the trial has not determined IF Craig Wright invented Bitcoin, he will still have to pay around $140 million in compensation for a breach in intellectual property rights related to the company he worked on with Kleiman. In this Briefing, did the trial find Wright is Nakamoto - and does he have the key to 1.1m Bitcoins worth $70 billion. Todays Headlines QLD uncovers new Omicron strain Pfizer confirms Omicron effectiveness as new booster approved UK latest country after Australia to boycott China games Berejiklian expected to rule out Canberra run Djokovic named on Aus Open draw despite vaccination stoush Follow The Briefing AND DON'T FORGET TO SIGN UP FOR THE BRIEFING NEWSLETTER. LINK IS IN OUR BIO ON INSTAGRAM Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8 Dec 202123min

Do you find yourself infinitely browsing? Never able to make a commitment? To a movie? A partner? A job? Pete Davis is a writer and civic advocate from Falls Church, Virginia. His Harvard Law School graduation speech, “A Counterculture of Commitment,” has been viewed more than 30 million times. His new book is “Dedicated: the Case for Commitment in an Age of Infinite Browsing”. He explains WHY you can’t make a choice of a movie...why you end up scrolling all night before going to bed in frustration. WHY you can’t stay in one job for more than twelve months....and WHY you keep wondering what it would be like to be partnered with someone else. In today’s Briefing, how to address our ‘counterculture of commitment’ Todays Headlines Australia weighs up Winter Olympics boycott Biden and Putin meet via video amid Ukraine tensions Uni debts cleared for doctors and nurses going bush 140 at risk following Omicron cruise exposure Craig Wright prevails in Bitcoin trial Follow The Briefing AND DON'T FORGET TO SIGN UP FOR THE BRIEFING NEWSLETTER. LINK IS IN OUR BIO ON INSTAGRAM Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7 Dec 202123min

Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner broke down last month talking about death threats he and his family had received from online trolls protesting about the territory’s Covid vaccine mandates. The debate has included people like Tucker Carlson and Russell Brand. So how did global Covid trolls arrive in the top end? Nicholas Hynes is a reporter with the ABC in Darwin. He joins us to explain how and why the Gunner government’s policies have made global headlines....and if there’s any truth to comparisons with the Stolen Generations of the past. Todays Headlines US confirms diplomatic boycott of Beijing Winter Olympics QLD to open hotspot borders early Senior Liberals publicly back Berejiklian for federal tilt Perth loses Ashes test due to strict border rules Global human rights bodies condemn Suu Kyi sentencing Follow The Briefing Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6 Dec 202122min

Everyone knows someone who’s been swayed by internet conspiracies…misinformation about the Covid vaccine, covid conspiracies? 5G, fluoride. Was it QAnon? Far right groups? Parts of YouTube, Reddit or the more subversive forums like 4chan or 8chan or 8kun In this Briefing... we learn more about what ties these internet conspiracy groups together... how dangerous it’s becoming... and what if anything we can do about it. Van Badham is an Australian playwright and author who has written a book QAnon and On, shining a light on the conspiracies and the dangers they pose. Today we explore fusion paranoia... the frightening cluster of online conspiracies. Todays Headlines NSW and VIC promise to keep borders open for Christmas Voters tip Labor win following campaign pitch PM on hand for second Mostert win at Bathurst 1000 Government awaits ATAGI advice after Pfizer approved for kids Indonesia volcano death toll rises to 14 Follow The Briefing Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5 Dec 202119min

Carly Findlay is an author and appearance activist who lives with a rare skin condition called ichthyosis, which makes her skin scaly and red. What this means is that Carly has to put up with a lot of silly, inappropriate and downright rude questions from strangers. In this chat with Jamila Rizvi, Carly explains what it’s like to be trolled for how you look, how she’s coped with ableism during the pandemic, and why she sees disability as a culture to be proud of. THE WEEKEND LIST: Read: Killernova by Omar bin Musa Read: The Game: A Portrait of Scott Morrison by Sean Kelly Watch: James Bond films Watch: Snowpiercer (Netflix) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3 Dec 202133min

There are landmark court trials littered through US history….Michael Jackson’s two trials and OJ Simpson. The Ghislaine Maxwell trial is poised to join them as a watershed hearing in front of the world’s media. We cross to Seven’s US Bureau Chief Ashlee Mullany who is attending the court case in New York. We’ve already heard explosive claims and we’re only in the first few days of hearings. Maxwell is accused of procuring teenage girls for the convicted child sex offender Jeffery Epstein, who took his own life two years ago. It’s long been suggested Epstein took his life to take his contacts and associates’ names with him. So, what secrets will be revealed at Maxwell’s trial? And will she implicate Prince Andrew? This trial looks set to join the list of notorious trials played out on the world stage. Todays Headlines Minister stands down after claims of abusive relationship SA introduces testing for NSW arrivals as Covid outbreak grows Victorian pandemic laws pass state parliament IOC holds second call with Shuai as WTA doubles-down on boycott Markle calls for press changes after winning court fight Follow The Briefing Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2 Dec 202121min

The world is trying to come to grips with the Omicron variant of Covid-19. It’s spreading like wildfire across the globe. Governments are scrambling to close borders and scientists are rushing to determine just how potent the new strain is. But could it be a blessing in disguise. Could Omicron end the pandemic? Dr Deborah Cromer leads the Infection Epidemiology and Policy Analytics Group at the Kirby Institute, UNSW. Her job is to determine how effective vaccines are in combatting viruses. Dr Deborah tells us if and when we’ll know that Omicron may take over from the more-virulent and dangerous Delta strain of the coronavirus….and what we need to do as a society to help make that happen. Todays Headlines Porter quits parliaments as Hunt resignation expected Epstein accuser to be cross-examined after implicating Maxwell Flooding death in QLD as NSW cleans-up in Central West Omicron detected in 20+ countries as local cases grow NT authorities believe Howard Springs escapees didn’t contact community Follow The Briefing Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 Dec 202121min

In 2013 on a night out in Kings Cross a devastating encounter in a laneway changed the course of Saxon Mullins’ life. It led to a rape case that went for five years... there were two trials, two appeals and ultimately it was determined that the accused was acquitted after arguing he had reasonable grounds to believe she was consenting. Now eight years on... Saxon Mullins’ story... has led to a change in the law... that could protect other victims who freeze during sex. Todays Headlines NSW on alert for Omicron as PM calls for no more lockdowns One in three parliament staff harassed, according to Jenkins review Human remains discovered in VIC camper search Towns evacuated in QLD as flooding continues in NSW Ghislaine Maxwell trial begins in New York Australia hits back at claims of Solomon interference Follow The Briefing Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAU See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

30 Nov 202119min