The Briefing

You've probably heard of Shameless, the celebrity and pop culture podcast that has taken the country by storm. But who are Michelle Andrews and Zara McDonald, the notoriously private young women behind the podcasting juggernaut? In this conversation with Jamila Rizvi, Zara and Michelle unpack what gave them the courage to leave their secure jobs and try something totally new, why they like keeping some seperation between private and public, and why we are all so obsessed with celebrity culture. THE WEEKEND LIST with Tait McGregor: Watch: Queer Eye (Netflix) Podcast: The Bias Diagnosis Cook: Freekeh Salad by Rick Stein Podcast: And Just Like That…The Writers Room See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

28 Jan 202234min

Western Australia has been cut off from the rest of the country for the last two years. WA Premier Mark McGowan shut the borders letting only a handful of people in, or out, since the outbreak of the pandemic. Now Omicron is on the march across the country, it was only a matter of time before it surfaced in WA – and this month, West Australians worst fears were realised when Omicron turned up in the community. McGowan quickly moved to repeal a plan to re-open the state on February 5. Jenna Clark is Associate Editor at The Australian newspaper and host of The Front Page Sky News. Jenna tells us the problem West Australians now face is they’re well behind the rest of the country in terms of booster shots. It may well be, WA’s ostracisation was a waste of time. On today’s Briefing, what are the chances Mark McGowan will do a double backflip and re-open the borders after all…..especially with Omicron knocking on the door. Todays Headlines Ash Barty through to Australian Open final $1billion to keep the Great Barrier Reef off endangered list Neil Young quits Spotify over Joe Rogen Covid claims Wild weather lashes Victoria and South Australia The definition of fully vaccinated could become 3 jabs Follow The Briefing 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.

27 Jan 202222min

The world has gone crazy for rapid antigen tests. Schoolchildren will be tested twice a week when school returns; some people are even asking their friends to show a negative test before they’ll socialise with them. So who’s making all the money? Millions of tests are flooding the market. Michael Roddan is a journalist at the Australian Financial Review. He says it’s a handful of Australians and Australian companies making the big bucks. There are tens of millions of RATs right across the country. It prompts the question, who is making all that money? And what will happen to all the tests if Covid, as we all hope, is assigned to history? Todays Headlines Dylan Alcott set to play in the quad final after becoming Australian of the Year Pressure mounting on Boris Johnson as party report to be handed down Tonga can’t access vital supplies for another two days due to covid fears Australian gas prepared to step up if Ukraine crisis deepens Follow The Briefing 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.

26 Jan 202218min

Daniel Nour was last night named Young Australian of the Year. Daniel was leaving Waterloo Station in London and saw a crowd gathering – he thought it was a busker. It was a homeless man having a seizure, and it changed his life. Daniel has been named as one of our Young Australians of the Year after establishing Street Side Medics, a medical service for the homeless. This is an inspiring story of a young man, who arrived with his family from Egypt as a boy. He has changed so many lives, and it’s just the beginning of his amazing contribution to the nation he now calls home. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

25 Jan 202219min

The world watched on as the Australian government ripped up world tennis number one Novac Djokovic’s visa. He was taken into detention, an urgent court hearing convened, and eventually deported. The whole saga was over and done with in less than a week. While Novak was in detention, in the Park Hotel in Melbourne, we learned there are refugees holed up in the same hotel. One of them, Mehdi, has been in the refugee process in Australia for almost ten years after arriving in Australia seeking asylum as a 15-year-old. He's still in detention, almost a decade later. We speak to Mehdi from his Melbourne hotel room; and we also speak with Carolyn Graydon, principal lawyer at the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, to find out why Mehdi and his colleagues can’t – or don’t – get the same rushed process as Novak Djokovic. Todays Headlines Aboriginal flag copyright secured Omicron wave past its peak Australians in the Ukraine being told to leave Assange wins court case to challenge extradition decision Cleo Smith’s alleged abductor pleads guilty Follow The Briefing 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.

24 Jan 202221min

57-year-old Czech folk singer Hana Horka died last week after getting Covid... she was unvaccinated... and chose not to isolate from her husband and son when they contracted covid around Christmas. Her son Jan Rek joins us to tell us how and why his mother chose to catch Covid, resulting in her sudden death. We’ve spoken to people here in Australia about deliberately catching Covid – as you’ll hear from Jan, it’s not a good idea. It can be fatal. He calls it Russian roulette. Todays Headlines WA concedes it cannot control Omicron RATS roll out across the country ahead of return to school Ash Barty is through to the quarters Tensions in the Ukraine continue to escalate Wiggles win JJJ’s Hottest 100 Follow The Briefing 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.

23 Jan 202217min

Growing up on the Sunshine Coast, Michelle Law was both very aware and a little resistant to her own Chinese-ness. As an adult, she has embraced the cross-cultural narrative, putting her experiences into writing books, essays, plays and television series. In this conversation with Jamila Rizvi, Michelle Law talks about her new book Asian Girls Are Going Places, how she’s trying to unlearn some of her workaholic tendencies, and why she’s a passionate advocate for diversity quotas in the arts and culture industry. THE WEEKEND LIST with Tait McGregor: Watch: Euphoria (Binge) Watch: Cheer season 2 (Netflix) Listen: ADOLESCENCE by BANYK Watch: Love Me (Binge) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

21 Jan 202233min

People are deliberately trying to catch Covid-19. Some are hoping by catching it now, they can make sure they’re Covid-free for a big event, maybe a wedding or a birthday celebration. So is it a good idea? Two of our Briefing listeners are actively trying to catch it – Mel and David – but Professor Catherine Bennett, chair of epidemiology at Deakin University, says it’s not a good idea. On today’s Briefing, we find out once and for all, if it’s a good idea to actively seek out and catch, Coronavirus. Todays Headlines WA will keep borders closed Novovax gains provisional approval Australian aid arrives in Tonga Federal court releases Djokovic reasoning Pope Benedict accused of failing to act in four child sex abuse cases Follow The Briefing 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.

20 Jan 202224min