The Briefing

Friday Headlines: 

• Sam Wood denied bail
• Former Prince Andrew wins case against UK Police
• ATO facing pressure from government over credit card ban
• Greens celebrate ‘biggest surge in new members’ since leadership change 
• Christa Pike ‘up and walking’ after surviving two lethal injections

Further listening from the headlines:
Sach's chat with David Shoebridge

Deep Dive: Eight years ago, a young Aussie cricketer was caught on camera stuffing sandpaper down his pants during a Test match in Cape Town.  

It became known as Sandpapergate - Australian cricket's biggest cheating scandal.  

The fallout was brutal. Captain Steve Smith cried on live TV, players were banned, the coach quit and sponsors walked. Now, for the first time since, Australia is back playing Test cricket in South Africa.  

So how did a bit of sandpaper become a national crisis? And was the outrage ever worth it?  

In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by sports journalist Sam Ferris, who covered the series from South Africa, to unpack what happened, who knew what, and how it still follows the team. 

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Thursday Headlines: 

• Anthony Albanese facing increasing scrutiny over golf club grants
• 1 in 6 cafes now charging more for coffee after card surcharge ban
• Sam Wood to apply for bail after DV charges
• Abortion pill access jumps 50% after improved access
• Pornhub is returning to Australia ... with a catch

Further listening from headlines: 
Surcharges are going. Will prices drop?

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The Coalition has finally put numbers on its migration plan, and it's betting voters want a smaller, more selective system.  

Net overseas migration down to 100,000 a year. Around 650,000 fewer temporary visa holders. Graduate visas gone. So can it cut this deep without leaving hospitals, farms and pubs short of workers?  

In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by Deputy Liberal Leader Senator Jane Hume to unpack the plan, what Angus Taylor meant when he said Labor's immigration policy is "threatening our way of life", and whether the Coalition accepts any blame for building up the system it's now trying to dismantle. 

And if you haven't already, you can check out today's headlines in your feed as a separate ep now.

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David Shoebridge is the new leader of The Greens, defeating Sarah Hanson-Young and Mehreen Faruqi to become the person to lead the party to the next election.  

But after losing three seats in the 2025 vote and failing to make an impact against a surging One Nation, the party is facing an uphill battle to win over voters.  

In today's deep dive only episode, Sacha Barbour Gatt speaks with Senator Shoebridge about his plans for The Greens and why he wants everyday Aussies to back his party. 

Remember today's headlines are now live too if you haven't already caught them!

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Wednesday Headlines: 

• Business and humanitarian groups slam Coalition's migration plan 
• Australian who served in Afghanistan named as soldier killed in NT training exercise
• Man charged after woman stabbed on Melbourne tram
• Australians pause to reflect on three-year anniversary of October 7
• ASOS customers sent rogue message after fashion giant is hacked
• AI One Nation ad sparks controversy

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Tuesday Headlines: 

• Coalition to unveil massive migration cut today
• Greens pitch $25bn national supermarket plan
• Former Prince Andrew takes police to court 
• Major global study confirms: Women suffer more pain than men
• Brisbane 2032 logo officially unveiled after leak 

Deep Dive: A growing number of Australians now have solar panels, with one in three of us using them on our rooftops, but they don’t last forever. By 2035, the country is on track to throw out 50 million. 

To address the waste, the Federal Government announced a $24.7 million Solar Panel Recycling Scheme, which was paused due to a procurement complaint.  

In this episode of The Briefing Chris Spyrou is joined by James Petesic, the co-founder of a leading Solar Panel Recycling company PV Industries, who’s pushing for the government to get the pilot back on track. 

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Monday Headlines: 

• Labor suffers a hit in the polls as questions mount on cost of living relief
• Flydubai pilot's links to Australia being investigated
• Reality star Sam Wood charged with domestic violence offences
• Revelations driver who allegedly crashed into NRL fans has previously lost his licence
• Roosters bask in GF glory after NRL and NRLW wins

Deep Dive: Spring has well and truly sprung across the country, and for one in four Australians that means dealing with the symptoms of hay fever.  

The number of people affected is increasing nationwide, due to a number of factors including climate change.   

In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by Professor Janet Davies head of the Allergy Research Group at Queensland University of Technology to discuss why more people are being affected and the best way to deal with symptoms.   

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Welcome back to Our Take! 

It's the time of week that we loosen our ties (except we famously don't wear ties), kick off our shoes (figuratively because WHS rules) and talk the week that was in news and pop culture.  

This week's debrief is on the question that's divided the internet this week: is it ok to rock up to a job interview with an iced coffee? Sach and producer Tessa weigh in. 

We open the Inbox to hear YOUR thoughts on some of the stories we covered this week, with condom use and interest rates really getting you listening and talking. 

Then it's time for the Weekend Quiz and we're on our best behaviour when office manager Tierney stops by to test her knowledge. Questions below, make sure you listen to get the answers!  

As always, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories we've covered, or ones you'd like us to cover! Hit us up on Instagram @thebriefingpodcast and don't forget you can comment on eps if you listen on Spotify.  

The Weekend Quiz:  

1. Who took out this year’s men’s Dally M medal? CLUE: He did it from his dad’s couch ...  

2. The Reserve Bank lifted the official cash rate this week to what? 

3. Who was named the new Greens leader? BONUS POINT: Who are they replacing and why?  

4. Something we all have to pay when we tap our card at shops was axed this week. What was it?

5. Everyone became obsessed with what flying insect this week? 
 

The Weekend List:  

To do: Make a submission to the Select Committee on Women's Health (Sacha's recommendation, link here) 

To watch: The Barbie movies on YouTube (Tessa's recommendation) 

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Headlines:

• Israeli PM says flydubai pilot underwent 'radical indoctrination'
• Woman rushed to hospital in Tennessee after surviving two execution attempts
• Australian news outlets call for AI companies to be included in media bargaining laws
• Sarah Hanson-Young addresses 'brutal' politics after losing Greens leadership bid
• Newcastle heads into Sunday's NRL decider with the highest representation of Indigenous players ever in a GF

Deep Dive: Masses of bogong moths have swarmed the east coast this week, with videos of the migration going viral.  

The massive numbers are being celebrated by experts, after the insects were declared endangered back in 2021.  

In this episode of The Briefing, Zoos Victoria Senior Conservation Biologist Dr Marissa Parrott joins Sacha Barbour Gatt to talk about why there are so many this spring, and why they're so vital to Australia's ecosystems.  
 
Report a moth sighting at Zoos Victoria’s moth tracker here

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Thursday Headlines: 

• Officials investigate possible terror attack on Israel-bound flight
• House prices drop for sixth month in a row
• Banks pass on interest rate rise
• David Shoebridge named new Greens leader
• Nathan Cleary wins the Dally M from his dad's couch

Deep Dive: 

One Nation has booted the ABC and The Guardian from press conferences across the country, sparking calls for better protections for journalists and media organisations.  

Alliance for Journalists’ Freedom wants to see a Media Freedom Bill introduced, forcing Parliament to protect it like any other human right.   

In this episode of The Briefing, executive director of the Alliance for Journalists’ Freedom Peter Greste joins Sacha Barbour Gatt to talk about how Australian media can be better protected.

Further listening:

What falling house prices mean for you

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