The Briefing

Friday Headlines: 

• Social media platforms are monetising gore content: eSafety Commissioner
• Man pulled from rubble in Venezuela eight days after twin quakes
• NSW to crack down on nangs
• Australia’s wealth going backwards but the rich get richer
• Eminem loses trademark battle with Aussie beach brand

Deep Dive: We’re more than a decade into the Netflix era, and every year we’ve heard the prediction that streaming will kill in-person cinema.  

In 2026, those predictions are wrong, again, with June and July set to mark, some of the biggest release months this year with films including Odyssey and Toy Story 5 expected to rake in billions. 

But it’s not only the big films that are winning with smaller franchises and female-skewing films also outperforming expectations. 

So, is the box office back, for good? In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by Christian Kloukinas from Village Cinemas to find out. 

Further listening from the headlines: 

Venezuela's 'abysmal' earthquake response

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Thursday Headlines: 

• New analysis proves its harder to own a house now than when interest rates were 17%
• Pollies turn out for Midwinter Ball 
• Online fraud and scams have increased as we become less vigilant
• Karl Stefanovic to lose radio show 
• Details emerge about Taylor Swift’s wedding

Deep Dive: Twin earthquakes tore through Venezuela's north last week, leaving more than seventeen hundred dead and tens of thousands missing. 

The emergency response has been widely criticised, international aid has faced unexpected obstacles getting in, and the government is carefully controlling the narrative as the outside world watches. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by LiSTNR senior journalist Claudianna Blanco to examine what this disaster reveals about the state of the country and what life actually looks like for Venezuelans six months on from the US capture of President Nicolás Maduro. 

Further listening from headlines:

What a 'free' Karl Stefanovic really means

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Wednesday Headlines: 

• Thai police investigating Australian man for possible links to suitcase murders
• Support for One Nation remains high despite rejection of key policies
• House prices drop by biggest amount since 2022
• Donald Trump’s controversial birthright citizenship policy struck down by Supreme Court
• Grad sacked after allegedly accessing Albo’s bank account 
• NT residents named the happiest in the country

Deep Dive: July 1 marks the start of the new financial year and also when a raft of new laws, policies, regulations and pricing comes into effect.  

This year that includes cheaper electricity for most states, bucking recent trends which have seen prices for everything else go up.  

But it’s a little more complicated than just getting a cheaper bill, in fact, some people will be paying more.  

In this episode of The Briefing, Sacha Barbour Gatt is joined by Canstar’s Data Insights Director, Sally Tindall, to unpack the changes coming to our power bills and how to get the best deal. 

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Tuesday Headlines: 

• Anthony Albanese backs multiculturalism as Coalition considers a rebrand
• US-Iran talks resume
• Bruce Lehrmann loses bid for Brittany Higgins footage
• Aussie fuel prices return to pre-Iran war levels
• Musical theatre industry calls for government help

Deep Dive: Karl Stefanovic got tongues wagging last week when he had controversial UK figure Tommy Robinson on his independent podcast for a conversation that did little to challenge the far-right agitator on his problematic views about immigration and Islam. 

Within days of the podcast episode going live, it had sensationally been pulled from all platforms, and the Nine Network’s highest-paid star had been shown the door, in an exit that signals yet another shift in the media space. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by Jacqueline Maley, columnist and senior writer at The Age to discuss Karl’s Nine exit, why he’s happy about it and what it means for free speech and the broader media landscape in Australia. 

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Monday Headlines:  

• Labor recovers in the polls, One Nation takes a hit
• Australian man denies murder charges after 17-year-old's body found in suitcase
• Thousands still missing from Venezuela earthquakes
• US and Iran recommence strikes
• NSW announces major shark mitigation strategy after Coogee attack
• World Cup moves to the knockouts

Deep Dive: Your cybersecurity is at risk, according to the world’s spies. Five Eyes is the alliance of spies from the US, UK, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia – and last week, they published a warning that cutting-edge AI “accelerates the speed, scale, and sophistication of cyber threats”. 

They also wrote that the timeline of the transformation is “not years, it is months.” 

How worried should we all be about these cyber threats? And what can we, individually and collectively, do about them?  

In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by cybersecurity expert Alastair MacGibbon, the founding head of the Australian Cyber Security Centre. 

Further listening from headlines:

• The truth about shark culls
• Your guide to Aus v Paraguay 

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Michael Theo first captured Australia's attention as one of the stars of Love on the Spectrum.  
 
Since then, he's gone on to lead the ABC comedy-drama Austin - a performance that has now earned him a Silver Logie nomination for Best Lead Actor in a Comedy.

To mark the nomination, we're revisiting one of our conversations with him from the archives.

This bonus Sunday episode of The Briefing is Antoinette Lattouf's 2024 conversation with Michael Theo about finding fame through Love on the Spectrum, making the leap into acting, and the very specific checklist he has for his ideal partner.

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He went from busking in Pitt Street Mall to winning Australia's Got Talent with Justice Crew, signing a record deal despite none of them being trained singers, and touring the world with the likes of Pitbull, Janet Jackson and One Direction.  
 
Now John Pearce - Big Strong John, the internet's "hot Wiggle" - sits down with Chris Spyrou in this episode of The Weekend Briefing to look back on the wild ride from western Sydney dancer to ARIA chart-topper, including what he actually did with his AGT prize money, whether twin telepathy with his brother Lenny is real, and the moment Justice Crew quietly wound down. 
 
They also get into how he came to join the Wiggle-verse, how his life has changed since becoming a dad and his honest feelings about being labelled a heartthrob while dressed as a children's entertainer.

WEEKEND LIST: 

• To watch: Widow's Bay on Apple TV (Listener Nial) 
• To eat: GYG Breakfast Burrito 
• To gift: Gourmet Basket
• To explore: Bunnings on Uber Eats?!

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Friday Headlines: 

• World leaders commit aid after Venezuela hit by two earthquakes
• Albo to target social media companies and algorithms in strengthening of under-16 ban
• Sydney shark attack victim awake, reunited with daughter
• Nearly 1 in 20 fuel pumps short-changing Australians  
• SBS braces for record viewing audience as Socceroos take on Paraguay

Deep Dive: The Socceroos are back in action today, taking on Paraguay in their final World Cup group match. 

Australia heads into the clash knowing a win or draw would put it in a strong position to reach the knockout stage - but even a loss may not be enough to end our campaign. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by SBS's Santo & Ed's Cup Fever host Ed Kavalee to unpack Australia's chances, the big names to watch, and the World Cup facts that'll help you sound like you've been following the tournament all along.

Further listening from headlines: 
Your anger is being sold, Ed Coper knows what to do about it

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Thursday Headlines: 

• Bird flu found in second Aussie state
• Hanson says Socceroos are an example of monoculturalism
• ASIO defends resourcing ahead of Bondi attack, warns of ‘unprecedented’ number of threats
• Karl Stefanovic to leave after podcast interview with far-right activist
• Neil the seal is back 🦭

Deep Dive: The world is in El Niño again – the weather pattern caused by warmer sea surface temperature in the Pacific Ocean. For Australia, an El Niño usually means less rain and hotter days, but also more extreme temperatures, including a higher frost risk. 

The big question, though, is whether hotter and drier conditions are likely to lead to a dramatic bushfire season. Could we be in for another Black Summer? 

In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by Dr Kimberley Reid, a Research Fellow with the Centre of Excellence for Weather of the 21st Century at the University of Melbourne to unpack it all. 

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Can someone please explain what’s going on in the United Kingdom? Within two years of a landslide election, the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer became so unpopular that his own party wanted to throw him out. The man set to replace him, Andy Burnham, seems like he’s going to assume the top job unchallenged, after only recently being re-elected into parliament. Burnham will be the seventh UK Prime Minister in a decade.

What went wrong with UK politics? And is the Labour leadership drama just a distraction before the right-wing Reform party sweeps the next election? 

Joining this episode of The Briefing is Katy Balls, an editor and columnist for The Times and The Sunday Times.

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