The Briefing

Wednesday Headlines: 

• Labor to pass contentious tax reforms 
• Angus Taylor grilled on multiculturalism
• Urgent testing underway but no new cases of bird flu yet
• 40 die in France amid record heat
• Legal win for Sydney nurses after viral video struck out
• Daryl Braithwaite announces retirement from live gigs

Deep Dive: The Australian political narrative has been completely hijacked by the rise of Pauline Hanson and One Nation, as the party and its leader continue to surge ahead in the polls.  

But after the Prime Minister publicly challenged her claim that she is the ultimate champion of the "Aussie battler" this week, a critical question remains: who does her party actually stand for?   

In this episode of The Briefing, Big Small Talk host Hannah Ferguson joins Sacha Barbour Gatt to break down the reality behind the rhetoric. 

Further listening from headlines:
Bird flu's hit Australia. What now?

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Tuesday Headlines: 

• UK PM Sir Keir Starmer resigns
• Vance says Iran will allow nuclear inspectors
• Aussie support for multiculturalism plunges in historic survey shift
• Rare warning from Five Eyes urges leaders to ‘act now’ on powerful new AI models
• Messi breaks World Cup goal-scoring record 

Deep Dive:
For years, Australia managed to avoid a strain of bird flu that has devastated wildlife populations and agricultural industries across much of the world. 

That changed over the weekend, after authorities confirmed an infected migratory bird was discovered with H5N1 in Western Australia. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou speaks with Professor Paul Griffin, Director of Infectious Diseases at Mater Health, about what we know about the virus, the risks it poses to both humans and animals, and why authorities are urging us to roll up our sleeves for this year’s flu shot to help reduce its impact. 

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Monday Headlines: 

• National Cabinet to meet today to lock in fuel excise cut extension
• JD Vance says ‘great progress’ made as Iran talks kicks off in Switzerland
• UK Prime Minister could resign in next 24 hours
• Auction clearance rates hit lowest levels since the pandemic
• Socceroos 90% likely to reach next stage of World Cup

Deep Dive:
Last month, Australian neo-Nazi group White Australia, also known as the National Socialist Network, became a prohibited hate group. That means it is now illegal: it’s a crime to join, fund, or support the group. The NSN is challenging the government’s declaration, with a showdown scheduled in the High Court for September. 

In the meantime, it’s been revealed a $2.5m Victorian property the neo-Nazi group is currently using as their headquarters has been paid for by a millionaire backer. And it’s not just one millionaire, but a network of rich and influential sympathisers. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Sacha Barbour Gatt speaks with journalist Sherryn Groch from The Age, who has followed the money to find the neo-Nazis' mansion and the millionaire-backers supporting them. 

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In April, a company called Anthropic claimed they had a new AI model that was too powerful to release. They called it ‘Mythos’, and said it could find new ways to hack computers which humans had overlooked for decades. Mythos, they said, was too dangerous for public consumption. Instead, Anthropic released Mythos to trusted partners in government and businesses, including in Australia.  

Then, in mid-June, a public version of Mythos was made available. Anthropic said this version was safe for anyone to use; the U.S. government strongly disagreed. After only a few days the U.S. government banned foreigners from accessing the new AI model. Australians were cut off, and we don’t know when access will be resumed. 

Today, we’re bringing back an interview from April with cybersecurity expert Dr. Suelette Dreyfus. What dangers does Mythos pose, and are we ready for a tsunami of AI-enabled hacking?

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It was meant to bring us all together, to cross the divides of land and sea and become a virtual town square. A place for people to connect and share their thoughts, ideas and dreams. 

The vision was there, but the reality of social media has become something much different. 

It’s a place driven by outrage, hate, and controversy. And it’s ruining public debate and possibly us as a society. 

Ed Coper is one of the founding strategists behind GetUp! and he’s written a new book Angertainment about how social media has birthed an entire outrage industry that is harvesting and monetising our worst impulses. 

In this chat with Sacha Barbour Gatt, Ed tells us how we got here and why understanding it is the first step to defeating it. 

Ed Coper appears at The Wheeler Centre in Melbourne on Wednesday 24 June. Angertainment is available now. 

The Weekend List:

• To do: Get to a Jazz bar (recommended by listener Timmy) 
• To do: Get around the SBS 
• To Watch: John Safran’s new doco Shut Your Big Fat Mouth John Safran (on SBS)
• To Watch: The Socceroos (beat?) the US at the World Cup 

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Friday Headlines: 

• Australia’s migration numbers revealed
• Ships begin moving through the Strait of Hormuz 
• Gina Rinehart gifts Pauline Hanson a 'beautiful big fat orange bulldozer'
•  Labor unveils CGT carve-outs as inquiry hands down report
• All eyes on Seattle for Socceroos vs USA

Deep Dive:
Australia has been rocked by another shark attack this week, with a Sydney mum losing an arm after being mauled by a suspected Great White.  

It’s prompted yet another debate about how to keep people safe at our beaches, but calls have grown louder this time around for a shark cull to be brought in to lower populations and protect swimmers.  

But it’s not as simple as that, says Lawrence Chlebeck, a marine biologist with Humane World for Animals.   

In this episode of The Briefing, he sits down with Sacha Barbour Gatt to explain shark culls, their flaws, and what could work better. 

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Thursday Headlines: 

• Pauline Hanson criticised for press club address as AFP investigates banner incident
• US officials reveal Iran peace deal details
• Pakistani officials apologise for fatal shooting of Australian girl
• First non-stop flight to Europe from Australia’s east coast confirmed
• The Maroons thump the Blues in State of Origin 2

Deep Dive:
Kyle Sandilands and ARN have settled their legal dispute, clearing the way for the radio shock jock to make his next move in the audio space. 

But it turns out he’ll still be tied to his former employer, which will be taking a cut of the profits from his new show, and they’ll still have to host ads for him on the station he once called home. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Sacha Barbour Gatt is joined again by industry insider Craig Bruce to break down the deal and what it means for the future of audio in Australia. 

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Wednesday Headlines: 

• Interest rate hike reprieve, but the pain might not be over
• Ben Roberts-Smith bail conditions varied 
• Pauline Hanson to address the National Press Club for the first time in her political career
• Virgin Australia lashed as it plans to pocket $90 million in travel credits
• Kyle Sandilands apparently settles with ARN for $15 million

Deep Dive: The Albanese government has been struggling to convince voters its proposed changes to the Capital Gains Tax – as outlined in last month’s budget – will be beneficial for Australians.  

The business sector and Coalition is up in arms about the effects it will have on investment in this country, with accusations the two-day Senate inquiry into the planned changes is rushed.  

Independent economist Saul Eslake appeared at that hearing this week. In this episode of The Briefing, he joins Sacha Barbour Gatt to explain how the reforms to CGT will affect different Aussies and give his verdict on the changes.   

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Tuesday Headlines: 

• Skepticism surrounds US-Iran peace deal
• AFP confirms investigation into allegations of sexual assault by flotilla activists
• Sydney shark attack victim loses arm
• Economists back government’s CGT plan, but admit it’s not perfect
• Gina Rinehart buys ‘significant’ stake in SpaceX

Deep Dive: A new cosmetic procedure is plumping faces – and raising eyebrows – in the US.  

It involves using the fat from dead bodies as filler in patients seeking plumper lips, butts and faces, despite very limited clinical trials or proof it’s safe.  

In this episode of The Briefing, Sacha Barbour Gatt is joined by QLD plastic surgeon Dr David Sparks to talk zombie filler and ask not only whether it’s safe, but also whether it’s ethical to use cadaver tissue for beauty. 

Further listening from headlines:
'I heard the screams': Inside Israeli detention
Elon’s road to $1,000,000,000,000

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The United States and Iran have announced a cease-fire deal that would pause fighting for 60 days. “Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!” Trump wrote on social media. 

Sacha Barbour Gatt has this breaking news update. 

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