Since the 1970s, young Aussies have marked the end of their schooling career by descending on beaches across the country for a week of drinking, partying and hooking up – an annual event known as schoolies or leavers.

After making headlines for all the wrong reasons, police and organisers started clamping down on celebrations, especially on the Gold Coast. This year’s official event has gone so far as to ban booze altogether. But even with the changes, and with Gen Z drinking less than any generation before it, many teenagers are steering away from a week of debauchery and are instead prioritising quality time with their friends at more laidback spots.

So has the face of schoolies changed forever? On this extra episode of The Briefing, we’re joined by the founder of Red Frogs, Andy Gourley, to dig deeper.

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The Federal Government has announced it will ban the importation of vapes and cut permitted nicotine levels under reforms set to be phased in from January next year. With a new survey of 2,500 young people aged 14-25 finding that 50% had vaped, with 1 in 6 vaping daily, it seems the reforms can't come soon enough. 

Tom Tilley is joined by Joy, a 19-year-old who started vaping at 16 to share her story, alongside medical psychologist Professor Claire Wakefield.

 

Headlines:

Ceasefire could be close in Gaza 

Australia wins the Cricket World Cup

Taylor Swift postpones Rio concert after fan dies

 

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Speak now or forever hold your peace!

Australian feminist writer, broadcaster and public speaker Clementine Ford makes the case against marriage.

In this chat with Antoinette Lattouf Clementine breaks down the patriarchal structures of marriage in a western society and how it never favoured women.

Weekend list:

• Choc dipped dried mangos from Aldi
• Article Erewhon's Secrets by The Cut
• Antoinette version of a poke bowl
• Stand up comedy shows

Send us your Weekend List suggestions on Instagram at @thebriefingpodcast!

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Ever wondered if extinct species could make a comeback?

The Tasmanian Tiger became extinct in 1936, but an Australian researcher is working on bringing them back from the dead. Professor in Epigenetics Andrew Pask has opened the TIGRR lab at the University of Melbourne to work on de-extinction of the Thylacine. It’s partnering with U.S company Colossal Biosciences who’s working on similar projects for the Wooly Mammoth and Dodo.

Today on this extra episode of the Briefing, CEO and founder Ben Lamm and Andrew Pask take us through how the science works and what it could mean for the future.

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Meet the man who is becoming one of the most powerful Australian’s in the world, Lachlan Murdoch. The Murdoch family are the owners of the huge global media empire News Corp, which was built by Lachlan’s father Rupert. Paddy Manning is an investigative reporter and has been researching the Murdoch’s for years, he joins Tom Tilley to unpack the very private life of the new successor Lachlan Murdoch.

 

Headlines:

Parliament passes emergency laws on asylum seekers

A 12-year-old girl has been charged with murder

A volunteer firefighter has died in NSW 

Hungry Jacks wins in Big Jack vs Big Mac fight

Hard Solo forced to change name to Hard Rated

 

 

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Have you ever been sent a marketing email that didn’t have an unsubscribe button? Or maybe you’ve received a message from a company you’re sure you’ve already unsubscribed from?

More and more businesses are getting caught out for breaching Australia’s spam laws- including Kmart, Ticketek and Uber just in the last few weeks.

Today on this extra episode of The Briefing, we speak to Andrew Williams, CEO of the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network, about what happens when companies don’t follow these rules, and why you shouldn’t just delete your spam.

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An eighth Covid wave is gripping the country, coming in right before Christmas again! Thousands of people are still getting sick, with this strain being one of the nastier ones. Now now the vast majority of us are vaccinated, how concerned should we be? Should we consider getting a booster and masking up again?

In this episode of The Briefing Antoinette Lattouf asks Professor Paul Griffin all the big questions.

 

Headlines:

Government to rush through asylum seeker legislation

Israel carries out ground offensive on Al Shifa hospital

Troye Sivan and Genesis Owusu win big at the ARIAS 

 

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Taylor Swift is arguably the biggest pop star in the world at the moment, breaking all sorts of records with her new music and re-recorded albums.

But why is one of the highest-selling musicians of all time releasing new versions of her old work? And what does it mean for the industry going forward?

On this extra episode of The Briefing, we break down music copyright to explain how Taylor Swift is able to re-release her albums, and the reason behind why.

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Last week the High Court ruled that 92 asylum seekers being held in detention indefinitely was unlawful, leading to their immediate release. Since, concerns have been raised about the safety of the community, with many of those who were kept in detention failing character tests, including a Malaysian hitman and a stateless Rohingya man who had previously served time in jail for child sex offences. 
 
In this episode of the Briefing Katrina Blowers speaks with Professor Mary Crock from the University of Sydney about why the High Court made the ruling, and the impact of the release.

 

Headlines:

Albanese government under fire over the release of asylum seekers

New claims hostages held under a children's hospital in Gaza 

New stats reveal a cyber crime increase

'Matilda’ is Australia’s 2023 word of the year

 

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Do you know what's happening right now at Gaza's biggest hospital? 

The Dar al-Shifa hospital is currently on its third day without power, fuel, water or food after a number of bombardments, while Hamas militants and Israeli troops clash outside its doors. It’s created a humanitarian crisis inside the hospital’s walls as doctors desperately try to save the sick and dying.

On this extra episode of The Briefing, we speak with Arunn Jegan from Medecins Sans Frontieres – or Doctors Without Borders - the independent international medical humanitarian organisation, who currently has volunteers inside al-Shifa hospital.

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