The Briefing

Headlines: 

• Body of missing Sharon found near Alice Springs
• The US gives a cost estimate for the Iran war
• Mark Latham to pay $100k for tweets
• More Aussie residents now from India than England
• ... and the top 50 Aussie films 

Deep Dive: 

The Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion handed down its interim report this morning, and PM Albanese has already vowed to implement all 14 recommendations. Among those recommendations are that Jewish festivals and events should receive greater security protections from police, and that Australia’s national gun control laws should be strengthened.  

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Antony Loewenstein, a journalist, film-maker, and author of The Palestine Laboratory, who is also on the Advisory Committee of the Jewish Council of Australia.

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Thursday Headlines:

• China to resume jet fuel exports to Australia
• Pauline Hanson billed taxpayers for multiple flights to fundraisers
• Family of missing Alice Springs girl say they’re ‘desperate’ for her return
• Australia’s meth use soars to record highs
• Australia’s best places to work revealed

Deep Dive: A new toolkit targeting 'uniquely female' mental health challenges is being put to the test - addressing burnout, caregiving, stigma and coercive control, where traditional approaches haven't kept pace. 

Launched by Smiling Mind in partnership with the Sisterhood Foundation, the free Women and Girls Mental Fitness Hub focuses on building everyday resilience and prevention, and it's already showing promising results. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Helen Smith is joined by Michele, a psychologist, mother, carer and survivor of coercive control, who shares how the program has helped reshape her daily life. 

Further listening from the headlines:
Why smoking is ‘cool’ again

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Headlines:

• Child abuse material found at Dezi Freeman’s home
• Mum of Beau Lamarre-Condon charged with witness tampering
• James Comey, former FBI director, faces new retribution charges
• ... and a dinner menu fit for a king 

Deep Dive: 

Inflation is on the rise again, with consumer prices rising 4.6% in the 12 months to March. Transport costs alone rose 8.9% over the last year, jacked up by the oil crunch caused by the US-Iran war.

What do these figures mean for you? And for interest rates? In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Carrington Clarke, host of the ABC Business Daily podcast and the ABC’s Fuelcast. 

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Wednesday Headlines: 

• King Charles addresses US Congress
• Tech giants slam PM’s news laws
• World’s most powerful oil cartel dealt major blow
• New poll shows a majority of Aussies approve of Pauline Hanson’s leadership
• Victorian teachers to be offered major pay deal
• Olivia Rodrigo shows up unannounced to New York open mic night

Deep Dive: Donald Trump has once again been the target of an assassination attempt, with Cole Tomas Allen charged with attempting to kill the US President. 

It’s the third time in less than two years that a plot against Trump has been either attempted or foiled, and you might be wondering – what would happen if an assassin succeeded? 

In today’s episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou investigates what succession plan is in place if the US President is killed in office and how such an event could reshape US politics and the world.  
 
Guest: Garrett M. Graff, journalist, historian and author of Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government's Secret Plan to Save Itself While the Rest of Us Die 

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Headlines: 

• Trump unhappy with Iran's proposal to end the war 
• The US names a new Aussie ambassador
• Rebel Wilson begins her evidence in court
• PM announces new levy on Big Tech
• Elon Musk is suing Sam Altman: expect fireworks
• Elbie the dog saved from window ledge ordeal 

Deep Dive: 

On 28 April, 1996, a gunman killed 35 people in Australia’s worst mass shooting. Within months, Prime Minister John Howard had harnessed the grief of the country to implement world-leading gun control laws. We didn’t have another mass shooting for decades, until recently. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Mike Amor, who reported from the scene of the Port Arthur massacre. 

You can find the Alannah & Madeline Foundation here.

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Tuesday Headlines:

• Cole Tomas Allen charged with attempting to assassinate Donald Trump
• Iran offers deal to end the war
• RSL to review its Welcome to Country policies
• Port Arthur 30th anniversary
• Majority of Aussie teens still using social media
• Taylor Swift is trying to trademark her voice amid AI concerns

Deep Dive: For two months, the world’s been fixated on the escalating conflict involving Iran, the US, and Israel, but another superpower, China, has been quietly shaping events behind the scenes. 

While Beijing presents itself as a calm mediator, reports suggest it may also be covertly supporting Iran’s war efforts. 

So, is China a peacemaker, a silent backer, or simply playing both sides? In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou asks international conflict expert Dr Jessica Genauer. 

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Headlines: 

• Trump responds to shooter’s manifesto
• Iran’s foreign minister is meeting with Putin
• Two children dead in Bowen Mountain house fire
• Abduction fears for Alice Springs 5-year-old
• And: ANZAC Day with Brian Barry 

Deep Dive: 

Testicular cancer is the most common cancer among young men; and it’s highly treatable. April is Testicular Cancer Awareness Month, and in this episode of The Briefing Natarsha Belling is joined by race car driver Thomas Randle to talk about his diagnosis and how he survived the disease. Plus: Randle gives some potentially life-saving advice. 

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Monday Headlines:

• Trump likely target of shooting at White House correspondents’ dinner
• Israel-Lebanon ceasefire shattered
• Penny Wong to visit China, Japan and South Korea to shore up fuel supply
• Angus Taylor says Welcome to Country ceremonies are “overused”
• London Marathon sees world record tumble

Deep Dive: Since the devastating October 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel in 2023, and Israel’s subsequent war in Gaza, racism in Australia has been on the rise.  

Impacted communities have reported increases in threats, graffiti, abuse, and violence against them, and now a new report is shining a stark light on the situation.  

In this episode of The Briefing, Sacha Barbour Gatt is joined by the Australian Race Discrimination Commissioner, Giridharan Sivaraman to break down a groundbreaking report into racism against our Jewish, Arab and Muslim communities in the wake of October 7. 

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The far right is becoming more visible globally, including in Australia, through online activity and public protests involving extremist nationalist groups and neo-Nazi figures. But experts say understanding this rise requires looking at its deeper history. 

One key moment often pointed to is the 2017 Charlottesville rally in the US, where white supremacists, neo-Nazis and counter-protesters clashed violently, leaving one woman dead and many injured. 

In her book Charlottesville: An American Story, historian Deborah Baker examines not just the event, but the long history of racism and political tension that led to it. 

In this bonus episode of The Briefing, Helen Smith speaks with Baker about why Charlottesville is seen as a turning point for the modern far right.

You can see Deborah at Sydney Writers' Festival (17-24 May)

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Luke Hemsworth may be part of one of Australia’s most famous acting families, but his path to Hollywood was anything but conventional. Before the spotlight, he was pearl farming in remote Western Australia, sanding floors, and taking on odd jobs while never fully expecting acting to become his career. 

As the eldest Hemsworth brother, Luke was actually the first to step in front of the camera, building his early career in Australian TV before breaking through internationally with Westworld and beyond - all while carving out his own identity alongside brothers Chris and Liam. 

In this chat with Helen Smith, Luke reflects on the unexpected journey into acting, leaving the US to return home to Australia and his latest action film Beast – sharing why he believes Australian stories still deserve a bigger place on the world stage. 

Weekend list with Sacha Barbour Gatt

• Listener Billy TO DO: Watch the ANZAC day sport matches 
• TO WATCH: Twister 2024 sequel on Netflix
• TO DO: Sell your old electronics
• TO DO: Update you rewards app

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