The Briefing

Robert F. Kennedy Jr - now Donald Trump’s Health Secretary - has made dubious claims about vaccines, with his latest suggesting common painkillers like Panadol could cause autism in unborn children. His statements, widely rejected by doctors and health experts, have reignited controversy not just in public health but within one of America’s most famous dynasties: the Kennedys.

In our first episode of The Beefing, Helen Smith unpacks the feud between Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his family. From being called a 'threat to the health and wellbeing of every American' to facing condemnation from relatives including the former US Ambassador to Australia, RFK Jr.’s crusade has sparked a family stoush with political and cultural consequences far beyond the dinner table. 

So how did he stray so far from his family’s legacy? We’re breaking it down in... The Beefing! 

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In a bombshell statement sending shockwaves around the world, the US President has claimed paracetamol use in pregnant women is linked to autism. Although admitting he’s not a doctor, Donald Trump also made concerning allegations about vaccines.

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by leading autism researcher, Professor David Trembath, to unpack today’s statements from the US President and shares important advice for concerned women and expecting parents. 

Headlines: A senior police officer has been charged with the assault of Hannah Thomas, a man known as the “Moore Park Rapist" has plead guilty to a number of sexual assaults, and Matilda’s Captain, Steph Catley, has won a prestigious international award. 

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Headlines: Opposition leader Sussan Ley welcomed to Israel over Palestine pushback, Super typhoon set to make landfall in China, Hong Kong and the Philippines, The Duchess of York dropped by charities over Epstein apology, Instagram rolls out AI to detect teens lying about age, and AFL's night of nights – the Brownlow!

Deep Dive: Boycotts and ‘political consumerism’ are on the rise, with consumers actively choosing to buy from companies that align with their political views.  

It’s become one of the most common forms of political participation in western liberal democracies, including right here in Australia, over issues like Palestine, Ukraine, Tesla and Disney.  

In this episode of The Briefing, Helen Smith is joined by Erin O'Brien, an Associate Professor in International Relations at Griffith University, to explain if you can create change by joining a boycott.  

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The fallout continues over the Optus disaster as pressure grows on the Telecommunications Giant after its deadly triple-zero outage. Federal Communications Minister Anika Wells says Optus has failed the Australian people, warning the company will face significant consequences. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by tech expert Trevor Long to unpack what caused the outrage, who’s to blame and the warning to other telco giants. 

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Headlines: Australia joins Canada and the UK in formally recognising Palestine, Charlie Kirk's funeral service is underway at a stadium in Arizona, at least five people tried to warn telco giant Optus of an outage that impacted 000 calls, Tony Abbott, Liz Truss, and Jacinta Nampijinpa Price headline a conservative conference in Brisbane, and it turns out plenty of Aussies are willing to risk a fine when catching public transport.

Deep Dive: The fatal stabbings of two boys, aged 12 and 15, in Melbourne’s west shocked the nation and put a spotlight on youth violence across Victoria. 

Police have since arrested seven teenagers over the brutal attack, but deeper questions remain about what’s fuelling this trend and whether government responses are helping or harming. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou speaks with criminal lawyer and forensic psychologist Dr Brianna Chesser to unpack it. 

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The Coachella 2026 line-up has officially dropped, featuring major headliners like Justin Bieber and Sabrina Carpenter, but one Aussie act also taking the stage is Royel Otis. 

Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovic make up the pop duo, who recently went viral for their covers of Linger by the Cranberries and Sophie Ellis-Bextor's Murder on the Dancefloor. 

In this bonus episode of The Briefing, we’re revisiting a chat from last year with Tom Tilley and Royel Otis who explain how they came together and the story behind their debut album, Pratts & Pain

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Gwilym Lee is a proud Welshman and self-proclaimed ‘pretender’, best known for portraying Queen guitarist Brian May in Bohemian Rhapsody.

The actor grew up in Birmingham and began his career on stage before staring in television dramas like The Great, Midsomer Murders and Top End Bub - alongside Aussie actor and co-writer Miranda Tapsell.

In this chat with Antoinette Lattouf, Gwilym shares what it was like filming in the Northern Territory and playing Ned, the ‘confused white guy’, while gaining insight into First Nations culture, community, and art.

Weekend list with Helen Smith

• TO WATCH: Mr Fantasy music video
• TO EAT: Musashi protein bars
• TO EAT: Potato salad party
• TO READ: Zeteo news

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The race is on to find the next NSW Police Commissioner, but the top candidate is already plagued with controversy. The NSW Premier says he’s willing to overlook bad decisions and that the NSW police commissioner did not need to have a “lily-white record”. It comes at the end of a massive week for the NSW government... after it passed groundbreaking legislation that could set a precedent across the country. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by NSW Minister Rose Jackson to explain the new deepfake laws and housing planning overhauls and also her reaction on who will be the state’s next Police Commissioner. 

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Friday Headlines: Donald Trump says Jimmy Kimmel being taken off air is not a free speech issue, Queensland becomes the first state to ban pill testing, doctor who treated Erin Patterson reprimanded by medical board for 'crazy bitch' comments, Brigitte Macron to submit 'scientific evidence' proving she is not a man and a new survey for dog-obsessed Aussies!

Further listening from the headlines: 

• The Macrons vs Candace Owens Part I on Apple Podcasts and Spotify
• PART 2: French president sues podcaster over claims first lady is a man on Apple Podcasts and Spotify
• The drug report the government won't release on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

Deep Dive: 
A UFO sighting confirmed by hundreds of Australians has been shrouded in secrecy for decades. 

Now there are fresh calls for the government to hold a parliamentary inquiry into the Westall incident, as well as the government cover-up that followed. 
 
In this episode of The Briefing, Tara Cassidy speaks with UAP researcher and activist Grant Lavac, who started the petition, about why the public and the government need to follow the US’s lead in taking UFO sightings seriously.

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Donald Trump’s war on the media has just escalated, with the Jimmy Kimmel Show cancelled after the late-night night host made comments about the US President’s reaction to the assassination of Charlie Kirk. President Trump today also banned Australia’s ABC from attending a news conference after a 4 Corners journalist questioned the US leader over his family’s business dealings. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Crikey journalist Charlie Lewis to unpack what these latest developments mean for the independence of media and freedom of speech. 

Headlines: A major court win for former broadcaster Alan Jones, the federal government has handed down its long-awaited emissions reduction target, and retail giant Kmart has been found to have unlawfully used facial recognition technology. 

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