The Briefing

The federal government has released the results of its long-awaited trial into its plan to crackdown on social media users under 16. Many experts warn that the age verification rules won’t work, and can be easily outsmarted by tech-savvy teenagers.

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by internet studies Professor Tama Leaver, who says the new measures won’t keep children safe online, and there are also major privacy concerns with what new data big tech companies will now want from young people. 

Headlines: Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has had to abandon a press conference, Queensland MP Bob Katter could be penalised after threatening a journalist, and NSW surfer Molly Picklum has won the World Surf League finals in Fiji.

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Tuesday Headlines: Our prescriptions are set to get a little cheaper, Aldi vegetable suppliers accused of being part of a price-fixing cartel, some of the world’s most powerful leaders are meeting in China, the Taliban government in Afghanistan is calling for international help after a magnitude 6.0 earthquake, and two-thirds of young drivers are scared to refuel their cars.

Deep Dive: Short-stay rentals like Airbnb and Stayz could be costing Australian taxpayers up to $556 million a year - not through booking fees, but tax breaks. 

A new report from housing advocacy group Everybody’s Home revealed that nearly 170,000 short-term rentals across the country are linked to huge losses in tax revenue through negative gearing.  

In this episode of The Briefing, Helen Smith speaks with Everybody’s Home spokesperson Maiy Azize about the true cost of short-stay rentals and whether tighter regulation could improve housing affordability. 

Further listening from the headlines: 
Why you can't get your medication, and who's to blame

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So, is migration really to blame for our housing crisis? According to one expert, our growing population is not the main cause of skyrocketing prices and rent. In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Economist Matt Grudnoff, who explains that tax breaks with negative gearing and capital gains are the real issue. Matt says governments need to abolish these tax loopholes to make property more affordable. 

Headlines: Victoria Police believe members of the public could be helping Dezi Freeman evade authorities, an attack by far-right protesters on a First Nations camp has been condemned, and Magda Szubanski has shared a candid video from hospital. 

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Monday Headlines: Anti-mass immigration rallies condemned as hateful and racist, wife of alleged gunman Dezi Freeman urges him to surrender, Greta Thunberg is sailing to Gaza again, house prices have officially risen again, and your sushi might taste different in South Australia today.

Deep Dive: Australia’s rising gun ownership is in the national spotlight, as a manhunt continues for Dezi Freeman, a gunman accused of killing two police officers in Victoria last week.  

Despite fewer licensed gun owners, the number of firearms in Australia has surged past pre-Port Arthur massacre levels, raising concerns about regulation and transparency.   

In this episode of The Briefing, Helen Smith is joined by Joel Negin, professor of Global Health from the University of Sydney, to discuss shifting gun culture, political responses, and whether Australia’s gun laws are still fit for purpose.  

Further listening from the headlines: 
Can we blame our housing pain on immigration?

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For the first time in Australia, a long-overdue inquiry into abuse and coercive control within cults and religious groups has been launched. The Victorian inquiry was initiated after reports of coercive behaviour at the Geelong Revival Centre, many of which were revealed by Richard Baker in the LiSTNR podcast Secrets We Keep: Pray Harder.  

In the series, Rich described the GRC, under the leadership of Pastor Noel Hollins, as one of Australia’s most extreme Pentecostal churches. Former members shared horrific allegations of historical child sex abuse cover-ups, tight control of their relationships, and harsh restrictions placed on the freedoms of women.  

In this special episode, we wanted to share episode one of Secrets We Keep Pray Harder with you. 

If you want to binge the rest of the series, click here for episode 2 now. 

The interviews in this series were recorded during Pastor Noel Hollins leadership of the Geelong Revival Centre. During production, Pastor Noel died. The experiences and allegations raised do not relate to the current leadership of the GRC. 

Lifeline 13 11 14.

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Randa Abdel-Fattah is a lawyer, author, and academic who wrote her first novel at 12, and since then has published 11 books, including her latest Discipline.

Randa has also been at the centre of the recent Bendigo Writers Festival controversy. After a coalition of pro-Israel academics pushed for restrictions, with a memo going out to speakers essentially warning them not to criticise Israel. Randa withdrew and in solidarity, other authors and even the festival’s bookseller followed.

In this chat with Antoinette Lattouf, Randa explains how it felt having her name written on the side of a bomb, before it was presumably fired off into Gaza, and the struggles of parenting during a genocide.

Weekend list with Helen Smith

• TO WATCH: Martha on Netflix
• TO EAT: Easy frozen baramundi and broccolini bake 
• TO SHOP: Depop app for pre-loved fashion
• TO DO: Visit a dog park 

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Popular drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro are back in the headlines this week after former tennis star Serena Williams signed on as an ambassador for a major weight loss company in the US. It comes as Australian health experts warn we still don’t know the long-term consequences of these popular medications, now pushing for all users to also get access to qualified dieticians. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by GP and obesity specialist Dr Terri-Lynne South to unpack these latest developments, and the new health warnings for weight loss drugs here in Australia.  

Headlines: Matt Wright found guilty, two people questioned by police over Porepunka shootings, and David Hughes in hospital.

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Tesla has announced Australia and New Zealand will become the first global right-hand drive markets to activate their Full Self-Driving Supervised technology.

The semi-autonomous feature is set to roll out on Tesla's Model 3 and Y vehicles first, and is capable of completing a door-to-door journey including navigating traffic and other road conditions without the driver touching pedals or the steering wheel. 

In Australia under current legislation, autonomous or driverless vehicles are prohibited by approximately 700 rules, but Tesla insists their new system falls compiles with Australian law.

In this bonus episode of The Briefing, Helen Smith is joined by Professor Michael Milford, Director of QUT’s Centre for Robotics, to unpack the development of autonomous vehicle technology in Australia.

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Headlines: Authorities have offered sovereign citizen gunman a surrender plan, Russia strikes EU delegation in Kyiv killing 19, California Governor says Trump seeking third term, Queensland passes bill allowing on-the-spot DV orders, and runners from across the globe will be charging across the iconic Harbour Bridge this weekend for the Sydney Marathon.

Deep Dive: It’s National Scam Week. Footy fans are hoping to secure tickets for the NRL and AFL finals and when they see their team qualify they jump online to secure tickets. Plus it’s the season for buying tickets for this summer’s music festivals. 

And it’s peak season for scammers. AI has increasingly become the tool of scammers – so how do you know the tickets you’re buying are legit? 

In this episode of The Briefing, Dan Mullins is joined by Dr Dimitrios Salampasis, an emerging technology expert at Swinburne University, who explains the latest scams to watch out for and Simon Birmingham, CEO Australian Banking Association, who reveals what banks are doing to keep us safe from scammers. 

The federal government’s Scamwatch site is here 

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He stabbed his parents and sister to death but now Sef Gonzales has won the right to appeal his life sentence. More than 20 years after he was sent to jail, new evidence is being presented that Sef lives with PTSD after allegedly being abused as a child. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by criminal psychologist, Tim Watson-Munro, to unpack the latest developments and find out what Sef’s chances are of winning this latest court fight. 

Headlines: Police address Dezi Freeman directly, Bob Katter has threatened a journalist, and Qantas has delivered a bumper profit.

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