The Briefing

Thursday Headlines: Two children dead in US school shooting in Minnesota, Manhunt continues for sovereign citizen gunman Dezi Freeman, US government tightening visas for students and journalists, AI data centres soaking up massive amounts of drinking water, and Parliament’s annual midwinter ball happened in Canberra.

Deep Dive: A Silicon Valley start-up is changing the future of fertility, letting future parents screen embryos for disease, but also appearance and IQ. 

And while some are lining up for the tech, keen to be in the know about their potential kids, critics have questioned the ethics of choosing them based off traits. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Tara Cassidy speaks with Nucleus Founder Kian Sadeghi about the advanced embryo testing, and why he backs the power to pick. 

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Image credit AP: Richard Tsong-Taatarii/Star Tribune

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Australia Post has this week suspended deliveries to the United States as the fallout continues over Donald Trump’s tariffs. While it’s a temporary measure as delivery services around the world try and navigate the new fees and charges, it’s another major hit for thousands of small Australian businesses. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by small business owner Emma Jean Jansen, who unpacks what this shock move means for Aussie retailers, already struggling with rising costs and overheads.   

Headlines: Linda Reynolds wins Brittany Higgins defamation case, one female student has been killed and several others injured after a school bus crash west of Geelong in Victoria, and Former West Coast defender Mitch Brown has made AFL history. 

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A manhunt is underway for a sovereign citizen gunman, who shot dead two police officers and seriously injured a third in rural Victoria, sparking renewed interested in the alternative movement. 

Sovereign citizens are Australians who reject the authority of the government and believe they’re exempt from laws, taxes and the values of mainstream society. 

In this bonus episode of The Briefing, Tom Tilley is joined by an Australian dad whose ex-partner became a sovereign citizen and turned his family's life into a living nightmare.  

This episode is from 2023 and uses voice distortions to protect the identity of a man we’re calling John. 

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Wednesday Headlines: Manhunt continues for cop murderer in Victoria, Iran vows ‘reciprocal action’ against Australia after expulsion of ambassador, House calls for Epstein’s 50th birthday book to be handed over, Allergies costing the nation billions, and Tay Tay and Trav engaged!

Deep Dive: The world’s richest man is suing two of the world’s biggest tech companies.  

Elon Musk is claiming Apple and OpenAI are working together on integrating AI into the latest version of Apple’s top-selling iPhones, making it impossible for other AI apps to compete with Open AI’s ChatGPT.  

In this episode of The Briefing, Helen Smith is joined by Trevor Long, Nine’s tech guru and founder of eftm.com, to unpack if Elon Musks has any chance of winning and whether it’s a PR exercise for his own AI company Grok.  

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For the first time since World War II, Australia has expelled an ambassador after the Prime Minister confirmed the Iranian Government directed at least two antisemitic attacks on Australian soil. ASIO Director General, Mike Burgess, said Iran was responsible for extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression, in an attempt to undermine social cohesion. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by intelligence expert Justin Bassi on why this is a dangerous escalation for Australia’s national security and what it means for our fragile international relations. 

Headlines: Two police officers have been killed in regional Victoria, Former Police officer, Beau Lamarre-Condon has plead not guilty to the murders of Sydney couple Jesse Baird and Luke Davies, and Australia Post has announced it will immediately suspend the majority of its mail deliveries to the US.

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Tuesday Headlines: AUKUS has come under further US scrutiny, Israeli strike kills at least 20 people, including five journalists and health officials in Gaza, The Wiggles are headed for court, Third person charged in Pheobe Bishop case, Australia’s youngest senator makes maiden speech.

Deep Dive: The federal government has fast tracked the expansion of the First Homebuyer Guarantee, allowing more Australians to buy a home with a 5% deposit from October.  

The Treasury estimates the new eligibility caps on income and home prices will see an extra 20,000 guarantees will be issued within the first year, but is it all too good to be true? 

In this episode of The Briefing, Helen Smith is joined by David Koch, Compare the Market’s Economic Director, to explain what the scheme means for the housing market and if the pros outweigh the cons for first homebuyers.  

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The sole survivor of the deadly mushroom lunch has given compelling evidence in court, saying he forgives killer Erin Patterson. Ian Wilkinson also revealed that he would pray for Erin to become a better person and said he is no longer a victim, instead, Erin is a victim of his kindness. 

In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by criminologist Xanthe Mallett to unpack the new evidence.

*NOTE: After this episode was recorded, Erin Patterson's sentencing date has been earmarked for September 8.

Headlines: Economists are concerned about the Federal Government’s first home buyer scheme, Virginia Guiffre's book to be published posthumously, and Naked Sundays sunscreen pulled from the Australian market. 

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Monday Headlines: Thousands of Australians have protested across the country against the war on Gaza, Erin Patterson is back in court today, Queensland urged to use TikTok and ‘trusted influencers’ to combat misinformation during natural disasters, Trump preparing to send National Guard into Chicago, and Venus Williams is returning to the US Open aged 45.

Deep Dive: A first of its kind inquiry is looking into cults and fringe religious groups in Australia, and whether our laws are strong enough to protect members.  

It's looking into recruitment and retention tactics, particularly any deemed coercive, dominating, and harmful.  

While the inquiry isn’t focusing on the cults or groups beliefs, just behaviours, other mainstream religions are concerned some of their practices could get caught in the crosshairs.  

In this episode of The Briefing, Tara Cassidy speaks with investigative journalist Richard Baker, about his evidence at the inquiry, and his message to any religions sounding the alarm. 

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Kathleen Folbigg was once branded Australia’s worst female serial killer, convicted of murdering her four children and locked away for 20 years. But she was innocent. In 2023, a breakthrough in genetics and the work of 90 leading scientists finally cleared Kathleen’s name and set her free. But her fight for justice isn’t over. The NSW government has now offered just $2 million in compensation, a figure that’s outraged her supporters and the Australian public. 

In this episode, we revisit the extraordinary case from the very beginning. Professor Stephen Cordner, one of the scientists who campaigned for Kathleen’s release, takes us inside the science, the battle against the legal system, and how one woman’s life was destroyed by a terrible miscarriage of justice.

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Natalie Kyriacou is the environmentalist saving the planet one snake clit and fish STD at a time.

Before she turned 30, she was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for her contributions to wildlife conservation and education. Creating World of the Wild, a app that’s been dubbed the environmentalist’s Angry Birds.

In this chat with Antoinette Lattouf, Natalie explain how she went from stealing from family members to raise money for climate to publishing Nature’s Last Dance.

Weekend list with Helen Smith

• TO WATCH: Real Housewives of London on Hayu
• TO TRY: Lay flat on the floor
• TO DO: Always get a second opinion
• TO WATCH: The Handmaid's Tale season 5 onwards

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