The Briefing

Headlines:
Treasurer flags risks to inflation, unemployment
U.S. attacks and boards an Iranian ship
Mass shooting in Louisiana, 8 children killed
Geelong oil refinery recovery better than expected
South Korean wolf captured safely
Robot runners blitz a Beijing half-marathon
Deep Dive:
Thousands more Australians will now be able to donate blood after outdated restrictions were lifted. All donors, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, will be able to donate blood.
In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Jemma Falkenmire from Australian Red Cross Lifeblood to explain the important changes and her message for Australians wanting to make a difference.
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Monday Headlines:
Iran has rejected a second round of peace talks with the US
Ben Roberts-Smith breaks his silence
33 year old learner driver charged over Supanova death
Support for One Nation wanes in two new polls
Madonna wraps up Coachella
Deep Dive: Australia’s migration debate has taken a sharper turn, with the Federal Opposition unveiling a plan that puts ‘Australian values’ at the centre of the visa system.
The plan includes enhanced screening for all visa applicants, including social media checks, a legally binding ‘values’ statement and tougher enforcement measures aimed at refusing or removing people deemed not to meet the threshold. It also signals a broader tightening across the system, from faster visa refusals to stronger action on overstayers and reduced avenues for appeal.
In this episode of The Briefing, Helen Smith is joined by Abul Rizvi, a former senior immigration official and one of the country’s most experienced analysts of migration policy to unpack what this policy could look like in practice.
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Looksmaxxing is taking over millions of young men’s algorithms - a trend focused on maximising appearance that can start off harmless, but spiral into extreme measures to appear more masculine.
This week, looksmaxxer influencer Clavicular was hospitalised in Miami after a suspected overdose during a livestream. He’s previously spoken about using drugs, including methamphetamine, to suppress his appetite as part of the trend.
After leaving hospital, he described his substance use as “a cope trying to feel neurotypical while being in public” and “not a real solution.”
In this bonus episode of The Briefing, Helen Smith is joined by UNSW public health researcher Samuel Cornell who unpacks the rise of looksmaxxing and why influencers are selling so-called 'ascension' programs.
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Sofia Levin does a lot more than just eat. She’s built a name as one of Australia’s most respected food critics and landed her dream job as a judge on MasterChef Australia - bringing her expertise to one of the country’s biggest cooking shows.
From carving out a career in food media to earning her first Logie nomination, she’s rubbed shoulders with names like Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver, Robert Irwin and Poh Ling Yeow - learning what it takes to stand out in a world full of big personalities.
In this chat with Chris Syprou, Sofia shares stories from her travels, the reality behind her career, and the personal loss of her father to Motor Neurone Disease, a cause she’s now more driven than ever to fight.
Weekend list with Sacha Barbour Gatt and Helen Smith
Listener Matt TO WATCH: Big Mistakes on Netflix
TO LISTEN: Raye's album This Music May Contain Hope
TO WATCH: Trust Me: The False Prophet on Netflix
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Headlines:
Bail for Ben Roberts-Smith
Israel-Lebanon ceasefire begins
Trump “not happy” with Australia
Pope calls out “tyrants”
A Sydney man gets a $40m phone call
Deep Dive:
Harry and Meghan are finishing their Australian tour. Thousands turned out to catch a glimpse of Harry and Meghan as they visited Melbourne, Canberra, and Sydney, and the Australian media followed the pair around on every stop. One journalist in the press pack was 7 News journalist Paul Dowsley – he gives the inside view of the tour.
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