The Briefing

Monday Headlines:
Jordon Steele-John releases lengthy statement, says he’s not on leave
Violent cost of living protests sweep France with more than 2000 arrested
Trump endorses Netanyahu as his administration calls for more to be done over Israeli settler violence in the West Bank
Pope Leo makes first public appearance since lung surgery
Katie Zachariah fired after five days in White House press secretary role
Deep Dive: They started out treating type 2 diabetes. Now hundreds of thousands of Australians are taking them, many for a completely different reason.
GLP-1s. You probably know them as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro.
And the more people sign up, the longer the fine print gets. There are side effects GPs are still learning about, prices many can’t afford, and growing concern about online clinics posting pens to people they’ve never met.
So, years after they went from diabetes medication to weight-loss wonder drug... what do we actually know about them?
In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by Dr Michael Wright, President of the Royal Australian College of GPs, to unpack what we’ve learnt about these drugs, who should be taking them, and who definitely shouldn’t.
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This week an inquest launched, looking at whether system failures led to the death of 8-year-old Elizabeth Struhs, and what could have been done to save her.
Elizabeth passed away in 2022 after her parents stopped giving her insulin due to their religious beliefs. Her mum and dad were found guilty of her manslaughter in a later court case.
It comes after a case earlier this year, when Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital took a 15-year-old girl to the Supreme Court after she refused treatment for her leukaemia – also for religious reasons.
In this bonus episode of The Briefing, we revisit Chris Spyrou's chat with University of Sydney law professor Cameron Stewart about what happens when medicine, parental authority and religious beliefs collide.
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Take your ties off and put your wigs on, we're back with The Briefing Our Take.
It's the weekend hangout where we take you behind the scenes of the week that was, and what we (and you) thought of it.
Sacha and Chris dive into a story we didn't get a chance to cover this week – the new White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia and her first briefing that REALLY made an impression.
We crack open the inbox to get your thoughts on some of the biggest stories this week, including plans to get rid of screens for some kids in WA and Aussie cricket.
We're also joined by LiSTNR audio producer and sound designer, Nial, who takes on the weekend quiz, before topping it all off with recommendations on the weekend list!
As always, we want to hear from you! Reach out to us on Instagram @thebriefingpodcast and feel free to leave a comment if you’re listening on Spotify.
The Weekend Quiz:
Donald Trump announced a ceasefire this week between two countries which ones? And, for a bonus point – what type of ceasefire did he claim it was?
WA is banning screens in the classroom for some students in a pilot program; what grades will be included?
Petrol prices are back at levels seen at the start of the Iran war. What’s the national average? A) 2 dollars 70 a litre
B) 2 dollars 16 a litre
C) 2 dollars 41 a litre
The first restaurants in Australia were given Michelin stars this week and they were all in one state – which one was it?
The Fair Work Ombudsman gave advice on how to take leave for the release of what game this week? For an extra point – what date is it being released?
The Weekend List:
To watch: The State of Man on ABC iView (Chris)
To (not) watch: The Bledisloe Cup

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Friday Headlines:
Donald Trump calls off execution live stream
Greens senator on leave after allegations of inappropriate comments to women
Labor's digital duty of care bill introduced to Parliament
Zelenskyy says he is 'done' with US ceasefire on energy targets
Debate erupts over public bars on Brisbane ferries
Deep Dive: It took about 15 minutes for YouTube to take Marc Fennell’s kids from Minecraft videos to manosphere content. Nobody touched the remote. So he set up a phone as a young bloke, and within five weeks the algorithm had moved from gym tips and crypto to racist AI slop.
So why is it finding such a receptive audience in Australian men, and is the algorithm really to blame?
In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by Marc to talk about his new ABC docuseries The State of Man, what he learnt sitting down with manosphere influencers and the men who’ve left it, and what could work to change course.
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Thursday Headlines:
Greens and Coalition team up to block Labor's private health bill
Russel Brand a ‘ruthless, calculated and manipulative sexual predator’ court hears
Netflix to lay off 1000 staff
Vatican says Pope Leo recovering as expected
First Australian restaurants score Michelin stars – and they’re all in South Australia
Deep Dive: Australia’s falling fertility rate was recently laid bare in the government’s 2026 Intergenerational Report, which revealed just 1.34 babies per woman will be born by 2065.
It’s sparked a conversation around what could move the dial when it comes to encouraging Australians to have more kids.
One suggestion has been a national fertility plan.
In today’s episode of The Briefing, Sacha Barbour Gatt is joined by Dr Petra Wale from the Fertility Society of Australia and New Zealand to discuss the plan and whether we it’s time to bring back sweeteners like the Baby Bonus.
Follow The Briefing:
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YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.