The Briefing

Tuesday Headlines:
Australian government urged to ban livestream of US public execution
Simon Carman pleads guilty to one charge in Thai teen murder trial
Molly Ticehurst’s killer to appeal murder conviction
Petrol prices now back at levels seen at the start of the Iran war
WA to limit screen use for K-2 students in pilot program
Deep Dive: One AI went rogue and breached a Medicare portal. Another fired off a bogus murder tip to US police. And the tech giants behind them took months to notice.
Meanwhile in Canberra, federal MPs are questioning the people building systems that could one day cure cancer... but could also, by their own admission, wipe us out.
So can a country our size actually keep big tech in line? Or are we just along for the ride?
In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by Independent MP for Curtin Kate Chaney, who sits on parliament’s AI committee. They unpack what she’s heard in the hearings, why she wants $100 million a year spent on AI safety, and what rules data centres should have to follow.
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Monday Headlines:
Opt-out laws to pass Parliament after controversial ministerial power dropped
Zelensky surprised as Trump announces energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine
Australians warned against travelling to Saudi capital after Houthi attacks on airports
Australian hiker found dead in Peru
Aussies issued important advice ahead of Grand Theft Auto 6 release
Deep Dive: This November, American voters will head to polls to decide whether the Republicans or the Democrats will control the US House of Representatives and the Senate.
The vote is largely being seen as a verdict on Donald Trump’s presidency, halfway through his second term.
So, with Trump’s agenda on the line, a shift of just a few seats in either direction could give Democrats the power to block his cabinet appointments, stall legislation, or completely flip control of Washington.
In today’s episode of The Briefing, Planet America’s Chas Licciardello joins Sacha Barbour Gatt to break down the key battleground races, Trump's sway over voters, and what a predicted Democrat win will mean for the rest of his two years in the White House.
Further listening from the headlines:
The Houthis vs Saudi Arabia explained
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It’s official, Warner Bros and Paramount are now one company.
The $159 billion merger is the biggest in media history, bringing both studios under Skydance Corp, led David Ellison – the son of a powerful tech titan and Trump-backer, Larry Ellison.
Larry is one of the wealthiest people on the planet, and his company Oracle doesn't just do business with governments - it helps run them, including here in Australia.

In this bonus episode of The Briefing, we revisit Chris Spyrou’s chat with NPR host Roben Farzad to unpack what the Ellison empire controls and what its latest moves tell us about who really holds power in 2026.
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We’re back with The Briefing: Our Take, the weekend hangout where we loosen our ties and kick off our shoes and take you behind the scenes of the week that was, and what you (and we) made of it.
Chris and Sacha kick off by debriefing the botched execution of Christa Pike, who’s now woken up, and is speaking and even walking in hospital after two doses of a lethal injection.
We crack open the inbox to get your thoughts on some of the biggest stories this week with plans for a public supermarket and the latest One Nation ad blowing up our inbox, and one listener teaches us a new word!
We’re also joined by LiSTNR’s head of social media, Brett, who takes on the weekend quiz, before topping it all off with some 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:
The Coalition leader Angus Taylor released the party’s migration plan this week. What does it want to cut net overseas migration to, for the first two years?
A) 100,000
B) 160,000
C) 225,000
The Greens official think tank wants to create new public supermarkets called what?
We spoke with two federal leaders this week, who were they?
The logos for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics and Paralympics have been released after a leak over the weekend. What animal inspired them?
Who won the 2026 NRL men’s and women’s Grand Final?
The Weekend List:
To do: Containers for Change Scheme (Listener Scott)
To watch: Bledisloe Cup (Sacha)
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Friday Headlines:
Sam Wood denied bail
Former Prince Andrew wins case against UK Police
ATO facing pressure from government over credit card ban
Greens celebrate ‘biggest surge in new members’ since leadership change
Christa Pike ‘up and walking’ after surviving two lethal injections
Further listening from the headlines:
Sach's chat with David Shoebridge
Deep Dive: Eight years ago, a young Aussie cricketer was caught on camera stuffing sandpaper down his pants during a Test match in Cape Town.
It became known as Sandpapergate - Australian cricket's biggest cheating scandal.
The fallout was brutal. Captain Steve Smith cried on live TV, players were banned, the coach quit and sponsors walked. Now, for the first time since, Australia is back playing Test cricket in South Africa.
So how did a bit of sandpaper become a national crisis? And was the outrage ever worth it?
In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by sports journalist Sam Ferris, who covered the series from South Africa, to unpack what happened, who knew what, and how it still follows the team.
Follow The Briefing:
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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.