The Briefing

Donald Trump has been eyeing off a Nobel Peace Prize, after scoring nominations from countries including Israel and Pakistan - and it looks like he’s finally gotten one. The Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has “presented” her gold Nobel peace prize medal to the US President in a meeting at the White House - nearly a fortnight after he ordered the arrest of Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro. In this bonus episode of The Briefing from 2025, Helen Smith is joined by Allan Behm, a special advisor at the Australia Institute, to unpack what a Trump win would mean for the award’s credibility, and whether he could be ruled out of the race altogether. Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2020, at just 22 years old Hannah Ferguson launched Cheek Media Co - an independent news platform designed to break down big, complex issues and speak to people who feel alienated by traditional media. Since then, she’s built a media empire: publishing two books, launching a hit podcast, speaking at the National Press Club, interviewing the Prime Minister and even designing a vibrator - all while advocating for social change. In this chat with Sacha Barbour Gatt, Hannah unpacks why talking politics at the dinner table actually matters and the role Cheek Media played in shaping the 2025 election result. Weekend list with Helen Smith TO WATCH: Marty Supreme TO EAT: Sacha’s easy take on bruschetta TO DO: What's your best TK Maxx find? TO READ: Books by Jodi Picoult, like Mad Honey Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

20% of Aussies with depression don't respond positively to antidepressant medication. In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Co-Director of Health and Policy at The University of Sydney's Brain and Mind Centre, Professor Ian Hickie, who explains why antidepressants work well for many people — and fail badly for others. Drawing on new Australian research, involving more than 15,000 Australians, Professor Hickie unpacks the evidence that shows depression is not one condition, but many, each with distinct biological drivers. Headlines: Some of Australia’s most prominent religious leaders have urged the government to halt their hate speech reforms, Venezuela’s opposition leader has presented her Nobel Peace Prize to US President Donald Trump, and the mother of one of Elon Musk’s fourteen children is suing X. Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Friday Headlines: Cars, caravans and tents swept out to sea as flash flooding hits Victoria, millions of accounts deactivated after world-first social media ban, British band agrees to play Adelaide Festival after apology to Randa Abdel-Fattah, astronauts splash down to earth after first medical evacuation in the International Space Station’s history and Australia’s first Trump Tower could be built in the Gold Coast.Deep Dive: A24’s Marty Supreme has become one of the most talked-about films of the awards season and is proving that buzz can be just as powerful as trophies. Starring Timothée Chalamet and directed by Josh Safdie, the film has had a chaotic, headline-grabbing PR campaign, and its limited release has already broken records for the independent studio, setting a new benchmark for how hype is built in 2026. In this episode of The Briefing, Helen Smith is joined by senior producer Holly Mitchell, who attended the Australian premiere, to unpack how the Marty Supreme hype has worked and when it hasn’t in the past. Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia’s largest Neo-Nazi group, the National Socialist Network, has announced its disbanding ahead of the proposed overhaul of hate speech laws by the federal government. But there are concerns that this latest move will not see the extremists disappear, with some experts warning it will only fuel further hate and unify more dedicated followers. In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Dr Kaz Ross, a researcher on far-right extremism, who unpacks these latest developments and shares her analysis on what may happen next. Headlines: The federal government’s hate speech bill appears to be on shaky ground, with both the Greens and the Coalition refusing to back it in its current form, there’s been another shooting by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, and authorities in Canberra are investigating after 11 explosive devices were found in the city. Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.