The Briefing

Monday Headlines:
National Cabinet to meet today to lock in fuel excise cut extension
JD Vance says ‘great progress’ made as Iran talks kicks off in Switzerland
UK Prime Minister could resign in next 24 hours
Auction clearance rates hit lowest levels since the pandemic
Socceroos 90% likely to reach next stage of World Cup
Deep Dive:
Last month, Australian neo-Nazi group White Australia, also known as the National Socialist Network, became a prohibited hate group. That means it is now illegal: it’s a crime to join, fund, or support the group. The NSN is challenging the government’s declaration, with a showdown scheduled in the High Court for September.
In the meantime, it’s been revealed a $2.5m Victorian property the neo-Nazi group is currently using as their headquarters has been paid for by a millionaire backer. And it’s not just one millionaire, but a network of rich and influential sympathisers.
In this episode of The Briefing, Sacha Barbour Gatt speaks with journalist Sherryn Groch from The Age, who has followed the money to find the neo-Nazis' mansion and the millionaire-backers supporting them.
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In April, a company called Anthropic claimed they had a new AI model that was too powerful to release. They called it ‘Mythos’, and said it could find new ways to hack computers which humans had overlooked for decades. Mythos, they said, was too dangerous for public consumption. Instead, Anthropic released Mythos to trusted partners in government and businesses, including in Australia.
Then, in mid-June, a public version of Mythos was made available. Anthropic said this version was safe for anyone to use; the U.S. government strongly disagreed. After only a few days the U.S. government banned foreigners from accessing the new AI model. Australians were cut off, and we don’t know when access will be resumed.
Today, we’re bringing back an interview from April with cybersecurity expert Dr. Suelette Dreyfus. What dangers does Mythos pose, and are we ready for a tsunami of AI-enabled hacking?
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It was meant to bring us all together, to cross the divides of land and sea and become a virtual town square. A place for people to connect and share their thoughts, ideas and dreams.
The vision was there, but the reality of social media has become something much different.
It’s a place driven by outrage, hate, and controversy. And it’s ruining public debate and possibly us as a society.
Ed Coper is one of the founding strategists behind GetUp! and he’s written a new book, Angertainment, about how social media has birthed an entire outrage industry that is harvesting and monetising our worst impulses.
In this chat with Sacha Barbour Gatt, Ed tells us how we got here and why understanding it is the first step to defeating it.
The Weekend List:
To do: Get to a Jazz bar (recommended by listener Timmy)
To do: Get around the SBS
To Watch: John Safran’s new doco Shut Your Big Fat Mouth John Safran (on SBS)
To Watch: The Socceroos (beat?) the US at the World Cup
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Friday Headlines:
Australia’s migration numbers revealed
Ships begin moving through the Strait of Hormuz
Gina Rinehart gifts Pauline Hanson a 'beautiful big fat orange bulldozer'
Labor unveils CGT carve-outs as inquiry hands down report
All eyes on Seattle for Socceroos vs USA
Deep Dive:
Australia has been rocked by another shark attack this week, with a Sydney mum losing an arm after being mauled by a suspected Great White.
It’s prompted yet another debate about how to keep people safe at our beaches, but calls have grown louder this time around for a shark cull to be brought in to lower populations and protect swimmers.
But it’s not as simple as that, says Lawrence Chlebeck, a marine biologist with Humane World for Animals.
In this episode of The Briefing, he sits down with Sacha Barbour Gatt to explain shark culls, their flaws, and what could work better.
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Thursday Headlines:
Pauline Hanson criticised for press club address as AFP investigates banner incident
US officials reveal Iran peace deal details
Pakistani officials apologise for fatal shooting of Australian girl
First non-stop flight to Europe from Australia’s east coast confirmed
The Maroons thump the Blues in State of Origin 2
Deep Dive:
Kyle Sandilands and ARN have settled their legal dispute, clearing the way for the radio shock jock to make his next move in the audio space.
But it turns out he’ll still be tied to his former employer, which will be taking a cut of the profits from his new show, and they’ll still have to host ads for him on the station he once called home.
In this episode of The Briefing, Sacha Barbour Gatt is joined again by industry insider Craig Bruce to break down the deal and what it means for the future of audio in Australia.
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