The Briefing

Friday Headlines:
Russell Brand found guilty of rape and sexual assault
Beau Lamarre-Condon gives evidence in murder trial
Multiple planes diverted amid hoax bomb threats in Europe
Sydney Swans to review club culture
Cristiano Ronaldo announces international retirement
Deep Dive:
The Democrats have seen record support in the US midterm elections, winning control of both houses of Congress.
But what happens after the 'blue tsunami'?
President Donald Trump has already blamed his party's results on the war in Iran and still has the power to veto legislation.
In this episode of The Briefing, Sacha Barbour Gatt is joined by host of Planet America, Chas Licciardello, to unpack what could happen next and how the Republicans will respond.
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Thursday Headlines:
US rides blue wave as Democrats sweep the midterms
Essential workers being priced out of Australian rentals
Woman charged with stalking and extorting Greens senator Jordon Steele-John
Australians still value multiculturalism but distrust the government: social cohesion report
First 10 songs added to Australia's National Songbook
Deep Dive: David Jones is facing some tough times ahead of Christmas, with speculation mounting that the retailer could close stores due to financial pressure.
This week, the company failed to meet the deadline to file its accounts with the corporate regulator for the second year in a row, following a $95 million loss for the 2025 financial year and a $10 million emergency loan to reach December.
In this episode of The Briefing, Tessa Randello is joined by Professor of Consumer Behaviour and Retail Marketing at QUT, Gary Mortimer, to chat about what the future of the 188-year-old institution could look like and what possible store closures could mean for customers.
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Wednesday Headlines:
Treasurer defends government spending after latest interest rate hike
Voting in the US midterm elections is underway
Two Australians confirmed among the dead in horror Spain train crash
Jury in Russell Brand rape trial considers its verdict
Wegovy pill approved for use in Australia
Virgin Australia, Sony and ticketing giants named in annual Shonkys
Deep Dive: For the first time in 12 years, the Victorian Liberal Party is in a position to potentially win government, ending Labor's long-held control of the state.
But how much of that is about the popularity of the Coalition and its relatively new leader, Jess Wilson, who could become the first popularly elected female premier of Victoria?
In today's episode, the Opposition Leader joins Sacha Barbour Gatt to discuss her limited political career, her ambitions for Victoria and why she thinks now is the time for change.
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Tuesday Headlines:
Melbourne Cup rate hike all but confirmed
Australian author receives jail term for child exploitation offences
Donald Trump goes on racist diatribe against Michigan Senate candidate
Fridge temperatures soar as European supermarkets hit by another suspected cyber-attack
British man has returned home to his mum, 28-years after setting off on a walk around the world
Deep Dive: There's a good chance you've never even heard of the government's Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook but talk about the December budget update has been ramping up as interest rates continue to go up.
With a fifth cash rate hike expected to be announced this afternoon by the Reserve Bank, Labor and Anthony Albanese are under pressure to find savings in the upcoming MYEFO announcement.
In this episode of The Briefing, Sacha Barbour Gatt is joined by Seven News Political Editor, Mark Riley, to discuss the update, whether it can make a difference to inflation and how the government can manage the nation's expectations amid a growing feeling of economic doom.
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Monday Headlines:
Labor slumps in latest Newspoll ahead of expected interest rate rise
House prices drop for seventh straight month
Two teens killed in high-speed stolen car crash
More cost-of-living protests in Europe
Hollywood celebrates Halloween
Deep Dive: AI data centres are starting to pop up across the country but are being met with fierce opposition by some local communities.
Residents in the Melbourne suburb of West Footscray have halted the expansion of NextDC's M3 centre, protesting massive high-voltage power poles in suburban streets by blocking work trucks and ignoring tradies knocking on their doors.
The pause has now wiped almost $3 billion off the company's share price.
In this episode of The Briefing, Tessa Randello is joined by Jacqui Glover, President of Citizens of Tottenham, to explore what happens behind the scenes when a local community takes on a corporate giant.
Follow The Briefing:
TikTok: @thebriefingpod
Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast
YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.