Paracetamol and autism link debunked + Hate crime laws pass first hurdle

A new landmark report has found there is no link between pregnant women taking paracetamol and a child developing autism and/or ADHD. The Lancet study contradicts the US administration’s advice last year when they warned women to stop taking paracetamol because of risks to their unborn child.  In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling, is joined by leading child disability expert Professor Helen Leonard, who explains what this latest study means and the new advice for pregnant women.  Headlines: A watered-down version of hate crime laws has passed its first hurdle in Parliament, there's been a fourth confirmed shark attack in NSW in just 48 hours, and the Bureau of Meteorology has issued an aurora alert amid a rare surge in solar activity.  Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tuesday Headlines: Labor’s Bondi bills set to pass today, Sydney beaches closed after three shark attacks in 24 hours, Police ‘traumatised’ after 19-year-old found dead on Queensland beach, Donald Trump declines to rule out seizing Greenland by force and Aussies advance through at the Aus Open in day two action.Deep Dive: Pauline Hanson’s One Nation is polling higher than ever, overtaking the Coalition in one survey, prompting the Senator to declare she wants to run the country.  With Pauline Hanson’s primary vote surging and mainstream parties under pressure, what was once considered fringe appears to be shaping the national conversation.  In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou speaks with political scientist Dr Jill Sheppard from ANU about the rise of One Nation, what the polling really tells us, and whether Hanson could ever translate her support on paper into real power.  Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The collapse of key parts of the federal government’s legislation on hate speech is now raising serious questions about the Prime Minister’s leadership. Concerns have already been raised about key aspects of the proposed overhaul, with the Greens and Coalition stating they will not support it.  In this episode of The Briefing, Natarsha Belling is joined by Crikey’s political editor Bernard Keane, who explains why rushing through the changes was a mistake, and why this political disaster is one of the worst he’s seen in Australian history.  Headlines: An emotional tribute for the victims of the Bondi Terror attack in parliament, at least 21 people have been killed and many more injured after two high-speed trains derailed in Spain, and Sydney’s Dee Why Beach has been closed after another shark attack.  Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Monday Headlines: Politicians return to Canberra today ahead of contentious vote on hate speech laws, boy critical after Sydney shark attack, Anthony Albanese asked to join Gaza ‘Board of Peace,' Trump threatens tariffs on Europe over Greenland bid, and round one of the Aus Open is underway!Deep Dive: In the aftermath of the Bondi terror attack, questions are being raised about how far governments should go in the name of security.  One company that’s surfacing in those conversations is Palantir - a powerful and controversial data firm used by both companies and intelligence agencies around the world.   In this episode of The Briefing, Sacha Barbour Gatt speaks with journalist Paul Gregoire about Palantir’s origins, its role in surveillance, and why its possible expansion in Australia is contentious.  Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

Thursday Headlines: Coalition set to vote against new hate speech laws, Iran fast-tracks trials and possible executions, JD Vance meets with foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland, Victorian schools students’ details leaked in major hack, and Aussie amateur wins $1 million at Australian Open ‘One Point Slam’.Deep Dive: Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok is under renewed scrutiny after it emerged it could be used to digitally undress women and children and manipulate images into sexually suggestive content.  While the tool stops short of generating full nudity, it has sparked concern from regulators worldwide, reigniting questions about platform responsibility, AI guardrails, and whether Musk’s push for “unsanitised” technology has gone too far.  In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou speaks with The New York Times’ Silicon Valley correspondent, Mike Isaac about Grok, how it fits into Elon Musk’s wider tech empire, and why this latest scandal may be less an anomaly and more a pattern.  Further listening from headlines:Trump vs Greenland explainedFollow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpodInstagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.