Is Trump buying votes? + Insta warns killing the algo will 'overwhelm' you

Twenty-five years ago, the September 11 terrorist attacks killed nearly 3,000 people and changed the course of history. The images of hijacked planes striking the World Trade Center, the collapse of the Twin Towers and the devastation left behind became defining images of this century.  But the consequences of 9/11 reached far beyond the United States. The attacks triggered America’s longest war - a 20-year conflict in Afghanistan that began with the fall of the Taliban. This year also marks five years since the war came full circle: the Taliban returned to power as the US withdrew its troops.  BBC Chief International Correspondent Lyse Doucet witnessed that extraordinary arc. Drawing on almost four decades of reporting from Afghanistan, she takes LiSTNR Senior Journalist Claudianna Blanco from the aftermath of 9/11 and the hope that followed the Taliban’s fall, to the chaotic final days at Kabul Airport and the Afghanistan of today.  This special episode of The Briefing looks back at the long shadow of 9/11, 25 years on.  Lyse's debut book Lyse on The Weekend Briefing Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpod Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Friday Headlines:  Head of Instagram warns against turning off algorithm Barnaby Joyce apologises to Andrew Hastie over 'traitor' video Donald Trump accused of bribery over 5k election promise August declared hottest month on record Historic NFL game takes over Melbourne  Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpod Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thursday Headlines:  Pauline Hanson defends Victorian One Nation leader, Andrew Hastie cartoon  Anthony Albanese defends pork barreling allegations Another man killed in Sydney's escalating gangland war Melbourne council bans smart glasses from public pools and playgrounds Apple unveils new folding iPhone Further listening from the headlines:  Sach's deep dive on Sydney's gangland war Chris' chat with David Shoebridge Deep Dive: Australia's not really well known for skiing, but there is a dedicated ski fraternity who love getting to the slopes each winter. So, what happens if there’s no snow?   That’s the question being put to the country’s resort operators after a dismal 2026 season plagued by warm, dry conditions and patchy snow cover.   With most ski fields wrapping up their seasons over the weekend and just a couple still clinging on, we’re being warned winters like this will become more likely, not less.   In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou chats with the CEO of Snow Resorts Australia, Josh Elliott about the future of snow tourism in Australia. We also hear from Dr Lily O’Neil from Protect our Winters to talk about what climate change’s role is in all of this    Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpod Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wednesday Headlines:  Labor unveils new laws to govern social media giants Missing Australian found alive in Nepal Penny Wong prepares new sanctions against Israeli settlements One Nation Victorian leader says he's no angel, admits to previous drug use  Aussie kids record their worst reading and maths results Further listening from headlines:How Australia funds Israeli settlements Deep Dive: Does Australia need a Minister for AI?   That's the call from Greens Senator David Shoebridge, who this week was appointed the party's first-ever spokesperson for Digital Rights and AI.   It comes as the government insists it's doing whatever it can to put big tech on a leash and keep people first - while at the same time selling Australia as the perfect home for the very infrastructure driving AI's expansion: data centres.   In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by Senator Shoebridge to discuss his new portfolio, whether Australia can pull itself back from being AI's wild west, and what it'll actually take to put people ahead of profit.  Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpod Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tuesday Headlines:  One Nation has been forced into a quick defence of its plan for superannuation Australian bureaucrats want to ban videos from parliamentary hearings being shared on social media  Trial of alleged killers of Australian brothers in Mexico gets underway Food prices could be pushed higher by record strength El Niño King Charles issues clarification on Harry and Meghan Deep Dive: For years, a secret formula has dictated everything we see on social media, hooking our attention spans at the expense of our mental health.  Now, the federal government is unveiling a plan to let users opt out of the algorithm entirely and return to a chronological stream of accounts they actually follow. But with increasing pressure to protect young men from the insidious manosphere, how much will an opt-out actually change?  In this episode of The Briefing, reporter Amber Schultz joins Sacha Barbour Gatt to detail her experiment posing as a 17-year-old boy online, where it took just 13 minutes to land on manosphere content, and what these proposed changes will mean for our feeds.  Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpod Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Monday Headlines:  Gov to strengthen teen social media ban as it looks to create an opt-out approach to social media One Nation reveals superannuation policy Coalition wants to ban flag burning Manhunt underway for Victorian man who allegedly attacked his family with an axe US envoys hold peace talks with Russia and Ukraine Lindsay Clancy trial ends in a mistrial Deep Dive: In Sydney, a staggering six cases of mistaken identity in the city’s bloody gangland war has left innocent people dead, exposing a horrifying shift toward young, inexperienced gunmen carrying out underworld hits.  The body count stems from a bitter turf war which ramped up six years ago with the murder of Fares Abounader, which ignited a battle between rival crime families for Sydney’s billion-dollar illicit trades.  In this episode of The Briefing, we trace with criminologist Dr Vincent Hurley how this bloody conflict has spiralled into 24 deaths, why the criminal underworld changed, and how cheap, reckless hitmen are firing at the wrong targets.  Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpod Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One in 3 Australians will need blood in their lifetime, but 1 in 30 donate across the country.   Lifeblood says recent appeals have prevented supplies falling to critical levels but have not been enough to replenish low supplies of O-positive and O-negative blood types, which are the types used in emergencies. A-positive blood stocks have also dropped in recent weeks.  In this episode of The Briefing, we talk about why our listeners should consider donating blood and we learn the extraordinary story of Krishan Lal who is the perfect example of how donating blood can change not just the recipient’s life, but the lives of those around them.   Follow The Briefing:   TikTok: @thebriefingpod   Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast   YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite suffering through a week of technical failures, we're back for this weekend's instalment of Our Take - our looser, goosier look back at the week that was, and what you and we made of it all.  We kick off by debriefing the Raygun doco on Netflix. Chris has watched it, Sach hasn't - and no spoilers, but prepare for your jaw to hit the floor.  Then we dig through the Inbox, which was surprisingly dominated by your reactions to the KPMG scandal, and less surprisingly, your take on Pauline Hanson's claim that the PM was inciting political violence against her.  We're also joined in studio by Angie from the tech team, who takes on the Weekend Quiz. To our shock, she walks away not holding the record for the lowest score!  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:   One Nation notched a major win this week. What was it?  Anthony Albanese committed $600 million at the Pacific Islands Forum to help fight what? The Coalition has promised to legalise what if it's elected in 2028? Lionel Messi made a huge announcement this week, what was it?  It was revealed Apple's new CEO will earn a whopping $81 AUD million a year. Who is he replacing?  The Weekend List:   To Watch: Gabriel Redback on TikTok  Episodes mentioned:   The KPMG deep dive  The Jen Robinson chat  Follow The Briefing:   TikTok: @thebriefingpod   Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast   YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Friday Headlines:  Teachers union hit back at Matt Canavan's claims Australia's education system is 'anti-boy'  World told to brace for strongest El Nino on record Lindsay Clancy jury remains deadlocked France targets Temu and Shein with world-first fast fashion crackdown It’s 20 years today since Steve Irwin died Further listening from the headlines:  The real victims of the manosphere with the CEO of The Man Cave, Ben Vasiliou about the lessons we need to learn about the manosphere and ‘toxic masculinity’.  Why the Lindsay Clance case matters Deep Dive: Dave Hughes has gone from making Australia laugh to telling Australia how to vote.   Since the May Budget, the comedian-turned-self-described "political agitator" has waged an increasingly loud campaign against the government, despite admitting he's only recently started paying more attention to politics.   So is Hughesy a genuine voice for the fed-up - or just the loudest bloke in a system that rewards shouting? And is this what real political engagement looks like now - or just anger dressed up as insight?   In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by broadcaster and three-time independent candidate Alex Dyson, who took Hughesy on in a "spicy chat," to dig into this new era of political anger and whether we will ever see a system that prioritises people over power. Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpod Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thursday Headlines:  Police identify four Swans players in sexual assault investigation Coalition to legalise vapes, lower cigarette prices if elected  NSW police probe potential second mistaken identity fatality in Sydney Australia accused of 'environmental vandalism' at Pacific meeting Apple’s new CEO scores massive payday Deep Dive: Just over a week ago, a glacier collapsed high in the Himalayas and sent a wall of water, mud and rock tearing down the Nepal–Tibet border, killing more than a thousand people and leaving thousands more missing.  Australians have seen the footage: the torrent flattening the border crossing as people ran for their lives. But cross to the Chinese side, and that same video has been scrubbed from the internet.  Why?  In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by ABC China Correspondent Allyson Horn to unpack what China is keeping from public view, and why, in one of the country's most tightly controlled regions, even a flood becomes something to censor.  Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpod Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.