Esme Louise James is the kinkiest historian you'll ever meet

A rocket is set to take off soon from North Queensland, becoming the first locally made orbital rocket to blast off from Australian soil. It will also mark our country as one of only twelve around the globe that can boast space launch technology that goes from build to launch. Yet, strangely enough, this rocket is highly likely to fail. On this episode, Bension Siebert speaks with LiSTNR journalist, Courtney Thomas, to discuss why it’s so significant, and why the small town of Bowen, south of Townsville, has been chosen for the launch site.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Columbia University in New York this week called in police to arrest pro-Palestinian protestors. Universities have always championed free speech. Is Columbia a sign of the changing nature of protest in our tertiary institutions? Once places that encouraged challenging discussions on politics and culture. In this episode of The Briefing, we’re joined by Tim Briedis, an academic and historian from the University of Sydney who specialises in the history of student activism, to discuss how and why protest culture at our universities has changed and what it means for the future of dialogue on politics and culture. Headlines: Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction has been overturned E-safety: Dutton says we can’t police the world  Australians hit by biggest tax increase in the world 100 whales saved off the coast of WA The iconic Moulin Rouge sails have fallen off   Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At pubs around the country, people are watching pairs of coins tossed in the air for the classic ANZAC Day tradition of playing two-up.  In most parts of Australia it’s illegal to play this quintessentially Australian game any day other than ANZAC Day.  But one pub in Broken Hill – the far west New South Wales mining town near the border South Australia – it's played legally every Friday night.  So how is it that two-up is legal any time of the year are mid-sized pub in the middle of the outback?  Ringmaster of two-up at the Palace Hotel in Broken Hill Fisk Nagas joins Bension Siebert to explain. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this Anzac Day morning, we reflect on the rise and rise of Anzac Day and how only a generation ago, it was declining before a huge upsurge in interest and favour in the late 1990s. The day has not always been as revered as it is today. We’re joined by Anzac historian Mat McLachlan to discuss the current popularity of Anzac Day, and whether it will survive into the future.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the beginning of this week, a woman was allegedly murdered by her former partner while he was out on bail. He’d been charged with her rape as well as intimidation. The alleged incident has thrown our bail laws into sharp relief, with both federal and state politicians pledging to do more to keep women safe.   In this episode of The Briefing, Sacha Barbour Gatt speaks with Dr Terry Goldsworthy, an associate professor in criminology at Bond University, about whether our bail laws need to change. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Social media has become entrenched in our society, replacing town squares and the water cooler as the place we come together to share our lives, our thoughts and our ideas. But the internet can be a dangerous place, especially for kids, where predators lurk, scams are rife and content inappropriate for young eyes is readily available. Even innocent trends can prove dangerous; think intense skincare regimes designed for 30- somethings becoming popular among little kids who just want to be like their favourite influencer. So, it’s no surprise that new research has revealed parents are looking to delay their children’s entry into the world of social media – but are they fighting a losing battle? Headlines: Donald Trump is back in court for day two of his criminal trial  200 days of war on Gaza Coalition to call for compulsory age verification on social media Indigenous spears returned from Cambridge University   Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the first time, two independent candidates are attempting to run for federal parliament as ‘job-sharing candidates’.   Lucy Bradlow and Bronwen Bock want to run for the Melbourne seat of Higgins as a single candidate on the ballot paper. They claim that they could do the role like any other job-share – splitting duties, making join decisions, sharing the salary – and that allowing job-sharing would make parliament more representative of modern Australian society.  But is it constitutionally legal for two people to run as a single federal member? And how would this actually work?  Joining Bension Siebert are the job-sharing independent candidates for the singular seat of Higgins in Melbourne, Bronwen Bock and Lucy Bradlow. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, we bring you the final episode of our exclusive, three-part special investigation into the risky new frontier of Australia's healthcare system. The Briefing's investigative team went undercover online to expose the risks Australia's government, medical regulators and doctors' groups are only now beginning to realise. The investigation reveals how the crisis in Australia's GP practices has degraded the way healthcare being is done online - including by doctors working for one of this country's biggest corporations. In our last part of Doctors Note - we find out the consequences for doctors who practice this kind of healthcare, and hear from the people meant to keep us safe about what they're going to do about it. Headlines: e-Safety Commissioner to force X to hide stabbing video Israeli military intelligence chief resigns Donald Trump’s hush money trial begins   Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, we bring you the second part of our exclusive, three-part special investigation into the risky new frontier of Australia's healthcare system.   The Briefing's investigative team went undercover online to expose the risks Australia's government, medical regulators and doctors' groups are only now beginning to realise.  The investigation reveals how the crisis in Australia's GP practices has degraded the way healthcare being is done online - including by doctors working for one of this country’s biggest corporations.  In part two of Doctors Note - we show you how we went undercover, and expose the potential danger that online medical services pose to your health.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, we bring you the first part of our exclusive, three-part special investigation into the risky new frontier of Australia's healthcare system.   The Briefing's investigative team went undercover online to expose the risks Australia's government, medical regulators and doctors' groups are only now beginning to realise.  The investigation reveals how the crisis in Australia's GP practices has degraded the way healthcare being is done online - including by doctors working for one of this country’s biggest corporations.  In part one of Doctors Note - why patients around the country are vulnerable to a new kind of healthcare that has experts alarmed. Headlines: Thousands gather for Bondi stabbing victims Reynolds accepts Higgins’ ‘olive branch’ apology  US House of Representatives approves huge aid package for Ukraine  Taylor Swift breaks records with ‘The Tortured Poets Department’   Follow The Briefing:Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAUTwitter: @TheBriefingAUSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.