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Thursday Headlines:  Bank bosses to face two-day inquiry over rate hikes, AI and offshoring jobs David Jones to close 19 stores CFMEU official claimed to have 'direct line to Jacinta Allan' John Setka expelled from CFMEU for five years Malcolm Turnbull latest to be embroiled in sandpapergate scandal revival Aussie act to headline Coachella Further listening from the headlines: Is David Jones going down?  Deep Dive: With Victoria heading to the polls later this month, Premier Ben Carroll is facing an uphill battle to convince voters to give Labor another four years in power.   Carroll took over from Jacinta Allan in July, promising a fresh start after 12 years of Labor government. But with the party struggling in the polls and facing scrutiny over past corruption allegations, crime, rising debt and cost-of-living pressures, can he convince Victorians that he's the change they need?   In this episode of The Briefing, Sacha Barbour Gatt speaks to the Premier about his leadership takeover, his government's record, his election promises and why voters should trust him to deliver. You can listen to Sach's chat with Jess Wilson here. Follow The Briefing:  TikTok: @thebriefingpod  Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast  YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wednesday Headlines:  PM announces new federal watchdog to rein in rogue AI  Pete Hegseth to face impeachment vote Little Britain star accused of grooming and preying on teenage girls Qantas to axe 850 jobs and move more roles offshore  Kim Kardashian's brand offers refunds after social media backlash at advent calendars Deep Dive: Nearly 200 countries are gathered in a Turkish resort city this week for COP31, the UN’s annual climate summit, and Australia is steering the negotiations. It’s the role we landed after losing a three-year fight to host the talks in Adelaide, and it’s costing taxpayers close to $150 million.   So what does COP actually achieve, and is a seat at the head of the table worth the price tag?   In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by Matt McDonald, Professor of International Relations at the University of Queensland, to unpack it all.  Follow The Briefing:  TikTok: @thebriefingpod  Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast  YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tuesday Headlines:  Russell Brand sentenced to ten years jail for rape and sexual assault More than $480bn wiped off Nvidia's valuation after 'honeytrap' investigation launched  France blames Iran for supermarket fridge hack  Krakow shooter dies  Digital duty of care inquiry continues today Sandpaper gate returns to the headlines Further listening from the headlines: Sanding back Australia's darkest test Deep Dive: Uber’s long-running claim that it’s just a middleman between riders and drivers came crashing down in the High Court of Australia last week.    The rideshare giant now owes more than $81 million in NSW payroll tax on the fares it passes on to drivers, and that figure could climb past $100 million. Other states are eyeing their own slice, and the fallout could spread well beyond rideshare.   So when a tech giant is hit with a tax bill this big, who ends up footing it?   In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by Dr Fiona Macdonald, Policy Director (Industrial and Social) at the Centre for Future Work, to unpack what the ruling means for drivers, care workers and the future of gig work in Australia.  Follow The Briefing:  TikTok: @thebriefingpod  Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast  YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Monday Headlines:  Trust in Albanese falls as voters blame government for cost-of-living crisis Two days of mourning declared in Poland after suspected terror shooting The latest in the New Zealand and Israel elections Parts of Australia blanketed by snow in late Spring cold snap Australia through to Rugby League World Cup Deep Dive: Doctors at a major regional hospital fear the imminent takeover by a Catholic provider will see critical services like IVF, abortion, and Voluntary Assisted Dying banned.    Calvary Health Care is taking over 16 hospitals across the country following the financial collapse of Healthscope last May - giving them 10 per cent of Australia’s total private hospital capacity.     In this episode of The Briefing Sacha Barbour Gatt is joined by Associate Professor Neera Bhatia, Director of the Law, Health and Society Research Unit at Deakin University, to discuss the legal and ethical dilemma that arises when religion and health collide.  Follow The Briefing:  TikTok: @thebriefingpod  Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast  YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In just a couple of weeks, thousands of kids across the country are packing their bags for destinations across Australia – and now the world – to celebrate Schoolies.   While many will likely party too hard and head home with some regrets, or worse, there’s a growing trend among teenagers to swap getting wasted for wellness.  In this bonus episode of The Briefing, we revisit Sacha Barbour Gatt's chat with the founder of Red Frogs, Andy Gourley, about how kids are celebrating and how much that’s changed since he started his work at leavers events more than 25 years ago.  Follow The Briefing:  TikTok: @thebriefingpod  Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast  YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.     Follow The Briefing:  TikTok: @thebriefingpod  Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast  YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.    Follow The Briefing:  TikTok: @thebriefingpod  Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast  YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.  Follow The Briefing:  TikTok: @thebriefingpod  Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast  YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.  Follow The Briefing:  TikTok: @thebriefingpod  Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast  YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

Welcome to this weekend’s Our Take brought to you by Chris Spyrou and Tessa Randello!  We kick things off with that Trump rally in Michigan, where Nicki Minaj flew in on Air Force One, “auditioned” to be the next White House Press Secretary, and copped a comment from the President about her “beautiful ass.”   We dig into how Nicki went from rapping about Trump wanting to send her home to calling herself his number one fan.  Then we crack open the inbox for the story hundreds of you couldn’t stop commenting on: Albo and that $6 million golf club grant.   Plus, listener Adam, a firie, sends in a voice note with his take on Elon Musk’s flying car.  Returning fan favourite Curtis Figon from Triple M is back for the Weekend Quiz, chasing a personal best of 4 out of 5... bless him.  And we wrap it all up with The Weekend List!   The Weekend List:   TO DO: Install a TV behind your kitchen splashback, so that you can watch while cooking (listener Michelle) TO WATCH: Prada’s hand-animated winter campaign (Tessa).  TO WATCH: AI dancing dogs (Chris) The Weekend Quiz (Just questions, no answers):   The first flight left from the new Western Sydney Airport on Monday. Where did it go?    A Victorian prisoner lost a court bid to try and get what snack while in jail?    Australia’s inflation rate increased again this week. What is it now?  A Former Prime Minister is starting a new job as a lecturer at Sydney Uni. What's their name?  Junior MasterChef is coming back to Aussie screens after 6 years. Poh Ling Yeow is one of the judges – who is the other one?  Follow The Briefing:  TikTok: @thebriefingpod  Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast  YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Friday Headlines:  Erin Patterson appeal decision to be handed down   Protests, mourning and leaked audio after Spain’s deadly train crash Helen Haines' office reopens as more details emerge on alleged attacker's state of mind  Hanson accused Albanese of trying to divide One Nation with staffing offer Australia returns to the Eurovision stage in 2027!   Deep Dive: An end to check-out chores at Airbnbs around the world has sparked a major battle between the company and it's hosts.    The strict new rule changes ban hosts from asking guests to strip beds, start laundry, or wash dishes, and are set to come into effect on November 20.    But with tens of thousands of hosts signing petitions demanding the policy be scrapped, property owners warn the move will force cleaner fees up and squeeze host returns.   In this episode of The Briefing, Tessa Randello is joined by short-stay specialist Alex Nation about why the rule changes are causing such a stir, and what the future of short stays looks like.    Follow The Briefing:  TikTok: @thebriefingpod  Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast  YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thursday Headlines:  At least 68 killed in Spanish high-speed train crash  Chance of a rate hike firms up after inflation rises  Ashley Paul Griffith extradited from Queensland to NSW to face further charges  Netanyahu's bloc loses majority Defeated Brazilian presidential candidate touches down in the US Melanie Lynskey cast as Erin Patterson Deep Dive: The horrific abuse of infants at a remote Queensland childcare centre has once again exposed deep, systemic failures across Australia's $20 billion childcare sector.    It's revealed hundreds of providers that are currently operating completely outside national quality framework standards.    In this episode of The Briefing, ABC investigative journalist Adele Ferguson sits down with Sacha Barbour Gatt to break down the investigation and ask how these dangerous regulatory blind spots are able to persist.  Follow The Briefing:  TikTok: @thebriefingpod  Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast  YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wednesday Headlines:  Record voter turnout for Israeli election Almost 800 threats made against MPs in six months PM admits golf club grant is not to fix sewage issues ASX closes higher as US shares rise in response to Anthropic IPO Meghan Markle to return to Australia to judge Junior MasterChef Further listening from headlines: Is this the end for Netanyahu? Deep Dive: For most Australians, the end of life has meant a choice between a plot or an urn.   Now New South Wales has added another option, after MPs voted unanimously last week to legalise terramation, or human composting.    Backers pitch it as an answer to shrinking burial space and rising funeral bills. But questions remain about how the process works and where all that soil ends up.   So is Australia ready to rethink how we say goodbye?   In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by independent Member for Sydney Alex Greenwich, who wrote the law, to unpack how terramation works, what it’ll cost families, and when it might actually become an option.  Follow The Briefing:  TikTok: @thebriefingpod  Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast  YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tuesday Headlines:  Federal Politicians promise to continue honouring Haines Coalition releases $31 billion savings package Queensland's wild weather turns deadly Historic elections in Brazil and Serbia Jacinda Ardern lands lecturer role at Sydney Uni Victorian prisoner told he has no right to Vegemite Deep Dive: Pregnant women and working parents are continuing to face discrimination in the workplace in a major way, according to a new report by Australia's Human Rights Commission.   The laws to protect them – covered in the Sex Discrimination and Fair Work Acts – are majorly outdated according to the commissioner, with calls for significant changes to the legislation to ensure women who want to work and raise a family, can.   In today's episode of The Briefing, Sacha Barbour Gatt is joined by the commissioner to discuss what discrimination against pregnant women and working parents looks like in 2026, the continuing pervasiveness of 'sham redundancies' and how the government can act to clean up the space.  Follow The Briefing:  TikTok: @thebriefingpod  Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast  YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.