The Biggest News Stories Of The Year As Chosen By Listeners

It's been a year of history-defining news, with the Queen passing away, war in Ukraine and cost-of-living through the roof. We asked to our mates at The Briefing Podcast to tell us their biggest stories of the year and the ones you loved the most. 

The Queen has died aged 96 - September 9

We bring you the news that Queen Elizabeth has died aged 96; Buckingham Palace made the official announcement at 6.30pm British time -  3.30am this morning our time. Her majesty was Britain’s longest-serving monarch.

The Queen, born in Mayfair, London on April 21, 1926, died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.

In this special episode of the Briefing, we remember Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth the Second.

Will Vladimir Putin Start A Nuclear War?  - March 3

Russian President Vladimir Putin has put Russia's nuclear forces in a "special regime of combat duty".  The order means Putin wants Russia's nuclear weapons prepared for increased readiness to launch.

Peter Jennings, executive director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, says the Kremlin and Washington, usually have land and submarine-based capabilities on a hair trigger, but nuclear-capable bombers and other aircraft are not.

So what’s behind this latest escalation, and how likely is it to lead us to a massive nuclear showdown? 

Teacher's Pet: The Chris Dawson Trial - June 6

It’s January 1982, Lyn and Chris Dawson appear to have the perfect marriage. He's a star footballer and popular high school teacher. She's a devoted wife and mother who worked as a nurse.

Lyn Dawson goes missing shortly afterwards. Chris Dawson was charged with the 1982 murder of his wife, Lynette.  The cold case was at the center of widely popular investigative podcast series Teachers Pet, which focused on the disappearance and probable murder of the Sydney mother-of-two.   Chris Dawson has pleaded not guilty.

We're joined by the Australian's Matthew Condon to go behind the cold case that sparked the Teacher’s Pet Podcast and get the latest on the trial of Chris Dawson.

TikTok Trial: Amber Heart V Johnny Depp - May 12

Hollywood stars Johnny Depp and Amber Heard spent much of 2022 embroiled in a bitter court battle - all playing out like a pretty disturbing film. Both sides of the disputed argue they’re the victims ….with Depp suing Heard for $50m and Heard countersuing for $100m.

Depp claimed he was defamed in an op-ed article Heard wrote in the Washington Post where she claimed to have been the victim of domestic violence.   Rolling Stone magazine’s Tatiana Siegel was been reporting on the case since day one.  She joins us to provide the history….and predictions on what’s likely to happen when the trial resumes next week.

The Aussie Journo who fact-checked the world's biggest podcaster - January 1 

American comedian and sports commentator Joe Rogan hosts the most popular podcast in the world – often clocking up 11 million listens per episode. Earlier this year, an Australian journalist and radio presenter appeared on the podcast.  His name is Josh Szeps.

Josh hosts Afternoons on ABC Radio Sydney, and spent more than a decade in the US appearing regularly on television and radio. 

During the course of his podcast chat, Joe mentioned some statistics in relation to myocarditis in teenagers.  Joe’s figures were incorrect, and Josh called him out. The footage and audio has gone viral around the world.  So who is Josh Szeps? And what does it say about media and culpability, if the number one podcaster in the world can just riff on something as important as heart disease?  

The fallout from Grace Tame and Brittany Higgins’ Press Club address - 10 February

Grace Tame and Brittany Higgins addressed the National Press Club in Canberra earlier this year to highlight the plight of victims of sexual assault.

Amy Remeikis, the Guardian’s federal political correspondent, joins us to talk through the fallout from the address.  Scott Morrison apologised in Parliament this week…..was it enough to stem the fallout from the scandal that has rocked the seat of government in Australia?

With a federal election just around the corner, it will be interesting to see how Scott Morrison and the Coalition manages the fallout – and will it impact how people vote come election day?

The rental crisis gripping Australia - May 11

Australia is in the grip of a rental crisis.  The number of rental vacancies is at a record low.

On this episode of the Briefing, we hear from families living in their car; another family of five living in a single room; and others who cannot afford to rent a home. Professor Wendy Stone heads up the Housing Futures Research Program at Swinburne Research Centre, and tells us the crisis will likely get worse before it gets better.

Everything you need to know about Roe V Wade

A 50 year old US federal law guaranteeing the right to abortion could be overturned.  The draft Supreme Court ruling would strike down the 1973 Roe v Wade case – and would see abortion become a state issue.  A draft finding has been leaked to the press. 

Damien Cave, the New York Times’ Australian correspondent, joins us to explain what Roe v Wade is, and what this latest decision means for Americans. President Joe Biden warns if it is handed down, the ruling could jeopardise other rights including same-sex marriage and access to contraception. 

As many as 26 states are expected to enact partial or total abortion bans if Roe falls - that’s half the country – so it’s going to have a massive impact in the US no matter which way the Supreme Court votes.

Inside China's Covid-Zero nightmare - March 24

Shanghai, a city of 28 million people has been locked down now for five weeks... and dozens of other cities have had partial lockdowns. 

But covid cases and deaths in China are way lower than ours here in Australia... and our population is less than 2% of China’s  

The reason it’s so strange is that for the last two years Chinese people were living quite normally while parts of Australia went in and out of lockdown.  Now the tables have turned...  

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