The Briefing

Our Take: Nicki Minaj's road to MAGA, Albo's $6m golf club & dancing dogs

The Briefing

Show Notes

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.

More from The Briefing

Oct 29, 2026

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.

Oct 28, 2026

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.

Oct 27, 2026

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.

Oct 26, 2026

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.

Oct 25, 2026

Monday Headlines: Anthony Albanese to lead messages of support for Helen Haines as parliament resumes Coalition to introduce 'Cash is King' bill Severe weather for Australia's east Australia's newest airport officially open to passengers Aussies through to semis of RL World Cup Deep Dive: Israelis head to the polls this week in their first national election since the October 7 attack, and Benjamin Netanyahu, the country’s longest-serving prime minister, is fighting to hold on to power. With polls showing neither side close to a majority, could this be the end of his long reign? In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by Dr Eyal Mayroz, Senior Lecturer in Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Sydney. He explains why this election isn’t a simple contest of left versus right, who’s trying to topple Netanyahu, and what the result could mean for Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon and Iran. Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @thebriefingpod Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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