Tom always thought he was autistic but was never diagnosed, until he sought out a definitive answer. Turns out he was right. How will his life change as a result?

This is the final episode of The Briefing's five-part series on neurodiversity, Sacha Barbour Gatt sits down with Tom to discuss his diagnosis, what it means to him, how he thinks it will impact his future, and if he intends to change his life in any way.

This series is aimed at informing and supporting people who believe they, or someone they know, is on the autism spectrum but never found out and made in partnership with Autism Awareness Australia and Sydney University's Brain and Mind Centre.

Listen to Part One here, Part Two here, Part Three here, and Part Four here.

You can find the Brain and Mind Centre here, and Autism Awareness Australia's resources in recognising autism here.

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Are we all just a bunch of psychopaths?

Jon Ronson has made a career talking to people living life on the extreme and unpacking what makes us normal – or not. As we begin the wrap-up for 2024, the global community is taking stock of where we sit as a society, and if we’re better or worse than before.

What does someone like Ronson make of it all? Have we become more psychopathic as a global community, or have we become too comfortable about using the term? In this special bonus episode of The Briefing, he joins Sacha Barbour Gatt in the midst of his Australian tour to explain why he’s touring the country to explore if psychopaths rule the world in 2024.

You can buy tickets to Jon’s tour here.

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Headlines: Fifth person dies of methanol poisoning in Laos, ICC issues arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, 1500 Woolworths warehouse workers strike indefinitely, and an Aussie tv personality has helped wrangle a snake off a plane in WA!

Deep Dive: A 19-year-old Australian teenager has died, and another remains in a critical condition in hospital after consuming drinks in Laos suspected of containing methanol.

The family of Bianca Jones said in a statement released to media on Thursday that “it is with the heaviest of hearts that we share the news that our beloved daughter and sister, Bianca Jones, has passed away”. Jones’ best friend, Holly Bowles, remains in a critical condition in Thailand, while four others are also suspected to have died from the mass poisoning – two women from Denmark, an English woman and a man from the US.

The Australian Government has issued a warning following the incident, urging people to be alert to the risks when travelling, particularly with spirit-based drinks like cocktails.

After such a tragic result, many are asking – how and why is methanol getting into people’s drinks? What does it do to the body? And what can you do to keep yourself safe next time you head overseas? In this episode of the Briefing Bension Siebert is joined by forensic pathologist David Ranson, to discuss why methanol poisoning is more common than you might think.

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Tom has discovered in his late twenties he’s on the autism spectrum. While Tom had always suspected he was autistic, he’s now had his suspicions confirmed - a story echoed by individuals and families across the country.

So how do people on the spectrum navigate the workplace – and what about relationships, both romantic and platonic?

In this five-part special series of The Briefing, we team up with Autism Awareness Australia and Sydney University's Brain and Mind Centre to walk alongside Thomas as he discovers what the autism spectrum is, and if, and where, he might fit.

In Part Four, we’re joined by Professor Adam Guastella from the centre and Nicole Rogerson, founding CEO and director of Autism Awareness Australia to discuss work, friendship and love on the spectrum.

Listen to Part One here, Part Two here, and Part Three here.

You can find the Brain and Mind Centre here, and Autism Awareness Australia's resources in recognising autism here.

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Yesterday was the 38th ARIA awards.

It’s Australia's musical industry night of nights, where artists from across the country are recognized for their success here and abroad, with Troye Savon, Royel Otis, 22 first nations artists were all given a nod for their impact on the industry this year.

There's no shortage of talent across the island – from Kylie, to Troye Savon, to Tame Impala, to ACDC, Australian music has for decades made international charts, club anthems, and worldwide superstars.

But we are also an island – and awards nights like the ARIAs can sometimes reflect just how tough the music industry is a space to succeed. Earlier this year it was reported that around half of musicians in Australia earned less than $6,000 in 2023, forcing many to quit the industry.

So what does it take to succeed in the Australian music industry?

On this episode of The Briefing Helen Smith hit the ARIA’s red carpet, asking Budjera, GrentPerez, Surely Shirely, Zindzi & The Zillionaires, Ripley Alexander , Kaylee Bell and Van-Anh Nguyen to give us their take.

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Headlines: Social media ban legislation to be introduced to parliament today, US closes embassy in Ukraine amid warnings of ‘significant air attack’, Hawthorn settles court case with previous Indigenous players, and who won big at the ARIA's last night?

Deep Dive: Celebrities, institutions and regular people have been abandoning X, formerly Twitter, and joining rival Bluesky in recent weeks.

Bluesky is one of a handful of short text social media alternatives that have had some success competing since Elon Musk bought X in 2022. But X still dominates the space. So is Bluesky a real, better alternative, or are those making the switch and proclaiming the death of X just virtue signalling?

On this episode of The Briefing, Bension Siebert is joined by Crikey’s associate editor and internet culture and tech reporter Cam Wilson to get his verdict on if Bluesky is living up to the hype, and if it will survive.

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Tom always suspected he was autistic, but had never been formally diagnosed. Now he knows the answer.

In this five-part special series of The Briefing, we team up with Autism Awareness Australia and Sydney University's Brain and Mind Centre to walk alongside Thomas as he discovers what the autism spectrum is, and if, and where, he might fit.

In Part Three, we join Tom as he learns if he is on the autism spectrum, what he makes of the result, and what it means for his future. We're also hear from Professor Adam Guastella from the University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Centre as he tells Tom what he learned from Tom’s assessment.

Listen to Part One here and Part Two here.

You can find the Brain and Mind Centre here, and Autism Awareness Australia's resources in recognising autism here.

Follow The Briefing:
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Headlines: Ukraine fires first US missiles at Russia, Female CEOs in Australia paid $170,000 less, Sydney train network to shut down for three days over union dispute, and a Doomsday fish washes up on California beach.

Deep Dive: 3D printing guns is on the rise in Australia.

The guns, made using a combination of plastic 3D printed parts and metal components, are unregistered weapons, known as ‘ghost guns’.

Over the last 12 months these weapons have been seized in every state and territory in Australia, prompting a national wide task force. But with access to making them only increasing, is attempts to halt their production and spread across the country a runaway train?

In this episode of The Briefing Helen Smith is joined by Skeeve Stevens, a futurist and expert in the weaponisation of technology, to break down how easy it is to print a gun, and what he thinks law enforcement and the government can do to stop it.

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