Tom always suspected he was autistic, but had never been formally diagnosed. What does finding that out look like?

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 Two, we travel to Professor Adam Guastella's clinic at the Brain and Mind Centre to sit in on Tom’s assessment, learn how and why neurodiversity is so varied, and how one who suspects they are autistic navigates that complexity.  

Listen to Part One here.

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

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Headlines: Australian’s want review of Aukus following Trump, Kremlin slams US over Ukraine missile decision, Parliamentary inquiry stops short of recommending social media ban, and Sam Kerr and partner Kristie Mewis are having a baby.

Deep Dive: 83-year-old Alan Jones has been charged with 24 offences against eight alleged victims spanning two decades, following a lengthy investigation by police into alleged indecent assault and sexual touching of young men by the former broadcaster.

For the past nine months Strike Force Bonnefin, run by the State Command’s Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad, has been investigating the allegations, which yesterday resulted in Jones being charged with 11 counts of aggravated indecent assault, nine counts of assault with an act of indecency, two counts of sexually touching another person without their consent and two counts of common assault.

He was granted conditional bail and will face Downing Centre Local Court on December 18. Jones strenuously denies all accusations laid out against him.

In this episode of The Briefing Helen Smith is joined by Kate McClymont, chief investigative reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald to break down the arrest, what we know, and what we can expect will happen next. 

Note: Following the publishing of this episode, police have added two extra charges on Alan Jones, who is now accused of indecency against nine alleged victims over nearly 20 years. The former broadcaster faces 26 charges including indecent assault and sexual touching - some involving victims under his professional authority. Jones' lawyer insists he’ll fight the allegations.

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29-year-old radio producer Thomas Denham has always suspected he’s autistic. But how can he be sure?

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 this episode, Sacha Barbour Gatt is joined by Professor Adam Guastella from the Brain and Mind Centre to find out what autism is, what common traits people with autism display and what someone ought to do if they feel they, or someone they know, shows some of those signs.

Nicole Rogerson, founding CEO and director of Autism Awareness Australia also talks us through what an autism diagnosis can mean for the families and friends involved. 

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

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Headlines: Certain Australian businesses to be forced to accept cash payments, Joe Biden lifts ban on Ukraine using US missiles to strike inside Russia, PM won’t detail emissions plans until next year and Kamala Harris’ Uber Eats bill revealed.

Deep Dive: After a very mixed year, the world’s best-known cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, is surging in value.

What exactly is going on with crypto right now? Can the current surge continue? And how should you think about the risks and rewards of an asset that’s made a lot of people very rich, but made a lot of others lose, and lose big?

On this episode of The Briefing, we hear from two experts on cryptocurrency to help us understand the wild world of crypto and where it’s at right now.

Bension Siebert speaks with Bryce Leske from Equity Mates Media and Dr Cynthia Cai, senior lecturer at Macquarie University’s Department of Applied Finance. 

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Australian citizens living in the United States who aren't supportive of a Trump presidency are considering their options to leave the country.

Last week, The Briefing brought you the stories of three Australians living in US swing states, who shared how they were feeling in the leadup to the US election.

With Donald Trump now officially taking the top job, one of those Australians, Chris Mead, is planning her exit strategy.

She joins Bension Siebert again on this episode of The Briefing to unpack the difficult decisions she and her family are planning to make following the result of the US election. 

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Ben Shewry is one of Australia’s top chefs who’s behind the world renowned restaurant Attica.

He started working at a local restaurant in New Zealand at just 10 years old after sending out letters pleading his case to become a chef.

In his new memoir, Uses For Obsession, Shewry exposes the misogyny, harassment, and toxic culture ingrained in hospitality.

In this chat with Antoinette Lattouf, Ben reveals why he wrote a whole chapter on hot chips and how one of the most telling things about a person is the way they treat waitstaff.

Weekend List

• TO TRY: Airyday Skinscreens Mineral SPF50+
• TO WATCH: Rivals on Disney+
• TO WATCH: Yellowstone season 5 on Stan
• TO LISTEN: Off Menu podcast ep with Sebastian Stan

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This weekend legendary boxer Mike Tyson is stepping into the ring with Youtuber-turned-influencer-turned-boxer Jake Paul.

The fight is being held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas – but for those who can’t make it in person, the event is set to be broadcast live on Netflix – a first for the streaming service.

It's been postponed, hyped, and hated – and will be making a massive amount of money for those involved. Is this about to be the event of the century? Or is an almost 60-year-old former boxing champion fighting an influencer a sad state of affairs for the once-glorious sport of boxing?

In this episode of The Briefing Helen Smith is joined by Combat Sports Journalist at The Daily Telegraph and Code Sports Brendan Bradford to unpack what he thinks of the whole affair.

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Headlines: Labor looks to crack down on billionaires in Aussie elections, fears of a trade war overshadow APEC summit and Aussie scientists invent possible solution for fatbergs.

Deep Dive: The federal government has introduced a world-first plan to ban kids younger than 16 from accessing social media.

Depending on who you ask, it's either an election-winning policy that addresses the anxieties of mums and dads across the country - or a poorly thought out, privacy-stealing power grab.

The ban has received bipartisan support from the government - so what's the big deal if it comes into law?

In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou unpacks what the ban will mean with 17-year-old Leo Puglisi, founder of 6News, tech and political commentator Stilgherrian, and Libertarian MP David Limbrick.

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Over the past 48 hours, Elon Musk and more than a dozen high-profile loyalists have been picked for key jobs in incoming president Donald Trump's administration.

Every new name has made international headlines, and offers a valuable insight into how Trump plans to shape America and the world when he returns to the White House in January.

On this episode of The Briefing, Sacha Barbour Gatt and Bension Siebert break down the key names announced so far, and what you need to know about them.

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Headlines: Trump and Biden meet at the White House, new duty of care laws for social media companies, High Court rules a Catholic diocese not liable for abuse and two Aussie cities rank in the top ten in the world for the cleanest air.

Deep Dive: Corporations shape our world and while they can drive economies, they also have considerable influence over our environment and society.  
 
One way some businesses try to leave a positive mark is through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The United Nations and the Australian Human Rights Commission champion CSR’s potential, but not everyone is buying in.  
 
Employment lawyer Josh Bornstein argues that it might be nothing more than a façade. Josh joins Chris Spyrou on this episode of The Briefing to share why he believes CSR is nothing more than a marketing tool that distracts from real accountability. 

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We’ve all heard of sniffer dogs, but what about sniffer rats?

Did you know there’s a program that is training and using the critters to hunt down materials being used in the illegal wildlife trade in Africa?

In this episode of The Briefing Sacha Barbour Gatt is joined by Kate Webb, who helped launch the project, to learn more about this amazing initiative and plans for the future of detection rats.

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