Squiz Today
Squiz Media
A daily news podcast, getting you across the latest Australian and international news in under 10 minutes. Agenda-free, independent, and delivered by hosts that'll come to feel like mates. It's the news without the noise, cutting through with a touch of analysis and an eye on what's coming next. And there's always a quirky news story or two to give a touch of balance to the news of the day. News for busy people, out 6am weekday, perfect for your morning routine.The Squiz is your shortcut to being informed.Top tip - check out The Squiz Today newsletter. It's the daily news stories, in your inbox each weekday at 6am, with links and more info to all the stories covered in The Squiz Today podcast. Sign up at www.thesquiz.com.au - it's free.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Aug 19, 2025 • 16min
Squiz Shortcuts: Where are peace talks up to between Russia and Ukraine?
There’s been a flurry of meetings over the last week between leaders from Russia, Ukraine, the US and Europe with the aim of ending the war in Ukraine, so we thought it might be a good time to check in on where the negotiations for peace are up to. In this Squiz Shortcut, we’ll get you across who’s been talking to who, what’s been up for discussion and what it might mean for the war going forward.
Squiz Recommends:
Looking: If you’d like a bit more of a visual guide, this story from Sky News in the UK shows where the territory battle is up to between the 2 countries, so you can see which country is currently in control of what land.
Email us: Got a topic you want us to tackle? Send us your Shortcut suggestions to hello@thesquiz.com.au.
Squiz Shortcuts is your back story to the big news stories…
Want the email version? Sign up for the Shortcuts newsletter here.
Aug 18, 2025 • 12min
A sky-high fine for Qantas, and delulu's in the dictionary
Tuesday, 19 August: A sky-high fine for Qantas; Zelensky takes back-up to the White House; Vale Terence Stamp; And delulu's in the dictionary...
You can check out our new series, The Big Threat, here, on the News Club channel.
Here's an obituary for Terence Stamp, and if you'd like to check out his monologue from The Limey, you can watch that here (just be wary of a bit of colourful language).
Here's the skibidi toilet video, which might explain what it is - or might not...
You can get The Squiz Today newsletter in your inbox each weekday morning (links to all today’s stories, plus a dose of quirky news).
Other things we do:
Squiz Kids - a news podcast for curious kids. Age-appropriate news without the nasties!
Newshounds, by Squiz Kids - a free media literacy program designed to teach primary-school students how to recognise misinformation and disinformation when they come across it.
Check out News Club - the place for conversations about the news hosted by Claire Kimball and Kate Watson - including the interview series, Newsmakers.
Sign up for the Saturday Squiz newsletter here - it's the news, weekend style.
Sign up for The Squiz Shortcuts newsletter here - a weekly explainer on big news topics
Support The Squiz by sharing our newsletters and podcasts with your friends.
Aug 17, 2025 • 11min
Zelensky prepares to meet Trump, and Irene says farewell
Monday, 18 August: Zelensky prepares to meet Trump; Palestinians are moved again in Gaza; A Qantas fine is about to arrive; And Irene says farewell...
Read the review of Lynn McGranger's last appearance as Irene Roberts in Home & Away here. (PS - this is behind a Daily Telegraph paywall. And spoiler warning!)
Here's the link to learn a bit more about Vietnam Veterans’ Day
You can check out our new series, The Big Threat, here, on the News Club channel.
You can get The Squiz Today newsletter in your inbox each weekday morning (links to all today’s stories, plus a dose of quirky news).
Other things we do:
Squiz Kids - a news podcast for curious kids. Age-appropriate news without the nasties!
Newshounds, by Squiz Kids - a free media literacy program designed to teach primary-school students how to recognise misinformation and disinformation when they come across it.
Check out News Club - the place for conversations about the news hosted by Claire Kimball and Kate Watson - including the interview series, Newsmakers.
Sign up for the Saturday Squiz newsletter here - it's the news, weekend style.
Sign up for The Squiz Shortcuts newsletter here - a weekly explainer on big news topics
Support The Squiz by sharing our newsletters and podcasts with your friends.
Aug 15, 2025 • 11min
Weekly Wrap Preview: Getting you ahead of next week’s Economic Reform Roundtable
Each Saturday, we wrap up the news of the week with the (imaginatively named) Weekly Wrap podcast on our News Club show. We’re putting the main story here because we want to ensure our Squiz Today audience is across what we’re talking about. And today it’s a wrap of the Reserve Bank cut to interest rates and next week’s Economic Reform Roundtable that have been big talking points.
Listen to the full episode on the News Club show feed. And while you’re there, listen to episode 1 of our new series ‘The Big Threat’ that looks at how other democracies are equipping their populations to recognise and resist mis- and disinformation, and what Australia can learn from them.
Watch all our episodes on YouTube
Follow us on Instagram: @TheSquiz
PS: If you love what we do, the best way to support us is by clicking ‘follow’ on Apple or Spotify. A huge thanks to those who drop us a 5-star review, or even better - spread the word about Squiz Today and News Club with your friends, family, colleagues... even your barista.
Hosts: Claire Kimball & Jodie Speers
Producer & Editor: Ryan Pemberton
Researcher: Nicoletta Hay
Aug 14, 2025 • 12min
Questions over a Treasury leak, and some choc-full brownies
Friday, 15 August: Questions over a Treasury leak; Wildfires burn in Europe; Vale David Stratton; And some choc-full brownies...
SPONSORED: If you’re keen to discover your next regional escape, check out Airbnb’s Hidden Vines Guide at airbnb.com/hiddenvines.
SPONSORED: For more tips on making your home energy efficient and saving money on your power bills, visit Origin Energy's podcast So Watt? here.
Here's our Shortcut to a new era of economic reform.
You can read more about the late David Stratton's book on modern Aussie cinema history, Australia at the Movies, here.
Find the recipe for choc chunk brownies here.
Have a gander at Andrew's bird-themed board game rec, Wingspan, here.
Listen to our new Shortcut on Victory in the Pacific Day here.
Last but not least, check out our new series, The Big Threat, here, on the News Club channel.
You can get The Squiz Today newsletter in your inbox each weekday morning (links to all today’s stories, plus a dose of quirky news).
Other things we do:
Squiz Kids - a news podcast for curious kids. Age-appropriate news without the nasties!
Newshounds, by Squiz Kids - a free media literacy program designed to teach primary-school students how to recognise misinformation and disinformation when they come across it.
Check out News Club - the place for conversations about the news hosted by Claire Kimball and Kate Watson - including the interview series, Newsmakers.
Sign up for the Saturday Squiz newsletter here - it's the news, weekend style.
Sign up for The Squiz Shortcuts newsletter here - a weekly explainer on big news topics
Support The Squiz by sharing our newsletters and podcasts with your friends.
Aug 14, 2025 • 14min
Squiz Shortcuts: How Australia helped defeat Japan in WWII
It’s the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Pacific Day, which marks the unconditional surrender of the Japanese Imperial Army to the Allied Forces in WWII. Australia played a big role in the Pacific theatre of the war, which came to a swift end following the US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. So in this Squiz Shortcut, we’ll cover the events leading up to VP Day, Australia’s part in them, and why VP Day is especially meaningful for us…
Squiz Recommends:
Looking: This exhibition of photos relating to VP Day that the Australian War Memorial is displaying until the 12th of October - but if you can’t make it to Canberra, you can have a look at a selection of them on their website.
Watching: The BBC’s Antiques Roadshow has made a special episode to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VP Day. They’ve uncovered some rare keepsakes and mementos as they always do, but this one includes things like a chess set hand carved by a British soldier during his time as a prisoner of war on the Burma railway.
Reading/Watching: The Narrow Road to the Deep North, Richard Flanagan’s award-winning book and the subsequent series starring Jacob Elordi - Claire and Andrew say it’s a tough watch but a good one. You can find it on Prime…
Email us: Got a topic you want us to tackle? Send us your Shortcut suggestions to hello@thesquiz.com.au.
Squiz Shortcuts is your back story to the big news stories…
Want the email version? Sign up for the Shortcuts newsletter here
Aug 13, 2025 • 12min
Zelensky has his say, and a sequel to a classic Aussie track
Thursday, 14 August: Zelensky has his say; Taking stock of SA's algal bloom; The AFLW is back; And a sequel to a classic Aussie track...
SPONSORED: If you’re keen to discover your next regional escape, check out Airbnb’s Hidden Vines Guide at airbnb.com/hiddenvines
For players to watch in the upcoming AFLW season, we've found some good lists here and here.
To listen to Paul Kelly's How to Make Gravy sequel Rita Wrote a Letter, it's on YouTube here.
And check out our new series, The Big Threat, here, on the News Club channel.
You can get The Squiz Today newsletter in your inbox each weekday morning (links to all today’s stories, plus a dose of quirky news).
Other things we do:
Squiz Kids - a news podcast for curious kids. Age-appropriate news without the nasties!
Newshounds, by Squiz Kids - a free media literacy program designed to teach primary-school students how to recognise misinformation and disinformation when they come across it.
Check out News Club - the place for conversations about the news hosted by Claire Kimball and Kate Watson - including the interview series, Newsmakers.
Sign up for the Saturday Squiz newsletter here - it's the news, weekend style.
Sign up for The Squiz Shortcuts newsletter here - a weekly explainer on big news topics
Support The Squiz by sharing our newsletters and podcasts with your friends.
Aug 12, 2025 • 11min
More rate relief is on the way, and some ocean pals
Wednesday, 13 August: More rate relief is on the way; A trade truce extension; The Sussexes sign a deal; And some ocean pals...
SPONSORED: If you’re keen to discover your next regional escape, check out Airbnb’s Hidden Vines Guide at airbnb.com/hiddenvines
Here's a breakdown of what yesterday's rate cut call means
And check out our new series, The Big Threat, here, on the News Club channel.
You can get The Squiz Today newsletter in your inbox each weekday morning (links to all today’s stories, plus a dose of quirky news).
Other things we do:
Squiz Kids - a news podcast for curious kids. Age-appropriate news without the nasties!
Newshounds, by Squiz Kids - a free media literacy program designed to teach primary-school students how to recognise misinformation and disinformation when they come across it.
Check out News Club - the place for conversations about the news hosted by Claire Kimball and Kate Watson - including the interview series, Newsmakers.
Sign up for the Saturday Squiz newsletter here - it's the news, weekend style.
Sign up for The Squiz Shortcuts newsletter here - a weekly explainer on big news topics
Support The Squiz by sharing our newsletters and podcasts with your friends.
Aug 12, 2025 • 9min
Squiz Shortcuts: What does Palestinian recognition mean?
Australia has long supported a 2-state solution, for an Israeli state and a Palestinian state to coexist peacefully side by side. And come September, we’ll take the step of formally recognising Palestine as its own sovereign state at the United Nations General Assembly. It’ll bring us in line with the majority of other countries, including France and Canada, but it goes against Israel and the US. So in this Squiz Shortcut, we’ll explain what a 2-state solution is, what our recognition of Palestine means, and how our global ties are shifting.
Squiz Recommends:
Reading: This ABC article is a good starting point for understanding the 2-state solution and how it could work…
Listening: If you’d like to get across the history of the long-running dispute between Israel and Palestine, this Squiz Shortcut Claire and Kate put out in July 2020 will have you sorted.
Email us: Got a topic you want us to tackle? Send us your Shortcut suggestions to hello@thesquiz.com.au.
Squiz Shortcuts is your back story to the big news stories…
Want the email version? Sign up for the Shortcuts newsletter here
Aug 11, 2025 • 11min
Australia backs Palestinian statehood, and a good weekend at the box office
Tuesday, 12 August: Australia backs Palestinian statehood; A new electric vehicle tax is floated; Victorians spy a meteor; And a good weekend at the box office...
SPONSORED: If you’re keen to discover your next regional escape, check out Airbnb’s Hidden Vines Guide at airbnb.com/hiddenvines
And check out our new series, The Big Threat, here, on the News Club channel.
You can get The Squiz Today newsletter in your inbox each weekday morning (links to all today’s stories, plus a dose of quirky news).
Other things we do:
Squiz Kids - a news podcast for curious kids. Age-appropriate news without the nasties!
Newshounds, by Squiz Kids - a free media literacy program designed to teach primary-school students how to recognise misinformation and disinformation when they come across it.
Check out News Club - the place for conversations about the news hosted by Claire Kimball and Kate Watson - including the interview series, Newsmakers.
Sign up for the Saturday Squiz newsletter here - it's the news, weekend style.
Sign up for The Squiz Shortcuts newsletter here - a weekly explainer on big news topics
Support The Squiz by sharing our newsletters and podcasts with your friends.
