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
Oct 12, 2025 • 11min
The ceasefire agreement kicks in, and vale Diane Keaton
Monday, 13 October: The ceasefire kicks in; Tensions rise between the US and China; Vale Diane Keaton; And one for the birders...
SPONSORED: Check out CDU’s Summer Semester courses here.
You can read Goldie Hawn's tribute to Diane Keaton here.
And here's where you can vote in the Australian Bird of the Year competition.
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, Kate Watson and Jodie Speers - 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.
Oct 11, 2025 • 11min
What’s Coming Up: Getting you ready for the week ahead
In the past, our super useful segment What’s Coming Up to get you ready for news and events in the week ahead was squirrelled away at the back of our Weekly Wrap podcast on our News Club show. Now, it has got its own episode...
We get a lot of feedback from Squizers that one of the most helpful things we do is to get you across what’s going on in the day/week ahead. So we decided to create a bit more space for it. This is a segment of that episode, taking you through some big-ticket items. Head to News Club to hear the full thing, where Claire and Jodie take you through the key timings for the newly inked ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, France and Japan are in line for new political leadership, and with the first game in the 2025 Constellation Cup, we check in with how netball’s tracking.
Long story short, head to News Club for the Weekly Wrap and What’s Coming Up, and you’ll be caught up and ready to tackle the week ahead.
Want more News Club in your life? We've got you…
Sign up for our News Club newsletter
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 News Club with your friends, family, colleagues... even your barista.
Hosts: Claire Kimball & Jodie Speers
Producer & Editor: Ryan Pemberton
Video editor: Charlie Devenport
Researcher: Nicoletta Hay
Oct 10, 2025 • 11min
Weekly Wrap Preview: What happens now for the Israel-Hamas ceasefire
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 Squizers are across what we’re talking about. There was a big breakthrough this week with Israel and Hamas agreeing to phase one of a ceasefire deal in Gaza. There’s a lot to unfold from here so we get you across that and US President Donald Trump’s victory lap.
Listen to the full episode on the News Club show feed.
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 & Larissa Moore
Producer & Editor: Ryan Pemberton
Video editor: Charlie Devenport
Researcher: Nicoletta Hay
Oct 9, 2025 • 12min
A breakthrough in Gaza, and the ultimate taste test
Friday, 10 October: A breakthrough in Gaza; An arrest over the LA fires; Counting down to the social media ban; And the ultimate taste test...
SPONSORED: You can support the work of the Red Cross at http://uber.com/redcross
Here's the alternative route for the Sydney Palestine protest after the Opera House was blocked
Here’s more info on Aussie Nobel Prize winner Richard Robson
Here’s a link to the vanilla ice cream taste test
Here’s that delicious-sounding chocolate dipped orange shortbread biscuit recipe
Here’s a link for more info on Hades and Hades II
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, Kate Watson and Jodie Speers - 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.
Oct 9, 2025 • 15min
Squiz Shortcuts: The phenomenon of Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre in flood
The spectacularly rare sight of Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre full of water and teeming with fish and birdlife is on full display for anyone who can get to northern South Australia in the next few weeks. It’s the largest salt lake in the country, and it’s only reached capacity 3 times in the past 160 years - but locals have warned the show won’t last long… So in this Squiz Shortcut, we’ll take a look at why the lake is unique, what’s caused the temporary oasis to spring up, and the impacts climate change might have on it in the future…
SPONSORED: Search for ‘The Business Of’ in your podcast app, have a listen and hit follow.
Squiz Recommends:
Reading: This piece published in The Guardian about the effects of climate change on the lake and how it stands to impact the Arabana people.
Watching: An ABC documentary called Lake Eyre… It’s all about the lake and its ecology when it floods, and it’s billed as one of the most extensive coverages of the cycle of life in the desert. Tragically, ABC journalist Paul Lockyer, cinematographer John Bean, and pilot Gary Ticehurst died in a helicopter crash while filming the documentary back in 2011… The ABC has put out a commemorative edition in tribute to the crew, and it’s available on iView.
Perusing: And here are some of the latest images of the full lake taken by local pilot Trevor Wright.
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
Oct 8, 2025 • 11min
Trump dusts off an old law, and gossip is good for you
Thursday, 9 October: Trump dusts off an old law; Waiting for a decision on Sydney's pro-Palestine protest; Qantas faces a dire deadline; And gossip is good for you...
SPONSORED: Search for ‘The Business Of’ in your podcast app, have a listen and hit follow.
If you're concerned about the Qantas data leak, here's the help hotline.
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, Kate Watson and Jodie Speers - 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.
Oct 7, 2025 • 12min
Negotiating a Gaza deal, and an inland oasis springs up
Wednesday, 8 October: Negotiating a Gaza deal; Chaos in French politics; An inland oasis springs up; And some Ramsay Street mementos...
SPONSORED: Check out CDU’s Summer Semester courses here.
You can read about and take a look at some of the Neighbours props that have been donated to Melbourne op shops here.
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, Kate Watson and Jodie Speers - 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.
Oct 7, 2025 • 14min
Squiz Shortcuts: Unpacking the peace plan for Gaza
It’s been 2 years since the terror group Hamas launched the October 7 attacks on Israel, triggering the war in Gaza that has taken a devastating toll on both Israelis and Palestinians. There have been many attempts to bring the conflict to an end, and there’s another one on the table, put forward by the US and Israel last week. So in this Squiz Shortcut, we’ll unpack what’s in that plan, where the war is up to, and what’s next…
Check out CDU’s Summer Semester courses here
Squiz Recommends:
Perusing: This article published in The Guardian gives a good overview of Trump’s 20-point plan and its likelihood of succeeding…
Reading: This analysis piece in The Conversation looks at how the war in Gaza has transformed the Middle East.
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
Prefer to watch this episode? Check it out on YouTube here
Oct 6, 2025 • 11min
Closing in on a Gaza deal, and Taylor Swift breaks new records
Tuesday, 7 October: Closing in on a Gaza deal; Another headache for the Coalition; The Broncos bring it home; And Taylor Swift breaks new records...
SPONSORED: Check out CDU’s Summer Semester courses here.
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, Kate Watson and Jodie Speers - 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.
Oct 3, 2025 • 14min
Weekly Wrap Preview: What Taylor Swift did next
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 Squizers are across what we’re talking about. Taylor Swift's new album ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ is out, and, like everything she does, it's smashing records. It’s a big talking point, so we’ll get you across the scale of it.
The BBC’s obituary for Jane Goodall
Jane Goodall talks about how she became interested in animals
Listen to our Shortcuts series on the business of Taylor Swift, Part 1 and Part 2
Listen to the full episode on the News Club show feed.
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 & Larissa Moore
Producer & Editor: Ryan Pemberton
Researcher: Nicoletta Hay
