Squiz Today

Prince Harry turned 40yo this year, and he inherited a large sum of money, making him the latest in a long line of super-rich Royals with multiple income streams. So in this Squiz Shortcut, we'll look at the wealth of the British Royal Family, where they get their money from, and how they spend it. Squiz recommends:Reading: This article from The Conversation called Did the King Just Get a Pay Rise? It’s a good explainer about how the Crown Estate and the Sovereign Grant work, and how the funding agreements have been worked out between the Royals and the British government.Watching: The Netflix series The Crown about the Royal Family. It’s a fictional account of their lives portrayed oh-so-realistically. It’s beautifully shot and directed, and full of delicious gossip and interesting details.Want the email version? Sign up for the Shortcuts newsletter here.

In the first week of June, 2 NASA astronauts were launched into space on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. It was a test flight to the International Space Station (ISS) that was meant to last 8 days but they’ve been stuck there now for 6 months with no definite date of return. So in this Shortcut, we’ll look at what went wrong, what’s being done to get them home, and how this mission could impact Boeing and the future of commercial space travel. Squiz recommends:Reading: The NASA Space Station blog - it’s a fascinating look into the everyday life of the astronauts on the ISS and the research they’re doing, which covers everything from stem cell studies to trying to grow plants in space.Reading: The BBC article What happens when astronauts get stuck in space gives a good overview of the Starliner’s mission and Boeing’s predicament with getting Wilmore and Williams home.Want the email version? Sign up for the Shortcuts newsletter here.

It’s a bit of fun, it’s a bit festive, with a lot of laughs. Take a lighter look at the year that was 2024 by joining us for The Great Big Squiz Quiz! Can you beat Claire Kimball, Kate Watson, Alice Dempster, and Andrew Williams?Keen to watch? Catch our episode on YouTube.

Friday, 20 December: Australia's household wealth is on the rise; A verdict in the Gisèle Pelicot trial; A new Hewitt enters the arena; And a Christmas glaze to amaze...The Squiz is your shortcut to being informed. Get The Squiz Today newsletter in your inbox each weekday morning (links to all today’s stories, plus a dose of quirky news).You can find the recipe for the Christmas ham glaze here.And you can check out our Squiz Shortcut on Cyclone Tracy here.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 topicsSupport The Squiz by sharing our newsletters and podcasts with your friends.

We’re about to hit 50 years since Cyclone Tracy struck Darwin early on Christmas Day in 1974. It was one of Australia’s most devastating natural disasters and it prompted a lot of changes to keep Aussies safe. So in this Squiz Shortcut, we’ll get you across what happened, the response, and its legacy that lives on today.Squiz RecommendsListening: To Bill and Boyd’s song Santa Never Made it to Darwin…Reading: This piece by Australian Geographic on the 50th anniversary - it tells some moving personal stories and has a collection of incredible photos.Thank you for listening, as always… And that’s a wrap on Squiz Shortcuts for the year… We’ll be back with you in January. In the meantime, we’ll be putting a few of our favourite Shortcuts from this year into the feed for you to catch up on, so listen out for those.Squiz Shortcuts is your back story to the big news stories…Want the email version? Sign up for the Shortcuts newsletter here

Thursday 19 December: A gloomy economic outlook; Searching for survivors in Vanuatu; Alan Jones defends himself; And Tom Cruise gets a military honour...The Squiz is your shortcut to being informed. 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 topicsSupport The Squiz by sharing our newsletters and podcasts with your friends.

Wednesday, 18 December: A major earthquake hits Vanuatu; A Russian general is assassinated; Victoria cracks down on protests; And why Popeye's in the headlines...The Squiz is your shortcut to being informed. 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 topicsSupport The Squiz by sharing our newsletters and podcasts with your friends.

Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, stepped away from official duties with the UK’s royal family in 2019, but that doesn’t mean he’s stopped causing them headaches. Last week, another of the Prince’s problematic relationships surfaced - this time with a businessman accused of spying for China. So in this Shortcut, we’ll take a look at how this relationship came to light and why it’s caused concern in the UK.Squiz RecommendsWatching: The movie Scoop on Netflix, and/or if you’ve got a bit more time to invest, the series A Very Royal Scandal: Season 3 on Prime Video… They’re both absorbing, nail-biting dramatisations of the infamous 2019 Newsnight interview between Emily Maitlis and Prince Andrew.Squiz Shortcuts is your back story to the big news stories…Want the email version? Sign up for the Shortcuts newsletter here

Tuesday, 17 December: Investigating another alcohol poisoning event; Israel moves on Golan Heights; A new-look Reserve Bank; And Guinness finds some Gen Z fans...The Squiz is your shortcut to being informed. Get The Squiz Today newsletter in your inbox each weekday morning (links to all today’s stories, plus a dose of quirky news).If you'd like to find out more about the Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist, click hereOther 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 topicsSupport The Squiz by sharing our newsletters and podcasts with your friends.

Monday, 16 December: The last of the Bali Nine are back home; A heatwave hits; Prince Andrew's in trouble again; And a chess champion is crowned...The Squiz is your shortcut to being informed. Get The Squiz Today newsletter in your inbox each weekday morning (links to all today’s stories, plus a dose of quirky news).You can read up on how to stay well during a heatwave here.And find your state/territory fire service - and their local fire warnings - here.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 topicsSupport The Squiz by sharing our newsletters and podcasts with your friends.