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
May 22, 2025 • 12min
Your Shortcut to... Oscar Piastri's ride to the top of F1
There’s a lot of buzz around Formula One driver Oscar Piastri this year. He’s leading the world rankings coming into the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix this Sunday - and if he wins, he’ll be well on his way to taking out the World Championship, something an Aussie hasn’t done in nearly half a century... So in this Squiz Shortcut we’ll get you up to speed with the young racer from Melbourne, why winning at Monaco is such a big deal, and who he’s out to beat.
You can take part in our 2025 survey here
Squiz Recommends:
Watching: the Netflix doco series Formula One: Drive to Survive. It gives a behind-the-scenes look at what it's like on the F1 racing circuit for drivers and their teams - and it got a lot of people interested in car racing that had never entertained it before.
Reading: Sports writer Will Swanton’s coverage of the race in The Australian. He brings a fresh perspective to the sports he covers and has a terrific turn of phrase.
Squiz Shortcuts is your back story to the big news stories…
Want the email version? Sign up for the Shortcuts newsletter here
May 21, 2025 • 11min
The floods in NSW get worse; and a fake drama drops
Thursday, 22 May: The floods worsen in NSW; Getting the band back together; Jelena Dokic's father dies; And a fake drama drops...
SPONSORED: You can find out more about the Breeze AI platform by visiting Hubspot here.
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.
You can take part in our 2025 audience survey here.
You can hear the podcast with Jelena Dokic here
You can see the trailer for Philly Justice here (and the full episode of Amy Poehler's podcast about it here)
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 topics
Support The Squiz by sharing our newsletters and podcasts with your friends.
May 20, 2025 • 11min
It's Splitsville for the Coalition, and giving away billions
Wednesday, 21 May: The Coalition consciously uncouples; Israel faces criticism; Heavy rainfall hits NSW; And Spain says adios to Airbnb...
SPONSORED: You can find out more about the Breeze AI platform by visiting Hubspot here.
You can take part in our 2025 audience survey here.
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 topics
Support The Squiz by sharing our newsletters and podcasts with your friends.
May 20, 2025 • 11min
Your Shortcut to... Australia's civics crisis
Young Australians’ understanding of civics and how democracy works is at a 20-year low - and it’s got educators worried because we’re living in a time of mis and disinformation that our young people are consuming every day online. So in this Squiz Shortcut we’ll look at Aussies' working knowledge of democracy, what’s being done to fill the gaps, and how our Squiz Kids Newshounds program is helping…
You can take part in our 2025 audience survey here:https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QJ93HRP
Squiz Recommends:
Looking: Squiz Kids’ Newshounds program - share it with any educators in your life that you think would be interested...
Listening: And while we’re at it, Squiz Kids also has a podcast series about Civics that’s a great introduction to the topic for kids…
Want the email version? Sign up for the Shortcuts newsletter here
May 19, 2025 • 10min
Trump and Putin plan for peace, and the loss of the semi-colon
Tuesday, 20 May: Trump and Putin plan for peace; Qantas is in court; A turnaround in Bradfield; And the loss of the semi-colon...
SPONSORED: You can find out more about the Breeze AI platform by visiting Hubspot here.
You can take part in our 2025 audience survey here.
Find out more about Squiz Kids' Newshounds program here.
Here's more info on Joe Biden's cancer diagnosis
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 topics
Support The Squiz by sharing our newsletters and podcasts with your friends.
May 18, 2025 • 11min
Trump and Putin schedule a call, and the Eurovision winner is crowned
Monday, 19 May: Trump and Putin schedule a call; The final votes are counted; Improving our kids' media literacy; And the Eurovision winner is crowned...
SPONSORED: You can find out more about the Breeze AI platform by visiting Hubspot here.
Find out more about Squiz Kids' Newshounds program here.
Take a look at the Eurovision gallery (sparkles guaranteed...) here.
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 topics
Support The Squiz by sharing our newsletters and podcasts with your friends.
May 15, 2025 • 11min
Putin passes on peace talks, and a cake for world baking day
Friday, 16 May: Putin passes on peace talks; A juror is dismissed in Erin Patterson's trial; The Greens get a new leader; And a cake for world baking day...
SPONSORED: You can find out more about the Breeze AI platform by visiting Hubspot here.
SPONSORED: For more information about Y Careers and its programs, visit https://ycareers.org.au/.
Find the recipe for chocolate cake here.
You can eat it as you check out Daði Freyr’s 2020 hit Think About Things...
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 topics
Support The Squiz by sharing our newsletters and podcasts with your friends.
May 15, 2025 • 11min
Your Shortcut to... Australia at Eurovision
For the past 10 years, Australia has taken part in the extravaganza that is the Eurovision Song Contest. It’s an annual competition held, not surprisingly, in Europe, so it’s a long way from home - but we’ve somehow become right at home in it… So in this Squiz Shortcut we’ll look at what the contest is all about, how Australia came to be a part of it, and we’ll give you a run down of the acts to keep an ear out for this year…
Squiz Recommends:
Reading: This entertaining summary by the BBC of the songs and performers in this year’s contest. It’s called Witchcraft, innuendo and moody goth boys: Your guide to all 37 Eurovision songs, and if that title doesn’t grab you, we don’t know what will.
Watching: The official video clip for Go-Jo’s Milkshake Man so you can support Australia’s tenth go-round at the competition… if you like it.
Squiz Shortcuts is your back story to the big news stories…
Want the email version? Sign up for the Shortcuts newsletter here
May 14, 2025 • 11min
The Menendez brothers are resentenced, and Eurovision kicks off
Thursday, 15 May: The Menendez brothers are resentenced; Albanese meets Subianto; McIlroy heads down under; And Eurovision kicks off...
SPONSORED: You can find out more about the Breeze AI platform by visiting Hubspot here.
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.
You can read the interview with Go-Jo here and watch the Milkshake Man music video here.
And here's a nice piece about locals in his hometown, WA's Manjimup, getting behind him.
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 topics
Support The Squiz by sharing our newsletters and podcasts with your friends.
May 13, 2025 • 11min
The UN makes a ruling on MH17, and Cannes cracks down
Wednesday, 14 May: The UN makes a ruling on MH17; Trump heads to the Middle East; The Aussie Test team shapes up; And Cannes cracks down...
SPONSORED: You can find out more about the Breeze AI platform by visiting Hubspot here.
You can read up about Virat Kohli here.
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 topics
Support The Squiz by sharing our newsletters and podcasts with your friends.
