Squiz Today
Squiz Media
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A daily news podcast presented by Andrew Williams and Alice Dempster, 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 some balance to the news of the day. News for busy people, out 6am weekday, perfect for your morning routine.
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Aussies on board Flight FZ1073, and a cheesecake for the weekend... 01.10.2026 15minFriday 2 October: Aussies were on board during an attempted plane hijacking, a US woman survives 2 lethal injections, the NRL Grand Final is upon us and a delicious cheesecake for the weekend... SPONSORED: Discover more with BHP Here's our Stockland survey - appreciate your help! Here's the recipe for the White Chocolate & Raspberry No-Bake Cheesecake And here's the Biscoff and yoghurt one Hosted by Anna Pykett and Larissa Huntington Researched by Andrew Williams, Anna Pykett, Larissa Huntington, Jono Liondis and Sophie Felice Get The Squiz Today newsletter in your inbox each weekday morning (links to 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. Sign up for the Saturday Squiz newsletter here - it's the news, weekend style. -
Squiz Shortcuts: The SpaceX journey 01.10.2026 12minSpaceX has gone from a scrappy rocket startup to the biggest launch provider on the planet, a telco giant, an AI player, and the record holder for the most valuable IPO of all time. And it all comes down to one idea: rockets you can fly again and again. So in this Squiz Shortcut, we'll take a look at how reusable rockets changed everything, what Starlink and Starship actually are, and why Wall Street thinks SpaceX is worth so much… Squiz Recommends: Listening: This episode of Josh Szeps' podcast Uncomfortable Conversations with Anthony Colangelo goes into the story of SpaceX in more detail, and covers off what NASA's up to, and how China and the US are racing back to the Moon. Reading: Space journalist Eric Berger’s book Liftoff, all about the Falcon 1 and the SpaceX team that got it off the ground. Watching: The moment SpaceX caught the super heavy booster with mechanical ‘chopsticks’ for the first time in the Starship program back in 2024. It was a huge achievement for the company… SPONSORED - Discover more with BHP. Hosted by Jonathan Liondis and Larissa Huntington Researched by Jonathan Liondis Got a suggestion for a Squiz Shortcut topic? We'd love to hear it - email us at [email protected] Squiz Shortcuts is your back story to the big news stories… Want the email version? Sign up for the free Shortcuts newsletter here. -
How a suspected hijacking on a flight to Israel was stopped 30.09.2026 11minThursday 1 October: A potential hijacking of a plane headed to Israel is averted, the Greens have a new leader, credit card surcharges are a thing of the past, and we have a fat bear week winner SPONSORED: Discover more with BHP Here's our Stockland survey - appreciate your help! Here’s where to vote in the Top 100 Aussie Books of All Time Hosted by Andrew Williams and Larissa Huntington Researched by Andrew Williams, Anna Pykett, Larissa Huntington and Sophie Felice Get The Squiz Today newsletter in your inbox each weekday morning (links to 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. Sign up for the Saturday Squiz newsletter here - it's the news, weekend style. -
OpenAI apologises for the Medicare breach - and some others 29.09.2026 11minWednesday 30 September: OpenAI apologises for the Medicare breach, the Reserve Bank lifts interest rates, the Dally M awards are on tonight, and why Jane Eyre's taking off in China... SPONSORED: Discover more with BHP Here's the Stockland survey - appreciate your help! And here's the ABC's mortgage calculator Hosted by Anna Pykett and Andrew Williams Researched by Andrew Williams, Anna Pykett, Larissa Huntington and Sophie Felice Get The Squiz Today newsletter in your inbox each weekday morning (links to 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. Sign up for the Saturday Squiz newsletter here - it's the news, weekend style. -
Squiz Shortcuts: What’s an AI agent? 29.09.2026 12minWe’ve been hearing a lot about artificial intelligence over the past few weeks, including multiple incidents where OpenAI agents took it upon themselves to access restricted parts of government websites. One of those was our Medicare system here in Australia, and being the first known case of an AI system infiltrating a government website in the world, it got a lot of attention and raised a heap of questions. So in this Squiz Shortcut, we’ll take a look at what an AI agent is, how they work, and what might happen next. Squiz Recommends: Watching: This Wall Street Journal video which explains how artificial-intelligence models are trained before they can hack into other organisations, with some helpful graphics that explain concepts like the sandbox - (the training ground for AI agents) and compares the training exercises to a digital game of capture the flag. Reading: This piece in The Guardian that looks at who is legally responsible when AI agents go rogue and the intersection between the law and ethics. Spoiler alert: the experts say it’s a murky area. SPONSORED - Discover more with BHP. Hosted by Andrew Williams and Anna Pykett Researched by Anna Pykett Got a suggestion for a Squiz Shortcut topic? We'd love to hear it - email us at [email protected] Squiz Shortcuts is your back story to the big news stories… Want the email version? Sign up for the free Shortcuts newsletter here. -
Interest rates are expected to rise today 28.09.2026 11minTuesday 29 September: Interest rates are likely to rise today, Greens leader Larissa Waters has resigned, moths are invading the East Coast, and Madonna cleans up at the VMAs... SPONSORED: Discover more with BHP Here's the moth tracker... Hosted by Anna Pykett and Andrew Williams Researched by Andrew Williams, Anna Pykett, Larissa Huntington and Sophie Felice Get The Squiz Today newsletter in your inbox each weekday morning (links to 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. Sign up for the Saturday Squiz newsletter here - it's the news, weekend style. -
More OpenAI agents have gone rogue in the US 27.09.2026 12minMonday 28 September: More OpenAI agents have gone rogue in the US, terrorism arrests near a UK air base, a massive weekend of sport, and Delta dances up a storm SPONSORED: Discover more with BHP Here's Delta's dance routine Hosted by Anna Pykett and Andrew Williams Researched by Andrew Williams, Anna Pykett, Larissa Huntington and Sophie Felice Get The Squiz Today newsletter in your inbox each weekday morning (links to 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. Sign up for the Saturday Squiz newsletter here - it's the news, weekend style. -
How AI hacked the government, and some spicy fish tacos... 24.09.2026 16minFriday 25 September: Open AI hacks into Medicare, Xi and Trump meet, gearing up for the AFL grand final, and some spicy fish tacos... SPONSORED: Take the quick property survey SPONSORED: Discover more with BHP Here are some resources if you need help Here's the recipe for spicy fish tacos Hosted by Anna Pykett and Larissa Huntington Researched by Andrew Williams, Anna Pykett, Larissa Huntington and Sophie Felice Get The Squiz Today newsletter in your inbox each weekday morning (links to 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. Sign up for the Saturday Squiz newsletter here - it's the news, weekend style. -
Squiz Shortcuts: Who was the Unabomber? 24.09.2026 15minA new film about Ted Kaczynski, an American man who went from a teenage maths genius to a serial bomber, is about to be released on Netflix. He came to be known as ‘the Unabomber’ and his 17-year campaign against the advancement of modern technology killed 3 people and injured dozens more. So with the case back in the news, we thought it might be helpful in this Squiz Shortcut to get you across who the Unabomber was, how he was unmasked, and why there’s been some criticism of the new movie… Presented by Andrew Williams and Larissa Huntington Researched by Larissa Huntington Squiz Recommends: Reading/watching: This article breaks down the actors in Unabomber and who they’re all playing, just in case you want to put some faces to names. And here’s the trailer for the new movie. Reading: This piece from The Conversation that was published after Kaczynski’s death in 2023 goes into the linguistic tells we all have in our written expression that give clues to our identity. Need help? Here are some resources if this episode has brought up any issues for you… Squiz Shortcuts is your back story to the big news stories… Want the email version? Sign up for the Shortcuts newsletter here -
The PM and Trump meet during a tense time 23.09.2026 10minThursday 24 September: Albanese and Trump meet at the UN, a new war has broken out in Ethiopia, vale to Rose Tattoo frontman Angry Anderson, and bringing toddlers to a rave... Hosted by Andrew Williams and Larissa Huntington Researched by Andrew Williams, Anna Pykett, Larissa Huntington and Sophie Felice Get The Squiz Today newsletter in your inbox each weekday morning (links to 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. Sign up for the Saturday Squiz newsletter here - it's the news, weekend style. -
Trump and Xi get ready to meet 22.09.2026 9minWednesday 23 September: Xi and Trump are set to meet, petrol prices are on the rise, Vale to Aussie illustrator Terry Denton, and voting is underway in Fat Bear Week Here's a link to some support services if any of these stories have affected you Here's our Fat Bear Squiz Shortcut And here's the Fat Bear quiz - which one are you? Hosted by Anna Pykett and Andrew Williams Researched by Andrew Williams, Anna Pykett, Larissa Huntington and Sophie Felice Get The Squiz Today newsletter in your inbox each weekday morning (links to 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. Sign up for the Saturday Squiz newsletter here - it's the news, weekend style. -
Squiz Shortcuts: The productivity problem 22.09.2026 14minTreasury has just released a document that looks ahead to what Australia might be like in 2066. It’s created a bunch of different news stories - trying to work out what things will be like 40 years from now is an interesting project. But one key word that keeps coming up in the coverage, and in economic news more broadly, is productivity. So we thought we’d explore exactly what productivity is, how it affects our economy, and why everyone’s talking about it. Squiz Recommends: Reading: This explainer from the ABC on what productivity actually is - it’s really good on why the jobs in health, education and care are so hard to measure, which is a big part of this puzzle. Reading: This piece from UNSW that breaks the 2023 Intergenerational Report down into 7 charts. It shows just how much that one productivity assumption changes the picture over 40 years - it’s a good way to see why economists are arguing about it. Hosted by Andrew Williams and Anna Pykett Researched by Andrew Williams Got a suggestion for a Squiz Shortcut topic? We'd love to hear it - email us at [email protected] Squiz Shortcuts is your back story to the big news stories… Want the email version? Sign up for the free Shortcuts newsletter here. -
The PM is talking us up at the UN 21.09.2026 11minTuesday 22 September: The PM talks up Australia at the UN, a high-profile murder case begins in Sydney, a record night at the Brownlow Medal, and an Aussie shearer sets a high bar... Here are some resources if any of today's stories have affected you Here's Kate's chat with cybersecurity expert Alistair MacGibbon Here's a Brownlow Medal gallery for you Hosted by Anna Pykett and Andrew Williams Researched by Andrew Williams, Anna Pykett, Larissa Huntington and Sophie Felice Get The Squiz Today newsletter in your inbox each weekday morning (links to 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. Sign up for the Saturday Squiz newsletter here - it's the news, weekend style. -
What Australia might be like in 40 years 20.09.2026 12minMonday 21 September: What Australia might be like in 2066, the US and Greenland reach a deal, the AFL has a contender for its best game ever, and paying tribute to John Farnham Here are some resources if any of today's stories have affected you Hosted by Anna Pykett and Andrew Williams Researched by Andrew Williams, Anna Pykett, Larissa Huntington and Sophie Felice Get The Squiz Today newsletter in your inbox each weekday morning (links to 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. Sign up for the Saturday Squiz newsletter here - it's the news, weekend style. -
What the US interest rate hike means for Oz, and a bickie hack... 17.09.2026 16minFriday 18 September: The US hikes interest rates, the migration plan for Oz, a croc-infested river in the Olympics and get ready for Fat Bear Week... SPONSORED: Click here for the CommBank survey. Here's all the info about Fat Bear Week Here's the recipe for Tilly's Burnt Butter Oat Bars And here's the SNL skit Hosted by Anna Pykett and Larissa Huntington Researched by Anna Pykett, Andrew Williams, Larissa Huntington and Sophie Felice Get The Squiz Today newsletter in your inbox each weekday morning (links to 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. Sign up for the Saturday Squiz newsletter here - it's the news, weekend style. -
Squiz Shortcuts: The Snowtown murders 17.09.2026 14minOne of Australia's most notorious murder cases - known as the Snowtown murders, or the 'bodies in barrels' case - is back in the news with the release on parole of the youngest man involved. The case shocked the nation, and made a small South Australian town famous for all the wrong reasons. So in this Squiz Shortcut, we’ll get you across what happened, and the concerns raised over releasing a convicted serial killer back into society. Squiz Recommends: Watching: There's a movie about the case and - much to the town's chagrin - it's called Snowtown. While it divided critics, it won several Australian film awards. It's by director Justin Kurzel, who's also behind Nitram about the Port Arthur massacre, and it's said to be a powerful, unsettling look at the darkest depths of humanity. You can stream it on Stan, or rent it on Apple TV. Listening: To this episode of the ABC’s The Case Of podcast about the release of James Vlassakis and why the South Oz State Government tried to block it. Reading: You can read more about the victims and their link to the killers in this article from news.com.au Hosted by Andrew Williams and Larissa Huntington Researched by Larissa Huntington Got a suggestion for a Squiz Shortcut topic? We'd love to hear it - email us at [email protected] Squiz Shortcuts is your back story to the big news stories… Want the email version? Sign up for the free Shortcuts newsletter here. -
The Albanese Government plans a migration speech - again 16.09.2026 11minThursday 17 September: The Albanese Government plans a migration speech, again, more fighting between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia, a concert crisis for Ed Sheeran, and London Fashion Week kicks off... SPONSORED: Click here for the CommBank survey. Here's a guide to Melbourne Fashion Week Hosted by Andrew Williams and Larissa Huntington Researched by Andrew Williams, Anna Pykett, Larissa Huntington and Sophie Felice Get The Squiz Today newsletter in your inbox each weekday morning (links to 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. Sign up for the Saturday Squiz newsletter here - it's the news, weekend style. -
What role will Australia play in the AI race? 15.09.2026 10minWednesday 16 September: Working out Australia's approach to AI, the US confirms it has weapons in space, a legal battle over the Karl Stefanovic Show, and Widow's Bay wins big at the Emmys SPONSORED: Click here for the CommBank survey. Here's the Taylor Swift sketch and the red carpet gallery from the Emmys Hosted by Anna Pykett and Andrew Williams Researched by Andrew Williams, Anna Pykett, Larissa Huntington, Jono Liondis and Sophie Felice Get The Squiz Today newsletter in your inbox each weekday morning (links to 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. Sign up for the Saturday Squiz newsletter here - it's the news, weekend style. -
Squiz Shortcuts: Australia and the UN Security Council 15.09.2026 12minIn just over a week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will be speaking at the United Nations General Assembly where he’s expected to continue the push for Australia to be a part of the UN Security Council in 2029 and 2030. If we get the nod, it will be the first time we’ve had that job since 2014 - so we thought we’d have a look at what the Security Council actually is, what it does, and what it would mean for us if we were part of it. Squiz Recommends: Listening: This podcast the Lowy Institute did with Gary Quinlan, who was Australia’s Ambassador to the United Nations the last time we were on the Security Council. Reading: The UN is currently deciding who the new Secretary-General is going to be - it’s currently Antonio Guterres, but his term ends at the end of this year. So the race is on to work out the new person - we’ve got a good guide from PassBlue on that. Hosted by Andrew Williams and Anna Pykett Researched by Andrew Williams Got a suggestion for a Squiz Shortcut topic? We'd love to hear it - email us at [email protected] Squiz Shortcuts is your back story to the big news stories… Want the email version? Sign up for the free Shortcuts newsletter here. -
Another blow for a major Aussie steelworks 14.09.2026 10minTuesday 15 September: South Australia's Whyalla blast furnace is shutting down, Donald Trump dismisses AI concerns, a Sydney Sweeney ad causes a stir, and it's been 40 years of You're the Voice... SPONSORED: Click here for the CommBank survey. Here's the link to the Lend Your Voice campaign Hosted by Anna Pykett and Andrew Williams Researched by Andrew Williams, Anna Pykett, Larissa Huntington, Jono Liondis and Sophie Felice Get The Squiz Today newsletter in your inbox each weekday morning (links to 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. Sign up for the Saturday Squiz newsletter here - it's the news, weekend style.
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