DiscoverNews Club
News Club
Claim Ownership

News Club

Author: The Squiz

Subscribed: 966Played: 46,444
Share

Description

The place to go for conversations about the news. Each Saturday, Claire Kimball and Kate Watson present the Weekly Wrap - the week in news and what's coming up. Super handy if you're busy and want a recap of the week that was, a way to get ahead of next week and some helpful news recommendations on your way through...

Then there's our limited interview series, in which Kate sits down with journalists and experts to help give you an understanding of the news behind the headlines.

The Squiz is a proudly independent media business that values quality news. If you want to support us, it can be as simple as telling a mate about our podcasts and newsletters. Agenda-free as always. We're your shortcut to be informed.

358 Episodes
Reverse
The date is finally locked in - we now know Australians will be voting on 14 October to decide if there should be amendments to the constitution to enshrine an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. So in this Squiz Shortcut, we’ll get across the basics of the referendum, the key arguments of the ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ cases, and what happens next depending on the result… Squiz recommends: Our homebase for all our Voice content on our website. You can dive in to find our previous Shortcuts and a quick snapshot on the voice and the ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ cases. And keep an eye out for our Ask the Squiz podcast series over the coming weeks... We'll be releasing an episode every Thursday instead of our usual Shortcut.  HOSTS: Larissa Moore and Claire Kimball PRODUCER: Lara Robertson
The next US presidential election is more than a year away, but the race to find the candidate from the Republican party is already in full swing. Former president Donald Trump is the frontrunner, but there are other candidates in the news – so we reckon they’re worth knowing a bit more about. Squiz Recommends: FiveThirtyEight's page to follow all the polls in the Republican national primary. For more on the candidates, the website Politico also has a great web interactive. Other things we do: Squiz Today - a daily podcast and newsletter that gives a fact-filled run-down of what’s making news. Squiz Kids - a news podcast for curious kids. Age-appropriate news without the nasties!
Over the past month, the Matildas have not just brought the country together with their incredible performances - they've also raised big questions about the way women's sport is funded in Australia. So in this Squiz Shortcut we take a look at why women aren't getting a bigger slice of the pie, which codes are doing better than others, and if the Matildas might just have changed things forever. Squiz recommends: The insiders’ view on why Australia switched off AFLW - SMH/The Age Every goal the Matildas kicked during the 2023 World Cup - YouTube Hosts: Kate Watson and Claire Kimball Producer: Lara Robertson
Some powerful nations are holding a summit this week – and no, it’s not the G20, the Quad or APEC… It’s called BRICS and it’s a gathering of China, India, Russia, Brazil, and South Africa. If there’s a fence going down the middle of global blocks, BRICS is on the other side of it. So in this Squiz Shortcut we’re going to talk about its history, what’s on the BRICS agenda, and why it might be expanding. Squiz recommends: A great explainer from The Economist on BRICS and the tensions within the group. If you’re more of a watcher, Bloomberg TV has some short video explainers on BRICS. Other things we do: Squiz Today - a daily podcast and newsletter that gives a fact-filled run-down of what’s making news. Squiz Kids - a news podcast for curious kids. Age-appropriate news without the nasties!
It's the most wonderful time of the year if you're a shareholder of a publicly listed company... Following the end of the financial year, businesses big and not-so-big publicly disclose the details of their financial performance and outline their plans for the future. It's called reporting season and it's a big generator of business news stories in August, so in this Squiz Shortcut, we'll get across what it's all about and why it matters. Squiz recommends: Reporting season calendar - CommSec The socials of the excellent business journo Alan Kohler and his son Chris.  Hosts: Kate Watson and Claire Kimball Producer: Lara Robertson
Donald Trump has been charged with serious offences related to a plot to overturn the 2020 election, which he lost to Joe Biden. It’s Trump’s third indictment - something that hadn’t happened even once before Trump. So in this Squiz Shortcut, we’re going to talk about what these new charges are and why they’re so important, and we’ll cover what might happen next. Squiz recommends: Politico's tracker of Trump's legal cases The Run Up podcast from The New York Times Other things we do: Squiz Today - a daily podcast and newsletter that gives a fact-filled run-down of what’s making news. Squiz Kids - a news podcast for curious kids. Age-appropriate news without the nasties!
One of Australia's greatest-ever rugby league players, Wally Lewis, is the latest sports star to speak out about a diagnosis of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) - the disease caused by repeated head knocks or concussions. So in this Squiz Shortcut, we take a look at why Wally's diagnosis is such a big deal, what our sporting codes are doing about CTE, and what’s happening with a Senate inquiry into concussions. Squiz recommends: Wally Lewis' 60 Minutes interview Our Squiz Shortcut on concussions and sport
It's been just over a week since Victoria pulled the pin on hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games - and the future of the whole event is still up in the air. So in this Squiz Shortcut, we take a look at how Victoria got itself into this mess, who could come to the rescue, and if there even is a future for the Commonwealth Games. Squiz recommends: Commonwealth Games weird and wonderful moments - ABC News Australia’s most iconic Comm Games moments - Fox Sports HOSTS: Claire Kimball and Kate Watson PRODUCER: Lara Robertson
So many of the TV shows and movies we love come out of America, but a writers' and actors' strike over pay and the use of artificial intelligence is disrupting production schedules. So in this Squiz Shortcut, we’ll get you across what's behind the dispute, and what effect the strikes could have on the industry. Are these extras in a film real people or AI generated? Check it out for yourself... Squiz Recommends: Dropout.tv, a streaming service for original comedy shows. Find it here or on YouTube. And from Vox, 'Hollywood's historic double strike, explained' Other things we do: Squiz Today - a daily podcast and newsletter that gives a fact-filled run-down of what’s making news. Squiz Kids - a news podcast for curious kids. Age-appropriate news without the nasties!
It's nearly kick-off time for the biggest women's sporting event ever held in Australia, and our own Matildas will be centre stage. So in this Squiz Shortcut, we take a look at the rise of women's football around the globe, the who's who of the 32 nations competing, and how the Aussies will measure up. Squiz recommends: Group-by-group guide to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup - The Sydney Morning Herald/The Age Matildas: The World at Our Feet - Disney+ HOSTS: Claire Kimball and Kate Watson PRODUCER: Lara Robertson
This week NATO held a summit of its leaders, with big consequences for the war in Ukraine. So in this Squiz Shortcut, we though we'd go back to basics and get you across NATO and its involvement in the Ukraine war so far, as well as what the military alliance has to do with the future of the war – and of Ukraine. Squiz recommends: A explanation from the NATO website on Australia's involvement with the military alliance A map from CBS showing the nations currently in NATO Other things we do: Squiz Today - a daily podcast and newsletter that gives a fact-filled run-down of what’s making news. Squiz Kids - a news podcast for curious kids. Age-appropriate news without the nasties!
We’ve heard a lot about overpopulation but for some countries including Japan and South Korea, the issue is not too many people, but too few. So in this Squiz Shortcut, we take a look at why some populations are shrinking, what those countries are trying to do about it, and if too few people is really such a big deal. Squiz recommends: Japan's Shrinking Population Faces Point of No Return - Newsweek OECD country birth rate tool HOSTS: Claire Kimball and Kate Watson PRODUCER: Lara Robertson
At the start of this week, Israel launched its most intense airstrikes on the occupied West Bank in nearly two decades and sent hundreds of ground troops into a crowded refugee camp, saying they are trying to root out armed militants after a year of escalating violence. In this Squiz Shortcut, we lay out the basics of the conflict between Israel and Palestinians and get across the latest development. Here's our 2021 Shortcut on the Israel-Gaza conflict. Other things we do: Squiz Today - a daily podcast and newsletter that gives a fact-filled run-down of what’s making news. Squiz Kids - a news podcast for curious kids. Age-appropriate news without the nasties!
All the crazy events in Russia over the past week have left the world wondering what it all means. So in this Squiz Shortcut, we take a look at some of the theories on how this could play out for Russia, what it means for the war in Ukraine, and why the experts are having trouble figuring it all out. Squiz recommends: The Year Putin Didn't Die - Newsweek Understanding Ukraine's Counteroffensive - NYTimes' The Daily podcast
The recent turmoil in Russia centers on one man: Yevgeny Prigozhin. With all the talk of private armies and the potential end of Putin's regime, this Shortcut gives the backstory to Prigozhin: Who is he? And how did he get so much power? Other things we do: Squiz Today - a daily podcast and newsletter that gives a fact-filled run-down of what’s making news. Squiz Kids - a news podcast for curious kids. Age-appropriate news without the nasties!
When Saudi Arabia pumped billions of dollars into backing the rival LIV golf tour- there were howls of outrage - with many athletes and commentators calling it a blatant example of sportswashing. So in this Squiz Shortcut, we take a look at what sportswashing is, some of the most high-profile examples, and how fraught this is getting for both sport and business. Squiz recommends: Talk show host John Oliver's takedown of the Qatar World Cup Sportswashing Is Everywhere, but It’s Not New - Sports Illustrated
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the birth of podcasting, so in this Squiz Shortcut, we look at how it all got started, how it completely changed the media landscape, and what's ahead for the medium. Squiz recommends: Podnews email 13 Minutes to the Moon podcast - BBC
Prince Harry has taken the unprecedented move, for a royal, to sue Britain's tabloids for unethical practices that he says filled him paranoia and upended his relationships. In this Squiz Shortcut, we unpack why Harry is bringing this case, what the allegations against the tabloids are, and what happens next. Other things we do: Squiz Today - a daily podcast and newsletter that gives a fact-filled run-down of what’s making news. Squiz Kids - a news podcast for curious kids. Age-appropriate news without the nasties!
Artificial intelligence, or AI, has been getting quite a bit of really bad press lately, with experts warning it could ultimately spell the end of the human race. So in this Squiz Shortcut, we take a look at what AI is, why some of the biggest names in tech are so worried, and what governments are going to do about it. Squiz recommends: A short clip of 60 Minutes reporter Tom Steinfort talking to an AI robot How to Spot an AI-Generated Image Like the 'Balenciaga Pope' - TIME Magazine
If you live anywhere along the east or west coast of Australia, chances are you might have heard it's whale watching season, when nature's biggest mammals head north in a mass migration. So in this Squiz Shortcut, we look at what a whale migration is, how whales are faring with so much concern about our oceans, and where and when you can get to see all the action. Squiz recommends: Underwater vision of the Humpback whale, narrated by the one and only Sir David Attenborough ORCCA census day information
loading