News Club

It's Budget week, and it's been hard to miss the news the Albanese Government has delivered our first surplus in 15 years... So in this Squiz Shortcut, we look why being 'back in the black' is such a big deal, what's in the Budget, and the big economic challenges still facing Oz. Squiz recommends: A guide to the Budget winners and losers from The Age and ABC News

King Charles III will be crowned on Saturday alongside his wife Camilla, the Queen Consort. The coronation is a centuries-old ceremony packed with symbols and meaning that the world hasn't seen for 70 years… So in this Squiz Shortcut, we'll take you through the ceremony's rituals, have a look at what we can expect this time around, and give you some of the lesser-known talking points so you can gl...

The rise of the gig economy has had a huge impact on how we live so it's no wonder it's gotten the attention of pollies, the media and of course, workers or those who use the gig economy for everything from food delivery to cleaning your home. In this episode of Squiz Shortcuts, we take you through what the gig economy is, how it has grown over the past decade or so, and some of the challenges it...

For months we’ve been hearing horror stories from the rental market – of landlords jacking up prices by hundreds of dollars, and lines stretching around the block at open inspections. Australia is in a rental crisis, and experts say it could get a lot worse. So in this Squiz Shortcut, we take you through Australia’s rental market, why we’re in a crisis right now, and some ideas being put forward t...

Donald Trump has become the first former US president to face criminal charges after 34 felony charges relating to business reporting fraud were made against him. So in this Squiz Shortcut, we take you through what Trump has been accused of, how this all came about, the key players involved, and what it might mean for his 2024 presidential bid... Squiz recommends: A timeline of Trump's indictment...

The Squiz team is on a long weekend so we thought we’d pop ‘How Far We’ve Come’ into the Shortcuts feed for any long road trips or lazy mornings you may have planned. It's a 6-part series that looks at some key moments for women on the path to financial equality and aims to give women the tools to lock down their financial freedom. In this episode, we go back to the early 1880s and The Married Wom...

The Squiz team is on a long weekend so we thought we’d pop ‘How Far We’ve Come’ into the Shortcuts feed for any long road trips or lazy mornings you may have planned. It's a 6-part series that looks at some key moments for women on the path to financial equality and aims to give women the tools to lock down their financial freedom. In episode 2, we’re taking you back to WWII - a time that saw thou...

The Squiz team is on a long weekend so we thought we’d pop ‘How Far We’ve Come’ into the Shortcuts feed for any long road trips or lazy mornings you may have planned. It's a 6-part series that looks at some key moments for women on the path to financial equality and aims to give women the tools to lock down their financial freedom. In episode 3, we’re taking you to 1966 when the bar on employment...

The Squiz team is on a long weekend so we thought we’d pop ‘How Far We’ve Come’ into the Shortcuts feed for any long road trips or lazy mornings you may have planned. It's a 6-part series that looks at some key moments for women on the path to financial equality and aims to give women the tools to lock down their financial freedom. In episode 4, we’re diving into one of the watershed moments in fa...

The Squiz team is on a long weekend so we thought we’d pop ‘How Far We’ve Come’ into the Shortcuts feed for any long road trips or lazy mornings you may have planned. It's a 6-part series that looks at some key moments for women on the path to financial equality and aims to give women the tools to lock down their financial freedom. In episode 5, we’re talking about the 1984 Sex Discrimination Act...

In the space of just a few weeks, a handful of big banks have collapsed around the world and many others have got the wobbles. So in this episode of Squiz Shortcuts, we take a look at why these banks fell over, if any Aussie institutions have problems, and why there's so much talk about this sparking a global recession. Squiz recommends: What happens if your bank goes bust? - Money Magazine Why al...

Australia's most populous state heads to the ballot box on Saturday, so in this week's Squiz Shortcut, we take a look at the vibe after 12 years of Coalition government, the relative newbies battling to be Premier, and the big pitches and promises of their campaigns. Squiz recommends: ABC election analyst Antony Green on where the NSW election will be decided Deborah Snow's feature profiles on Dom...

This week, PM Anthony Albanese got together with US President Joe Biden and UK PM Rishi Sunak to unveil one of the biggest Australian defence announcements in decades. So in this Squiz Shortcut, we'll take you through why we're getting nuclear-powered subs, how it's going to play out over the next 30 years, and whether we can actually build them on Aussie shores. Squiz recommends: I'm On a Boat -...

Plenty of high-profile people have recently been involved in defamation cases in recent times, like Lisa Wilkinson, Ben Roberts-Smith, and Erin Molan - not to mention the big one in the US last year involving Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. So in this episode of Squiz Shortcuts, we take a look at what defamation is, why it seems to be in the news all the time, and the push by media companies to have...

Plenty of us have a go at recycling - but it turns out a whole lot more than we think is ending up in landfill, despite a bunch of good intentions… So in this episode of Squiz Shortcuts, we take a look at how recycling is organised in Australia, why soft plastics are one of our biggest issues, and what we can do to stop a massive waste problem. Squiz recommends: Clean Up Australia's tips to reduce...

Over the past few months, ChatGPT has set the tech world alight with predictions that it will change the internet - and it's raised big questions about artificial intelligence and how it will be used in our everyday lives. So in this episode of Squiz Shortcuts, we take a look at exactly where ChatGPT has come from, what the chatbot experience is, and some early problems that have played out very p...

Sydneysiders wouldn't be able to miss the fact that the Harbour City is hosting the 2023 WorldPride - the world's biggest LGBTQIA+ festival that's kicking off this week. So in this episode of Squiz Shortcuts, we take a look at the origins of the Pride movement, how Sydney snagged hosting duties, and what's going down during the festivities. Squiz recommends: The 2023 WorldPride Program 'I’m a prou...

Last week's Squiz Shortcuts episode got across what's been happening in Alice Springs lately and some historical context. In this week's follow-up episode, we take a look at the discussion around alcohol and step you through a bit more on Alice Springs itself, what the latest report into the problems there has recommended, and what our governments are doing now. Squiz recommends: Dorelle Anderson'...

Alice Springs has been in the national spotlight for all the wrong reasons over the past couple of weeks after a shocking escalation of crime in the town forced the PM to take action. So in this episode of Squiz Shortcuts, we take a look at what it's been like living in Alice lately, how things got so bad, and the complicated history behind all the previous attempts to help. Squiz recommends: 'Why...

You might have seen the name Andrew Tate in the news over the summer - and wondered who is this guy and what has he done to get locked up in a Romanian prison? So in this episode of Squiz Shortcuts we take a look at who he is, why he has such a huge influence, particularly on boys and young men, and why we should care. Squiz recommends: Squiz Kids - Newshounds Young people interviewed about Andrew...

If all you know about Hunter Biden is that he's the son of President Joe Biden and he's a bit controversial, this episode of Squiz Shortcuts will fill in the blanks. And he's going to be someone to know about because a big spotlight is about to fall on him as the political cycle heats up ahead of next year's presidential election. So in this Squiz Shortcut, we'll get you across who he is, what his...

There have been some big developments over the summer break in the Albanese Government's proposal to establish a Voice to Parliament. So in this episode of Squiz Shortcuts, we take a look at what the Voice is, who's lining up on each side of the debate, and how it's all going to shake out in 2023. Squiz recommends: Opposition Leader Peter Dutton's letter to PM Anthony Albanese Uluru Statement: a q...

With 2022 drawing to a close, it got us thinking about what happened to a whole bunch of stories that were really big and then just fell out of the news cycle - like the unrest in Sri Lanka, Monkeypox and of course, Wordle… So in this Squiz Shortcut, we give you the updates on some of the biggest events of the year, some of the people that were grabbing headlines in 2022, and some of the lighter s...

It's been a pretty turbulent couple of weeks for the Royal family, with Prince Harry and Meghan's new Netflix series really putting the cat among the corgis… So in this episode of Squiz Shortcuts, we take a look at the fallout from the latest Sussex download, how the family split is affecting the monarchy, and what's ahead for the Palace and King Charles in 2023. Squiz recommends: The Palace Paper...

China is a country known for quashing any dissent before it makes it anywhere near the media. But recently, anti-lockdown protests have been springing up all over the country and once unheard-of criticism of the Government is creeping into social channels. So in this Squiz Shortcut, we take a look at what's fuelling those demonstrations, where COVID's at in China, and what it all means for Preside...