International Reading:
- How Europe outsmarted US tariffs without escalating the conflict. – Cenrix
- Cuban Peso Hits Record Low as Life Grinds to a Halt, now trading at 500 peso per US dollar. – Hot Air
- Trump DOJ Launches Bunk Investigation Of Netflix Merger As a Favor To Larry Ellison – Tech Dirt
- The 45-year decline of the middle class costs you $12,000 a year – Fortune
- House passes GOP election overhaul requiring proof of US citizenship. – Fox News
- Tariff revenue soars more than 300% as U.S. awaits Supreme Court decision – CNBC
- Trump orders the military to make agreements with coal power plants – Ars Technica
- Opinion: America is quietly and softly defaulting on its debt – National Post
- Home sales nosedive in January as housing market teeters on brink of price crash – Daily Mail
- Gallup will no longer measure presidential approval after 88 years – The Hill
- U.S. Farm Bankruptcies Increased 46% in 2025 – Agriculture
- An Anti-Affordability Agenda: Trump’s Advisors Call on States to Raise Taxes on the Working Class and Drastically Cut Taxes for the Rich – Itep
- Pentagon orders second carrier strike group to prepare to deploy to Middle East: report – NY Post
Local Reading:
- Barbeques Galore goes bust, enters voluntary administration – Yahoo
- Liberal Party poised to dump Ley – ABC
- RBA governor accused by senator of ‘gaslighting’ Australians on economy – ABC
- Without stronger privacy laws, Australians are guinea pigs in a real-time dystopian AI experiment – The Guardian
- This is not ‘social cohesion’ – it’s just a tighter net to trap us all – New Daily
- Hundreds of thousands of people still using the old Bureau of Meteorology website – ABC
- Australia’s toxic legacy in Antarctica – ABC
- Telstra to axe up to 650 roles in mass redundancy round, some jobs to be outsourced to India – ABC
- Food ministers move closer to mandating Health Star Ratings on packaged food – ABC
- Rental affordability hits new low as rents rise faster than wages – ABC
- In uncertain economic times, NZ needs leadership – Labour finance spokesperson – Interest.co.nz
- Almost 12% of residential property sales were made at a loss in December quarter – Interest.co.nz
- Westpac economists see OCR at 4% by end of next year – Interest.co.nz
MB Media Appearances:
Immigration crisis triggers rate hike shock – DLS in News.com.au
This interview with Mark Levy at Radio 2GB/4BC makes the case for why Australia needs to tax realised superannuation earnings harder on balances over $3 million.
This Treasury of Common Sense with Luke Grant at Radio 2GB/4BC discusses the latest population projections and what it means for the economy, the regions, and living standards. I also clown on Treasurer Jim Chalmers for denying that government policy is driving up inflation.
Last week’s podcast with Catherine Cashmore from Land Cycle Investor unpacks this week’s interest rate hike, the outlook, and what it means for housing and first home buyers, in particular. I also unpack the debate around cutting the capital gains tax discount.
China plays us for fools on energy and climate
This interview with Mike Jeffreys from Radio 2GB/4BC unpacks Australia’s inflation woes, which are being driven by poor government policy.
