International Reading:
- Susie Wiles at center of ‘screaming’ panic inside Trump’s White House as Iran war sends gas soaring – Daily Mail
- Documents Reveal a Web of Financial Ties Between Trump Officials and the Industries They Help Regulate – Pro Publica
- Democrats Are Very Skeptical About Funding For Trump’s Iran War – Huff Post
- A shiny new Fed Chairman will be keen to make an entrance with a base rate cut—yet the committee is only growing more hawkish due to Iran – Fortune
- Trump’s new 401(k) match collides with a harsh reality: More workers are dipping into their retirement cash just to get by – Fortune
- While Cost of Living Soars and Healthcare Taken Away, Trump Spending $1 Billion Per Day in War of Choice With Iran – Common Dreams
- Dow drops 1,000 points as oil prices climb more – KPICTV
- Goldman’s top strategist warns stocks are flashing the same warning signs as before the 2008 financial crisis – Fortune
- U.S. manufacturers are still shedding thousands of jobs, as workers ask White House for help – CBS News
- Fox News Poll: Voters give poor marks to economy, Congress and Trump – Fox News
- LNG Shipping Rates Soar 650% to $300,000 Per Day – Oil Price
- Iran war may be costing a staggering $1 billion per day – The Express
- Iranian attacks force Iraq to shut largest oil field and halt exports – The National News
- Facing ‘grave and complex landscape,’ China sets lowest economic growth target in decades – CNN
- The AI Jobs Apocalypse Is Starting to Feel Real – Futurism
Local Reading:
- China Overtakes Japan as Australia’s Top Source of New Vehicles in February 2026 – Car Sauce
- Federal government tight-lipped on claims Australians were aboard US sub that sank Iranian warship – ABC
- ‘Segregation’ of Australian school system grows as exodus to private schools continues – ABC
- Australia and the “Epstein Coalition”. Invasion of Iran a disaster – Michael West
- Australian regulator delays ban on plumbing parts containing lead by two years – ABC
- Deadly soil fungal pathogen puts Australia’s reptiles at risk of extinction – Phys
- Digital price tags bring online-style ‘dynamic pricing’ to supermarkets – ABC
- Developer quietly guts ‘affordable’ housing promise in northern suburbs – The Age
- Australian crisis teams sent to Middle East as Iran war continues – ABC
- Motorists urged not to panic-buy petrol as oil prices jump amid Iran conflict – The Guardian
- Canada’s Carney arrives in Australia for meeting of ‘middle powers’ – Reuters
- Volume of new homes completed in Auckland likely to bottom out near 14,000 this year – Interest.co.nz
- ‘Golden’ visa holders can now buy or build a house worth at least $5m as rule changes kick-in – Interest.co.nz
- New Zealand economic policy since 2023 in 10 charts – Interest.co.nz
- ‘A modest lift in national property values in a single month in February is nothing to get carried away about’ – Interest.co.nz
MB Media Appearances:
A scissor reel of LVO’s appearance on this week’s SBS Insight’s special on immigration:
LVO’s interview with Sean Murphy at ABC Upper Hunter explains the likely inflation impacts from a protracted war in the Middle East.
LVOs interview with Mike Jeffreys at Radio 2GB/4BC explains the dire impact of excessive migration on Australia’s rental market:
Last weekend’s Treasury of Common Sense on Radio 2GB/4BC discussed the merits of reforming property tax concessions like negative gearing and the CGT discount. While MB supports reducing such concessions, Australia desperately needs broad-based tax reform that shifts the burden away from workers and productive effort.
Last week’s podcast with Catherine Cashmore from Land Cycle Investor unpacked the latest strong housing finance data and Cotality’s report suggesting the rental crisis will worsen. LVO also explained how Canada has solved its rental crisis by slashing immigration and showed how Australia has massively exceeded its population targets, driving the rental shortage.
