International Reading:
- McDonald’s prices are up, so lower-income consumers are eating at home – CNN
- Retirement 2024: 28% of Americans Have $0 Saved for Their Golden Years – Global Rankings
- America’s hidden homes: “These are the houses your real-estate agent doesn’t want you to see.” – Business Insider
- American dream of owning a home is dead, majority (57%) of renters say – The Guardian
- Homebuyers need to earn 80% more than in 2020 to afford a house in this market. It’s not just due to high mortgage rates – CNBC
- Refund fraud schemes promoted on TikTok, Telegram are costing Amazon and other retailers billions of dollars – CNBC
- This week provided a reminder that inflation isn’t going away anytime soon – CNBC
- Social Security 2025 COLA increase disappoints seniors – News Week
- Yellen says she regrets saying inflation was ‘transitory’ – The Hill
- Putin grows war economy but incomes suffer ‘lost decade’ – Reuters
- Yellen says Biden’s proposed housing tax credits could boost supply – Yahoo
- The world’s largest global industrial supplier of wood pellets just filed for bankruptcy with debts over $2.6 billion – Fortune
Local Reading:
- Anti-corruption commission claims first three convictions – Crikey
- Australian government knew obscure retailer had no PPE experience before paying $100m for unusable Covid masks – The Guardian
- Australian Alps snow cover to fare worst in the world under climate change, German study finds – ABC
- Australia should prepare for the death of the middle class, experts warn – News.com.au
- The questions that remain for Cranbrook School as new allegations flood in – ABC
- Undernourished, stressed and overworked: cost-of-living pressures are taking a toll on Australians’ health – The Conversation
- NSW to double penalties for worst environmental crimes in wake of asbestos crisis – The Guardian
- Second surplus on track for Australia but budget will report a fall in revenue, treasurer says – The Guardian
- Release of ‘missing papers’ from 2003 shines a light on how Australian troops were sent to fight the Iraq War – The Conversation
- Bankwest staff pressured to send customers online ahead of widespread closures, union says – ABC
- Shoppers tricked into providing personal data to get supermarket specials, Senate inquiry told – The Guardian
- Federal government to invest $840m in Arafura rare earths project in Central Australia – ABC
- Podcast: Cameron Murray on The Great Housing Hijack – Interest.co.nz
- Migration added another 133,835 people to NZ’s population in the January year – Interest.co.nz
- February housing sales volumes up 37.9% compared to February last year – Interest.co.nz
- Food prices rise at slowest annual pace since May 2021 – Interest.co.nz
MB Media Appearances:
Interviewed by News.com.au on the death of the middle class.
Interviewed by News.com.au on immigration and the rental crisis.
Interviewed by James Morrow at the Daily Telegraph on immigration and the rental crisis.
Interview with Sky News’ Erin Molan discusses Australia’s housing disaster:
Saturday’s Treasury of Common Sense with Luke Grant from Radio 2GB explains why the RBA is wrong on the economy:
Monday’s interview with Tom Elliott on Melbourne’s 3aW Radio discusses the financial basket case that is the Victorian government:
Tuesday’s interview with Sky News’ Sharri Markson discusses cost of living and the rental crisis:
Thursday’s Treasury of Common Sense with Radio 2GB’s Mike Jeffries discusses NSW Premier Chris Minns faux concern over Sydney’s housing crisis, which comes amid him lobbying the federal government for even more immigration:
DL-S appeared at News.com.au to describe depression economics in China.
