Weekend reading and media appearances

International Reading:

• McDonald’s suffers worst U.S. sales decline since 2020, warns of ‘anti-American sentiment’ abroad – NBC
• McDonald’s Store Traffic Falls Unexpectedly As Diners Grow Uneasy About Economy – Huff Post
• Tim Cook says Trump tariffs could cost Apple more than $900M in June quarter – The Hill
• Trump’s tariffs: ‘It feels like Covid 2.0. So many things are getting disrupted’ – The Guardian
• US consumer confidence slumps to an almost five-year low – Business Times
• Bessent: ‘We put China to the side’ in trade negotiations – The Hill
• In the US, not even $11,000 a month can buy you dignity at the end of your life – The Guardian
• Some Good News: Elon Musk Lost 25% of Fortune During His Quest to Gut the US Government – Yahoo
• Trump’s ‘Economic Fantasy’ in Trouble as US Lurches Toward Recession – News Week
• Trump threatens massive new China sanctions over Iranian oil – Axios
• A Tidal Wave of Change is Headed for the U.S. Economy (NYT Gift Article) – NY Times

Local Reading:

• Expanding Medicare to cover more dental services has the support of about two thirds of Australian dental practitioners recently surveyed. – ABC
• Traffic chaos Sydney-bound on M1 as hundreds of cars left with flat tyres due to metal shards – ABC
• Politicians and their property portfolios: how many do they own? – SBS
• Queensland moves to crack down on windfarms and exempt Olympic venues from planning laws – The Guardian
• Coalition costings reveal worse budget bottom line under Dutton than Labor – ABC
• Coalition voter ‘bribes’ send Taylor ‘off brand’ with bigger deficits, say budget experts – ABC
• Trump campaign chief claims he visited Australia to advise Liberals at start of election campaign – The Guardian
• What the Coalition’s costings won’t tell you: slashing net migration will smash a $24bn hole in the budget (TLDR – “you need to let us import migrants or bad shit might happen to our economy, instead of the bad shit already happening because we opened the flood gates”) -The Guardian
• NSW reports of alleged election-related violence and harassment include smearing poo on truck with Liberal ad – The Guardian
• Family violence is never far from the headlines. What are the major parties doing to solve this national crisis? – ABC
• Labor and Coalition accused of being on fossil fuel ‘unity ticket’ as thermal coal exports hit record high – The Guardian
• Peter Dutton drops vow to change school curriculum, after ‘indoctrination’ claims – ABC
• Downturn in residential construction may have hit the bottom and be starting to turnaround – Interest.co.nz
• The limits of GDP – The Limits of GDP
• Buyers in control of housing market as vendors slash asking prices and stock levels remain high – Interest.co.nz
• Problem mortgages hit 12-year high – Interest.co.nz

MB Media Appearances:

Australian media finds new housing scapegoat

Lies and obfuscation derail Australian housing policy

Australia’s housing bubble impoverishes nation

Election-Proofing Your Investment Portfolio

Other recommended videos:

Why Renewables Will Lead To An Energy Crisis

Blackouts Are Coming to Britain