Weekend reading and media releases

International Reading:

• DOGE worker admits the government works fine and was hoping for more easy wins. – Futurism
• What has Elon Musk’s Doge actually achieved? – FT
• Mike Johnson Argues Congress Needs Stock Trading to ‘Support Their Families’ Due to ‘Frozen’ Salaries – Latin Times
• GOP civil war breaks out over Medicaid as right calls for deeper cuts – The Hill
• Trump’s $1.2 trillion commitment in Qatar – WhiteHouse
• Schiff Takes To Senate Floor to Lay Out Trump’s 10 Most Corrupt Acts So Far – YouTube
• New White House budget bill includes clause giving President power to revoke tax exempt status of any organization he considers terrorist-supporting – New Republic
• Trump wants Americans to break one of their biggest habits – Business Insider
• UK economy expands at fastest pace in a year – The Times
• Bottom 60% of Americans don’t earn enough to afford basic costs of living – CBS News
• Trump’s Qatar Plane Could Burn $1 Billion in Upgrades Before It Ever Flies – Atlas News
• The Mother Of All Corruption: Trump cabinet member’s links to El Salvador crypto firm under scrutiny – The Guardian
• Here Are the Winners and Losers in the Republican Tax Bill – Bloomberg
• Why aren’t Americans filling the manufacturing jobs we already have? – NPR

Local Reading:

• Queensland senator Larissa Waters has been elected the new federal Greens leader. – The Guardian
• ‘Panic selling’ begins to avoid Labor’s $3 million super tax – News.com.au
• Australia has ramped up its travel warnings for the USA three times since April – ABC
• Safety concerns, a weak dollar, and border security are some of the issues reportedly contributing to a drop in Australians travelling to the United States. – SBS
• Mary River cod turns the tables on one of its biggest threats by eating them – ABC
• This 6-point plan can ease Australia’s gambling problems – if our government has the guts – The Conversation
• Captain Cook memorial will not return to Melbourne park after repeated vandalism – The Guardian
• Lenders are cutting home loan rates ahead of expected RBA interest rate cut – ABC
• Apartment owners jubilant as dodgy strata manager banned for life – The SMH
• Chris Bowen mocks Liberals’ equivocation on ‘bare minimum’ target of net zero by 2050 – The Guardian
• Housing market suffered ‘autumn chill’ in April, REINZ says – Interest.co.nz
• Surge in food prices drives annual increase up to 3.7% – Interest.co.nz

MB Media Appearances:

Australia’s household recession sets new record

A ‘perfect storm’ confronts Australia’s housing market

Code Red for Australian housing affordability

Australia’s housing system is designed to fail