The team at MacroBusiness thanks you for your support in 2025 and wishes you a Merry Christmas and a safe and happy New Year.
We will be taking a brief hiatus over the Christmas and New Year period, with only sporadic posting, and will return on Monday, 5 January 2026.
We look forward to keeping the bastards honest in 2026.
International Reading:
- A huge chunk of U.S. GDP growth is being kept alive by AI spending ‘with no guaranteed return,’ Deutsche Bank says – Fortune
- Trump flew on Epstein’s private jet ‘MORE times than we knew’… along with pedophile and 20-year-old woman, new files reveal – Daily Mail
- ‘When we got out of college, we had a job waiting for us’: 80-year-old boomer says her generation left behind a different economy for her grandkids – Fortune
- Trump says anybody that disagrees with him will never be Fed Chair – Reuters
- Gold Smashes $4,400 Record As Rate-Cut Bets, Trade Wars, And Global Turmoil Ignite Safe-Haven Rush – Newz Square
- A huge chunk of U.S. GDP growth is being kept alive by AI spending ‘with no guaranteed return,’ Deutsche Bank says – Fortune
- Consumer Confidence Slides In December To Lowest Level Since Trump’s Tariffs Rollout – Huff Post
- Student Loan Update: Trump Admin to Garnish Wages—What Borrowers Should Know – News Week
- US economic growth likely remained strong in third quarter – Reuters
- Donald Trump’s first year economy compared to Obama and Biden – News Week
- Mitt Romney says the U.S. is on a cliff—and taxing the rich is now necessary ‘given the magnitude of our national debt’ – Fortune
- China Imports No U.S. Soybeans for Third Month; Argentine Arrivals Up 634% – Agriculture
- More uninsured drivers, more unfixed damage: Soaring car-insurance prices have pushed Americans into risky trade-offs – Market Watch
- Beef prices keep going up despite Trump’s efforts – Wlox
- Americans giving fewer gifts this Christmas as Trump tariffs bite – News Week
- How Trump’s ‘crony capitalism’ has shaken up U.S. business – NPR
- Student loan borrowers in default face wage garnishment next month – The Hill
Local Reading:
- Great Barrier Reef’s Hamilton Island to be bought by US private equity firm in reported $1.2bn sale – The Guardian
- And the biggest compo payout for Robodebt victims is … Scott Morrison – Michael West
- Anthony Albanese recommends changes to parliamentarians’ travel rules – ABC
- ABC defends Laura Tingle and Sarah Ferguson amid ‘unfounded’ criticism of Bondi shooting coverage – The Guardian
- Albanese government names groups it wants to crack down on amid anti-hate speech push – SBS
- Unattended caravans ‘ghost camping’ at free sites sparks debate over fair access – ABC
- Bondi gunmen filmed ‘firearms training’ and threw explosives into crowd, court told – ABC
- Australians tipped to spend record $1.6b on Boxing Day sales – ABC
- The mortgage honeypot is easier to defend than gain – Interest.co.nz
- Expect turbulent asset markets in 2026 – Interest.co.nz
- Themes for the Kiwi dollar in 2026 – Interest.co.nz
- Auction sales rate picked up over 2025 but finished the year on a weaker note – Interest.co.nz
- Buyers likely to retain the whip hand in the housing market next year – Interest.co.nz
MB Media Appearances:
This interview with Jason Morrison at Radio 2GB/4BC runs through the latest immigration numbers, which remain extreme relative to Australia’s own history and globally.
This week’s Treasury of Common Sense on Radio 2GB/4BC dissects the latest data from Cotality showing record profits on the sale of Australian property, while rental and purchase affordability are at their worst levels in history.
This interview with Trent Nikolic at Radio 2GB evaluates Labor’s inadequate gas reservation policy, announced on Monday.
