Weekend Reading & MB Media Appearances

International Reading:

• Trump Official Panics as Brutal Jobs Report Blames Trump’s Tariffs – New Republic
• Donald Trump Jr-backed start-up scores $600mn US federal government deal – FT
• Trump says national debt is ‘peanuts’ and his tariff income will pay everyone a $2,000 dividend too—but the math doesn’t add up – AZ Express
• Main Street reels as America sheds 32,000 jobs in brutal November wipeout – Daily Mail
• Bessent says Trump admin will be able to replicate tariffs even if it loses Supreme Court decision – CNBC
• The wealth of the top 1% reaches a record $52 trillion – CNBC
• Microsoft’s reported sales struggles are a warning that huge AI spending might take a while to pay off – Business Insider
• Why American Health Care Is Still a Mess – The Atlantic
• Mom-and-Pop Business Bankruptcies Hit a Record as Debts Rise – Bloomberg
• U.S. Jobs Fall by 32,000 and Fed Rate-Cut Odds Hit 89%: What Bond, Stock, and Dollar Markets Reveal About 2026 – Trend on Verge
• Americans Are Losing Their Homes to Zombie Mortgages – Bloomberg
• U.S. producers warn Trump’s tariffs jeopardize their access to Canada, Mexico – CBC
• SNAP benefits update: Trump admin issues new warning to states – News Week
• Bessent says Trump admin will be able to replicate tariffs even if it loses Supreme Court decision – CNBC
• November private payrolls unexpectedly fell by 32,000, led by steep small business job cuts, ADP reports – CNBC
• Trump administration orders enhanced vetting for applicants of H-1B visa – Reuters

Local Reading:

• Neo-Nazi Matthew Gruter leaves Australia after visa revoked by minister – ABC
• Bruce Lehrmann is running out of courts after losing his defamation appeal – ABC
• NSW council votes to stop flying Indigenous flags and enforce permissions for Welcome to Country – ABC
• Alleged childcare paedophile Joshua Dale Brown hit with more than 80 additional charges – ABC
• Liberal senator says repeated use of term ‘mass migration’ is inaccurate and ‘extremely unhelpful’ – The Guardian
• Parents could find their own social media accounts restricted or blocked if they allow their children to use them. – Daily Mail
• Rising Tide, rising backlog. Coal protests too big for Zero Tolerance, police & courts – Michael West
• Obscure social media apps not included in teen ban are skyrocketing in popularity in Australia – Crikey
• ‘Addiction to secrecy’: opposition and crossbench slam Labor’s ‘undemocratic’ changes to FoI – including charging fees – The Guardian
• Aged home care package changes set off cash conflict between providers and suppliers – ABC
• Australia’s heaviest betters undeterred by key gambling reform, research shows – The Guardian
• ‘Problematic precedent’: expert says Australia could be next as UK agrees to pay 25% more for new US medicines – The Guardian
• Housing values in November ‘just eased off a little bit again,’ Cotality says – Interest.co.nz
• Housing market likely to remain buyer’s market over summer with properties for sale at 11-year high – Interest.co.nz

MB Media Appearances:

DLS writing in News.com.au: Three ‘obvious truths’ about Australia’s immigration

DLS writing in News.com.au: Disturbing Japan move has the world on edge

LVO speaking with Luke Grant at Radio 2GB/4BC analysing the latest housing affordability reports from Cotality and PropTrack and the outlook for 2026. Chris Bowen’s latest energy lies are also demolished live on air.

LVO interview with Brisbane Radio 4BC discusses the alarming decline in Brisbane’s housing affordability, both to purchase and rent. We also discuss soaring energy costs, which are hitting Queenslanders hard.

An extract from LVO’s latest podcast with Martin North at Digital Finance Analytics:

Another extract from LVO’s latest podcast with Martin North at Digital Finance Analytics.