Weekend reading and media appearances

International Reading:

• Elon Musk, Amazon, and AT&T are demanding a return to office. But there aren’t enough desks – Fortune
• What debt ceiling? “Spend, Spend, Spend goes the Trumpie – CBS News
• Government Shutdown Grows Closer as Trump Tells G.O.P. to Kill Spending Deal – NY Times
• Obscene Prices, Declining Quality: Luxury Is in a Death Spiral – NY Times
• Defense bill clears Congress – with ban on gender care for minors buried inside it – Independent
• BRICS Don’t Threaten the Dollar, the US Does – Bloomberg
• Workers launch largest strike against Amazon in US history – People’s Dispatch
• US funding plan collapses as Trump makes demands days before shutdown – The Guardian
• Ontario’s premier says Trump’s tariffs would be a disaster for US markets – AP News
• Tesla sales crash as drivers snub Trump supporter Elon Musk – Yahoo
• Trump has promised to boost oil and gas exports. It could raise energy prices at home – NPR
• Seeing low-income consumers squeezed, retailers target $10 and under gifts – Reuters
• Jeff Bezos saved around $1 billion in taxes by moving to a ‘billionaire bunker’ in Florida – Fortune

Local Reading:

• People warned not to swim at Hobart beaches after wastewater plant knocked out by Cadbury factory – ABC
• Tanya Plibersek says no new coal mine approvals this year after approving extensions – ABC
• The lucrative scam business behind a non-existent Centrelink payment – ABC
• Sydney train delays expected and transport alternatives for New Year’s Eve assessed amid union’s industrial action – ABC
• ACCC accuses Optus store of pushing customers into $150k debts – ABC
• AGL apologises for overcharging welfare recipients but says it may appeal $25m fine – ABC
• ‘Tradie stabbed in gang attack at Werribee station in Melbourne’ – News.com.au
• More Australians moving to inland country towns in search of affordable housing – ABC
• Union fears for Port Kembla’s future after WA wins Australia-first green iron plant – ABC
• Aldi liable for ‘flagrant’ copyright breach of rival brand’s packaging, federal court finds – The Guardian
• Retail to catch a break? – Interest.co.nz
• Where to from here for savers? – Interest.co.nz
• ‘Thank goodness’ – ANZ survey shows signs of recovering economic demand – Interest.co.nz
• GDP-ocalypse: NZ economy shrinks 2% in six months – Interest.co.nz
• NZ facing oversupply of rental properties – Interest.co.nz

Media Appearances:

Australia is becoming a failed state

The great Australian housing farce

Brace for a decade of deficits

Jim Chalmers spins budget fairytales

Record government spending is preventing rate cuts

Budget bubble, toil and trouble