Yesterday
Albanese hit hard by live fire from all sides
From Chinese warships, to Trump’s tariffs, to Australia’s sense of itself, Anthony Albanese is struggling to show he has convincing answers.
February
RFK jnr secures top health job – and immediately targets vaccines
The Senate voted to put the long-time anti-vaccine activist, who was called a predator by Caroline Kennedy, in charge of the vast US health apparatus.
Musk calls courts corrupt as Trump’s agenda faces legal pushback
The billionaire and Vice President J.D. Vance are openly questioning the judiciary’s authority as the president’s sweeping reforms face resistance.
Pete Hegseth confirmed as US defence secretary after historic tie-break
Donald Trump-backed Pete Hegseth narrowly secured enough votes on Saturday to become the next US defence secretary in what was only the second time in history a cabinet nominee needed a tie-break to be confirmed.
US economy adds 143,000 jobs, jobless rate at 4pc
US job growth moderated in January, bolstering the case that policymakers at the Federal Reserve need not rush further interest rate cuts.
US Senate panel backs RFK jnr as Trump’s health secretary
The decision by the Republican-controlled committee paves the way for a full vote to confirm Robert F. Kennedy jnr as soon as this week.
Trump hints at curbing Musk: ‘He does nothing without my approval’
The president said the billionaire could not dismantle government spending without his permission, as legislators accuse him of breaking the US Constitution.
‘Trade war on steroids’: Trump launches markets gamble
The president bets he can achieve his aims through tariffs without igniting inflation or a sell-off in American stocks.
January
Judge blocks Trump’s spending freeze in day of chaos
The judge halted the president’s plan to freeze hundreds of billions of dollars in payments to federal programs just minutes before it was set to take effect.
‘Predator’: Caroline Kennedy warns America of RFK jnr
In a searing letter, the former ambassador to Australia said Robert F. Kennedy jnr had led family members to drug addiction, and was unfit to be health secretary.
Trump’s team forms ‘gradual’ global tariff plan
New Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent wants universal levies to rise month by month in order to give businesses time to adjust.
Why nothing can stop Trump now
Very little stands in the way of the president’s goal of remaking America as he ploughs ahead with signing executive orders.
Zuckerberg says workplaces need more ‘masculine energy’. He’s wrong
The Meta chief executive wants to celebrate aggression, but his suggestion that office life has become less competitive is nonsense, even amid all the home-baked treats.
Trump’s defence nominee Pete Hegseth weathers Democrats’ grilling
The former Fox News host and decorated veteran is one of the most controversial figures ever nominated to be Secretary of Defence.
Biden plans $13b arms sale to Israel
The new weapons are a last-minute show of support for the US president’s close ally after more than a year of war in Gaza.
Speaker Johnson wages precarious bid for re-election
The problem for the US House of Reps Speaker is that to win re-election, he will need nearly unanimous support from his own party
Trump uses New Orleans attack to push security and border agenda
The incident and the explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck outside a Trump hotel in Las Vegas have fuelled Republican narratives that crime is out of control.
December 2024
Trump torpedoes funding bill, triggering government shutdown fears
The president-elect has intervened in a bipartisan deal to continue government funding for programs, raising the odds of a federal shutdown before the holidays.
Trump’s defence chief Pete Hegseth faces drinking allegations
The Fox News host is also under pressure after reports emerged Donald Trump is considering replacing him with Florida governor Ron DeSantis.
November 2024
Labor struggles down the last stretch
The Albanese government’s numbers don’t add up for voters as the election looms.