This Month
Milton Friedman warned about budget problems such as Musk and DOGE
Special interest groups have always been a headache for government deficits and efficiency. Now they are running Washington.
Inside the Australian-owned MAGA mecca in Washington
“I love this place,” right-wing firebrand Steve Bannon says of the Australian-owned restaurant on Capitol Hill that’s become a trendy MAGA hangout.
What if there is no way of Australia placating Trump?
The only certain thing is that the US president challenges all the assumptions Canberra has ever made about American security guarantees.
Trump hangs his own mugshot in Oval Office
The photograph, taken after he was charged in Georgia on racketeering charges, has been mounted in a gold frame on a wall in the White House.
US judge lets Musk’s team keep access to records at some agencies
A judge has allowed DOGE to access records at three government agencies. But the cost-cutting team remains blocked from Treasury payment systems.
Trump isn’t bluffing on tariffs. He desperately needs cash
Don’t believe the “hopeium” that Donald Trump is bluffing on tariffs.
Labor wins Victorian byelection
The party’s victory in Werribee provides a boost to premier Jacinta Allan; US and India target $800b in trade, increase in military sales. How the day unfolded.
Why Trump and Musk are set to trample all over the courts
The judiciary poses the ultimate test of whether the president will break the system as the pair set about slashing government spending and cutting staff.
‘I had nothing to do with it’: Buttrose on Lattouf sacking
Ita Buttrose gives evidence in Antoinette Lattouf’s unlawful termination case; New Zealand weighs whether to relax foreign homebuyer ban. How the day unfolded.
Trump’s tariff plan attacked in Congress as ‘insult to Australians’
At least one US legislator has lambasted the president’s intention to slug Australian steel and aluminum imports into America.
PM to go head-to-head with Trump on tariff threat
Australian exports to the US could be hit by taxes after the American president announced a duty on metals coming in from every other nation.
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.
Musk is making X into his own digital Mar-a-Lago
Elon Musk’s incursion into the federal government has triggered alarm; Donald Trump imposes sanctions on the ICC. How the day unfolded.
Directors warn of investment delays amid Trump, election uncertainty
Company directors from Macquarie, Fortescue, Dexus and Perpetual say Donald Trump and the upcoming election will lead to projects being delayed or paused.
Musk’s access to US Treasury data partly limited by judge
The decision came after a group of unions accused the agency of illegally sharing their members’ information with the billionaire’s government efficiency group.
New US bill seeks to ban DeepSeek app on government devices
The two sponsors, one a Republican and the other a Democrat, cite concern that the chatbot’s code is linked to China’s Communist Party.
Top NSW judge says Elon Musk is fanning antisemitism
Chief Justice Andrew Bell says the Tesla chief executive and Mark Zuckerberg were emboldened by Donald Trump to act in ways that harmed social cohesion.
PM calls Dutton’s approach to politics ‘small’ after his push for caravan plot probe
Anthony Albanese says an independent probe into the caravan bomb plot would be a waste of police resources; Labor announces $9 million in assistance for flood-ravaged North Queensland. How the day unfolded.
‘Self-interested people’: Why Murdoch and Trump are back in business
Rupert Murdoch is known for aligning his business interests with the politician of the hour. His appearance with Donald Trump this week was no different.
US postal service halts parcels from China
The United States imports about 3 million parcels a day; Peter Dutton says PM is “embarrassed” by caravan explosives plot. Follow live updates.