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John Quiggin
Saturday, February 21, 2026 - 15:53
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My latest in The Guardian Like millions of Australians, I shop at Coles. I’m not as careful as I should be, but I try to buy things advertised as being discounted, or on special. But after following a recent case before the federal court, I’ll be checking my old receipts before accepting such claims. In particular, I’ll be avoiding “Down Down” promotions. On the evidence before the court, such promotions are routinely used as a way of implementing price increases. |
John Quiggin
Saturday, February 21, 2026 - 15:52
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I spoke last week at a meeting organised by the Brisbane Flight Paths Community Association to demand a curfew on planes flying over Brisbane. These are mostly either international flights (subsidised by the state government) to promote tourism) or overnight freight, for which there is a fairly modest convenience benefit By contrast, the adverse health effects and sleep disruption associated with night-time airport noise have huge costs, running into the billions, whether you estimate these directly or via effects on land values. |
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John Quiggin
Saturday, February 21, 2026 - 15:51
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Not long after Trump took office, I observed that the status of the US as the “indispensable nation” could not be sustained. A year later, the US, considered strictly as a state actor, is already dispensable and has, in fact, been largely dispensed with, by Europe in particular. |
THE BLOT REPORT
Saturday, February 21, 2026 - 11:58
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THE BLOT REPORT
Saturday, February 21, 2026 - 11:41
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Now that the far right of the Liberal Party has taken over the party from the ‘moderates’ with the election of Angus Taylor as leader, they have started amping up the racist rhetoric about immigration, in much the same way the Trumpists in the US have done. The Liberal Party will no doubt state that it is not racist, and it would seem not to be to the average halfwit, but it is. They cloak their racism in codewords so as to superficially deny it, but make no mistake, it is just as racist as anything Pauline Hanson’s One Notion put out. |
Your Democracy
Saturday, February 21, 2026 - 11:00
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US President Donald Trump has said he would “love” to see Russia and China join his ‘Board of Peace’, established to guide the stabilization of Gaza following the Israel-Hamas war. Moscow earlier signaled that it was contemplating the idea, while China has declined, citing commitments to the UN. |
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Your Democracy
Saturday, February 21, 2026 - 09:28
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BRICS News: India balances, Russia negotiates, China builds—and the bloc evolves in real time. In this Think BRICS analysis, we break down BRICS 2026 strategy behind the latest global power shift. In this episode of BRICS News, we at Think BRICS, break down BRICS 2026 developments shaping a multipolar world. |
Your Democracy
Saturday, February 21, 2026 - 08:52
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The Wall Street Journal reports that the U.S. has been gathering the most air power seen in the Middle East since the Iraq invasion in 2003. |
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Your Democracy
Saturday, February 21, 2026 - 07:44
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Your Democracy
Saturday, February 21, 2026 - 07:22
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Russia and Japan are not holding any negotiations on concluding a long-elusive peace treaty, as bilateral relations have hit rock bottom over Tokyo’s “unfriendly” stance towards Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said. |
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Your Democracy
Saturday, February 21, 2026 - 06:55
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WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump on Friday called the recent Supreme Court ruling against his global tariffs a "disgrace" and said he has a backup plan in mind, CNN reported, citing people familiar with the remarks. The comments were made during a working breakfast with US governors. Earlier in the day, the US Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that Trump is not authorized to impose global tariffs. |
Your Democracy
Saturday, February 21, 2026 - 06:44
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As predictable as Pauline Hanson’s racism, the commentariat leapt on Thursday’s labour market figures as more evidence of fiscal doom and monetary policy gloom. Michael Pascoe worries that the RBA will too. Isn’t it great to have an economy where unemployment is low without causing an inflationary wages breakout?
Beware the wages bogeyman – it’s the housing, stupid |
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Your Democracy
Saturday, February 21, 2026 - 05:44
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The head of the sports division of Italian state broadcaster RAI has stepped down after a gaffe-filled commentary during the Olympics opening ceremony, the company announced on Thursday. Paulo Petrecca has faced anger from the network's journalists even before the latest embarrassment due to his reported close ties with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who had already been accused of turning news channels into “TeleMeloni.”
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Your Democracy
Saturday, February 21, 2026 - 05:33
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The Great Doctrinal Discord Pranay Kumar Shome |
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MacroBusiness
Saturday, February 21, 2026 - 00:05
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International reading: Trump rushed into Iran crisis meeting as insider warns ‘strike within hours’ – Daily Mail The Fed just casually dropped $18.5 billion into the banking system this week. – FRED Fed confirms it obeyed White House request for an unusual ‘rate check,’ weakening the dollar against foreign currencies – Fortune US trade deficit The post Weekend reading and MB media appearances appeared first on MacroBusiness. |
Your Democracy
Friday, February 20, 2026 - 18:02
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20 February 2022: A French modelling agent and close associate of the late US financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has been found dead in his prison cell in Paris. |
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Your Democracy
Friday, February 20, 2026 - 16:04
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US President Donald Trump, citing "tremendous interest," said he was directing the Pentagon and other government agencies to release files related to extraterrestrials and unidentified flying objects (UFOs). He said the agencies should include "any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters." |
Renew Economy
Friday, February 20, 2026 - 14:18
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The post Australia’s biggest publicly owned wind farm gets federal green tick to go ahead in Queensland appeared first on Renew Economy. |
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MacroBusiness
Friday, February 20, 2026 - 13:00
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The boom in government-funded, non-market sector jobs, defined as jobs in the public service, healthcare & social assistance, and education, is well documented. The non-market sector comprises only 31.5% of total Australian jobs, according to CBA: However, as Alex Joiner, chief economist at IFM Investors, shows below, of the 926,425 jobs created between Q1 2023 The post Australia’s other government funded job boom appeared first on MacroBusiness. |
MacroBusiness
Friday, February 20, 2026 - 12:30
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This is some surge in the One Nation polling. Roy Morgan kicks us off. Victorian State Voting Intention: One Nation (26.5%) now ahead of ALP (25.5%) and L-NP Coalition (21.5%) on primary vote nine months before Victorian State Election. Sadly, this puts the ALP into power with a wild majority. A three-party preferred result – The post One Nation puts Labor into power everywhere and always appeared first on MacroBusiness. |
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MacroBusiness
Friday, February 20, 2026 - 12:00
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In 2019, Four Corners aired a story titled Cracking Up, which revealed systemic issues with construction quality across the nation’s apartment market. “We’ve got a real problem here. It’s systemic, and it’s infecting lots of buildings across the landscape, in all parts of the country. It’s very clear”, one building analyst told Four Corners in The post What will Australians give up for a high rise future? appeared first on MacroBusiness. |
Renew Economy
Friday, February 20, 2026 - 11:51
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The post Energy Insiders Podcast: How industry, AI and data centres are reshaping demand appeared first on Renew Economy. |
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Renew Economy
Friday, February 20, 2026 - 11:49
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The post Australian home battery upstart banks “strategic investment” towards manufacturing plans appeared first on Renew Economy. |
MacroBusiness
Friday, February 20, 2026 - 11:30
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According to Judo Bank and S&P, Australia’s interim PMI® data grew more slowly in February after a robust start to the year. In terms of output and new business, there were widespread slowdowns in the manufacturing and service sectors. Although it cooled, business sentiment stayed upbeat. In the meantime, job growth sped rapidly to accommodate The post Aussie flash PMI cools, RBA still hot appeared first on MacroBusiness. |
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Your Democracy
Friday, February 20, 2026 - 11:20
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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday called for responsible frameworks for the governance of artificial intelligence as well as its democratization to ensure people around the world have access to the technology. |
MacroBusiness
Friday, February 20, 2026 - 11:00
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Will Hamilton, the CEO and founder of Hamilton Wealth Partners, is the latest commentator to warn of dire impacts on Australia’s rental market if the federal government reduces the capital gains tax (CGT) discount or limits negative gearing. It is worth critiquing Hamilton’s main arguments as they pertain to the rental market. First, Hamilton argues The post CGT lies, damn lies, and bogus statistics appeared first on MacroBusiness. |
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xkcd.com
Friday, February 20, 2026 - 11:00
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Renew Economy
Friday, February 20, 2026 - 10:53
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The post Can all solar homes become smart energy hubs? On paper – absolutely! IRL, a few hurdles remain appeared first on Renew Economy. |
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MacroBusiness
Friday, February 20, 2026 - 10:30
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As we know, AI capex keeps going up through February 2026, with data centres leading, followed closely by semiconductors. What evidence is there that this is impacting labour markets? In the US, Goldman has an AI tracker to monitor developments. According to the bank, firm adoption has gone up to 18.9% of US businesses and The post Which jobs is AI killing? appeared first on MacroBusiness. |
Renew Economy
Friday, February 20, 2026 - 10:11
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The post Plan for Australia’s biggest solar-battery hybrid, with eight hours storage, get federal green tick appeared first on Renew Economy. |
Ever since the end of the Cold War, the West came to believe that with the demise of their strongest foe — the Soviet Union — the world would be shaped by them in the manner of their own choosing. This manifested itself in the era of globalization, which saw Western financial and political institutions dominating the global politico-economic discourse.
Australia's biggest publicly owned wind farm has been cleared for construction in Queensland coal country after gaining federal environmental approval. 
GridBeyond CEO Michael Phelan on how industrial loads and data centres are being orchestrated by AI and batteries to unlock gigawatts of hidden flexibility for the grid.
Perth-based energy storage and off-grid energy system specialist secures a new private equity investor to boost its home battery, community battery and EV battery recycling plans.
A South Australian trial to turn homes into grid-responsive energy hubs is now 100 households in, and has some brutal lessons to share.
Plans for one of Australia's biggest solar-battery hybrid projects have been waved through the federal EPBC queue just one month after joining it.