Blogotariat

Transcript of Steve Witkoff's conversation with Yuri Ushakov on October 14

[phone rings]

Steve Witkoff: Hi Yuri.

Yuri Ushakov: Yeah Steve hi, how are you?

SW: Good Yuri. How you doing?

YU: I am ok. Congratulations my friend.

SW: Thank you.

YU: You made a great job. Just a great job. Thank you so much. Thank you, thank you.

Man, you can never say never in markets. From FT Alphaville. Remember about a month ago, when gold hit an all-time high, lots of commentators got on their hobby horses to huff about currency debasement? Then another set of commentators called nonsense on that idea, saying gold demand was probably just dollar avoidance plus momentum?

The post Gold in them thar Tether appeared first on MacroBusiness.

Each year, the Auditor‑General releases a report assessing Victoria’s consolidated financial statements. The Victorian Auditor‑General’s Report on the Annual Financial Report of the State of Victoria 2024–25 has been released amid the state facing record debt levels, the threat of further credit rating downgrades, ongoing industrial disputes (e.g., teachers and health workers), and scrutiny over

Planning referee approves quarry for one of state's biggest wind projects, and says fears about traffic, dust and noise can all be handled by consent conditions.

Emissions reduction targets are often cast as incompatible with energy affordability, the latest example being the Liberal Party dumping its net zero target. IEEFA has found that this is not the case.  

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has debuted its highly anticipated “complete” monthly consumer price index. This new monthly CPI indicator is a major upgrade—covering nearly the entire consumption basket, using richer data sources, and giving policymakers and the public a real-time view of inflation rather than waiting for quarterly updates. The results for October

The post Aussie inflation spikes, shocking RBA appeared first on MacroBusiness.

The huge potential of commercial and industrial solar and battery storage is the focus of a new partnership between two Australian energy market innovators.

The servant of the people has his hand in the cookie jar

While soldiers die on the battlefields afar

But the Guardian tells us all is okay

and that the President Yuckrainian can be cocky

             Robert Urbanoski — November 2025

Are we too smart for the status of our animality?

Do we need religion to help poor people cope with angst?

DXY copped it last night on a swath of bad data. AUD rose, but in the circumstances, it was pretty subdued. CNY took off. JPY reversed with yields, but it’s not persuasive yet. Gold up, oil down. AI metals struggled. The chosen one launched. EM too. Junk is back. As yields tumble. Reducing stocks. Bad

The post Australian dollar jumps as US economy stumbles appeared first on MacroBusiness.

Abul Rizvi is a strange guy. He has spent years attacking me and howling “racism” at anybody calling for lower, more sustainable levels of immigration. Yet when pushed, Rizvi often holds similar views. The latest case in point is Rizvi’s hand-wringing over the Albanese government’s failure to control immigration, which he claims empowers extremists. In

The post So, Abul Rizvi also supports lower immigration? appeared first on MacroBusiness.

Overnight solid earnings on tech stocks sent Wall Street higher even though NVIDIA is off somewhat with additional US economic data (or lack thereof due to the Trump regime hiding the bad news) reinforcing the notion that the December rate cut from the Fed is firming, giving a general boost to risk markets. The USD

The post Macro Morning appeared first on MacroBusiness.

Brisbane’s post-pandemic housing boom has trashed affordability for first home buyers and tenants alike. Turning to prices first, Proptrack reports that Brisbane dwelling values have soared by 104% since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020: The impact on affordability was illustrated in all of its hideous glory in Cotality’s latest housing affordability