August reveals Australians’ big appetite for weight-loss drugs, love for ‘dupe’ brands and an accelerating EV uptake

29 August 2026 at 23:00

Reporting season shows how consumers are responding to cost of living pressures and how retailers are responding

Australians are buying less pizza but more weight-loss drugs. They love “dupes” but don’t enjoy writing letters.

Here are five key takeaways from the August reporting season that show what consumers are buying as cost of living pressures reignite, and how retailers are responding.

Carney Has Canadians’ Support on Trump. Now Comes the Hard Part.

NYT > Top Stories

By: Matina Stevis-Gridneff

29 August 2026 at 12:03

The U.S.-Canada trade war has galvanized Canadians behind their prime minister’s decision to walk away from negotiations. What happens when the time comes for talks to restart?

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks at a news conference in Ottawa, Ontario, after trade talks with the US collapsed earlier this month.

‘If it’s made in the US, I don’t buy it’: Canadians on boycotting Trump’s America

The Guardian

By: Jane Clinton

29 August 2026 at 15:02

Avoiding US goods and services – from tech to whisky to air travel – has forced many to find a new way of living

For William McDonald, 38, a diesel mechanic from Thunder Bay, Ontario, “Canadian is always the first choice,” even if it means his weekly bills are higher.

“As soon as Trump started putting those tariffs on in February [last year], I started boycotting US goods,” he said. “Avoiding American products has driven my costs up, and I’m still happy to do it.

High Debt and Rising Prices Catch Up to Trump, as Midterms Near

NYT > Top Stories

By: Tony Romm

29 August 2026 at 12:02

To win in 2024, the president promised an economic course correction. Almost two years later, his agenda has made that fight even harder.

A series of concerning economic snapshots for President Trump have been released over the past week.

Fed Chair Warsh not ruling out interest rate hike amid inflation concerns

PBS News Hour - The Latest

By: Amna Nawaz · Karina Cuevas · Amalia Huot-Marchand

29 August 2026 at 01:45

Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh said there is still work to do on inflation. At the Fed's annual economic symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Warsh also said that although he is not committed to a rate hike, he is not ruling it out. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Nick Timiraos of The Wall Street Journal.

For Trump, the Iran War Is Stuck Between Combat and Genuine Peace

NYT > Top Stories

By: Peter Baker

29 August 2026 at 01:35

The war has deteriorated over the past six months into Mr. Trump’s own version of a “forever war,” with no clear goals and no end in sight.

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