Dennis Romero
I cover domestic and global breaking news as it happens, almost always remotely, from mass shootings and natural disasters to pop culture stories. As a native San Diegan who learned reporting by watching some of the best working in Los Angeles, I specialized in crime and police, Hollywood diversity and cutting-edge music. The reemergence of the Chicano identity in the Trump era, the calls for social change after George Floyd's murder, observing Elon Musk's use of century old technology to tout a vision of the future — it's all news to me.
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The Guardian
37 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Australia must resist US bullying to increase its military spending
The US secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, may not be the sharpest tool in President Trump's tool kit. But, in the great American tradition, he is a top hustler. In an arrogant display that would have won Trump's approval, Hegseth blustered his way around the Shangri-La conference in Singapore's clammy weather last week in what resembled an ugly American charm offensive. He omitted tariffs, though these were front of mind for everyone else. He told regional leaders that they bludged off America's generosity, getting security on the cheap and leaving it to America to do the heavy lifting of containing China by maintaining the strategic balance – whatever that might be. All they needed to do was invest much more in defence to help the US maintain its primacy. And behind his shrill calls for more money on bombs and their delivery systems was a growing US alarmism directed at China. Provocation is never a substitute for diplomacy, as any sharp player knows. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Hegseth spoke about the imminence of the China threat. America may well need an enemy to define its ambition and to sustain its sense of insecurity. But the question is: do we? The countries of south-east Asia have made their position pretty clear: they just do not believe it. Nor do they want to get sucked into a contest between titans. As the proverb has it, 'when elephants are dancing, grasshoppers get out of the way'. Hustlers evidently do not appreciate irony. Notwithstanding the claims of massive increases in China's defence spending, it runs a defence budget that hovers around 1.7% of GDP, compared with America's 3.4%. In dollar terms, China spends around USD 300bn per annum. America spends around USD 900bn, accounting for about 40% of global arms spending. These expenditures dwarf everyone else's. In the US case, they contribute to a deficit overhang bigger than its GDP. For our part, without any additional defence spending, we are already the 12th largest contributor to the global industrial-military complex. It should not have been a surprise that Australia's defence minister, Richard Marles, like other regional defence leaders, found himself cornered at Shangri-La. Marles, whose exposure to knucklers is limited to the polite exchanges for which ALP factional leaders are renowned, might have thought that he had to accommodate Hegseth's demand that Australia ramp up its defence spending to 3.5% of GDP forthwith – almost double our present defence budget. Inveterate verbalist that he is, Marles was not going to be badgered into submission. He did not agree to a figure, but he did agree to Hegseth's arguments, saying that Australia would consider the proposal. In the bracing temperatures of Hobart, however, Anthony Albanese had other ideas. In sharply defined comments that might have been channelling John Howard's 'we will decide who comes to this country' a quarter of a century ago, Albanese proclaimed that Australia would determine its defence budget for itself and decide on what capabilities Australia needs. Albanese went further and cut to the heart of the problem: setting an arbitrary rate – a percentage of GDP – is no way to calculate budget priorities. As prime minister, Albanese presides over the cabinet that assesses the competing bids of portfolio ministers – health, education, childcare, aged care, redressing inequality, defence and the rest. He knows better than anyone that there are only three ways to increase expenditure: raise taxes; cut services; increase debt, or a bit of each. He also knows that the Australian economy is in structural deficit, as treasury secretary Steven Kennedy pointed out just last week. Pressures on the commonwealth and state budgets are climbing, with stewardship becoming an increasingly key indicator of government performance. Albanese understands that setting arbitrary spending targets, rather than balancing needs, priorities and resources, only encourages the fattening of sacred cows and the bloating of pork-barrels. As he pointed out, the government has provisioned an additional $10bn for defence over the forward estimates, with the eye-watering costs of Aukus looming over future budgets for future governments. As it heads into Australia's48th parliament, the government finds itself caught in the cleft stick of an increasingly fluid international scene and growing economic headwinds, due in no small measure to the US. Throwing money around at fears – rather than allocating it judiciously to needs – does not reward the voter confidence that the government's massive majority would indicate. Let us all hope that Albanese can maintain his poise and resist the strident calls for military boosterism. Allan Behm is the author of No Enemies, No Friends and The Odd Couple (both by Upswell). He is a special adviser at the Australia Institute
Daily Mail
38 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Longtime NBC News host reveals severe act of retribution after he criticized Trump during first term
Chuck Todd has revealed how he was the target of a serious act of retaliation shortly after drawing the ire of President Trump during his first term. Speaking during a wide-ranging interview with Times Radio, the NBC News anchor said he walked outside his Arlington, Virginia home to discover his tires were slashed on his vehicle. He said the incident was directly connected to the fact he was publicly called out by Trump during the early years of his administration. The disturbing disclosure is just the latest reminder of how volatile the political climate can be for journalists who find themselves on the receiving end of Trump's notorious public rebukes. Todd, a veteran anchor and former moderator of NBC's Meet the Press and who quietly left the network earlier this year said he addressed the fallout directly with the president at the time. According to Todd, Trump shrugged off the consequences, brushing aside concerns about security threats. Todd's comments come amid growing concern over the security risks faced by public officials, journalists, and even judges who have been publicly criticized by Trump. He noted how the number of people in Washington DC now requiring personal security details is higher than at any point in his three decades of covering politics. Todd's account underscores the danger that can accompany the president's signature practice of singling out perceived enemies, a tactic critics have long warned could inflame supporters and provoke harassment or worse. While Todd stopped short of directly blaming Trump for inciting violence, the implication was clear - and that presidential rhetoric has real-world consequences. The broader conversation with Times Radio touched on Trump's ongoing influence over the Republican Party, his controversial use of tariffs, and his combative approach to governing - all themes that dovetailed with Todd's reflections on the precarious state of political discourse. Todd's experience is not an isolated one. In recent years, threats against journalists, judges, lawmakers, and even election workers have surged. For Todd, the slashed tires were a stark reminder of a reality where being publicly criticized by the president could translate into personal danger at one's own front door. In his second term, Trump has continued to deploy fiery rhetoric against opponents, critics, and institutions alike. Todd, who left NBC to launch his independent Chuck Toddcast podcast, has remained a vocal critic of the former president, frequently calling out what he sees as the erosion of democratic norms and the corrosion of political civility. On his new platform, Todd has warned that the risks journalists face today are more severe than at any point in recent history - not simply because of the increasingly polarized political climate, but because powerful figures have normalized the targeting of individuals in ways that endanger their personal safety. During his tenure at the helm of Meet The Press, Todd frequently clashed with President-elect Donald Trump. Trump frequently called Todd 'Sleepy Eyes' on social media and dubbed the show 'Meet the Depressed.' In 2020, Trump called for Todd to be fired, complaining 'Meet the Press' performed a 'sleazy hit job' on Attorney General William Barr. Trump let loose after the program admitted to 'inadvertently cutting short' a sound bite from Barr when he was responding to a question about the dismissal of charges against former national security adviser Michael Flynn. 'He should be FIRED by Concast. If done by a Republican, would be 'prosecuted,"' Trump said on X. During a campaign rally near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 2018, Trump called Todd a 'son of a b***h.' Trump dubbed the show 'Meet the Depressed' after Todd accused loyalist senator John Kennedy of 'spreading Vladimir Putin's lies' in a heated on-air clash in 2019. The loss of Todd is undoubtedly a big one for NBC, as he appeared on many of its channels to provide political expertise. He joined NBC News in 2007 as a political director, before being named the network's chief White House corresponded in 2008. Six years later, he was promoted to lead Meet the Press, succeeding fellow fixture David Gregory in doing so. He expanded the program by doing a regular daytime hour on MSNBC called 'MTP Daily,' a program that was eventually moved over to the live-streaming service NBC News Now. The ended when he was replaced by Welker in June of 2023 after such time he had a far less prominent role.
Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
Morning Bid: Inflation to set the tone for ECB
A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Rae Wee The highlight for the European day on Tuesday will be flash euro zone inflation figures for May, which come ahead of an expected rate cut from the European Central Bank (ECB) later in the week. Expectations are for consumer prices to have slowed to an annual 2.0% last month after April's larger-than-expected 2.2% rise, but what the reading means for the ECB's rate trajectory will be the question on investors' minds. The ECB is considered almost certain to cut its rates by a quarter point to 2.0% on Thursday , but traders are sensing a pause will then follow as the economy holds up better than anticipated and longer-term inflation worries creep back. U.S. tariff uncertainty, heightened further by ambiguity over court rulings on the legality of the tariffs, makes the backdrop challenging as the ECB weighs the impact to business activity against implications for inflation further out. And in more tariff news, the Trump administration wants countries to provide their best offer on trade negotiations by Wednesday, as officials seek to accelerate talks with multiple partners ahead of a self-imposed deadline in just five weeks. President Donald Trump's erratic trade policies continue to cast a pall over markets, and the dollar fell anew to a six-week low on Tuesday on signs of fragility in the U.S. economy. Talks between Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are expected this week as trade tensions between the world's two largest economies simmer. It remains to be seen whether it will be a "beautiful" chat or if things could take a turn for the worse. Key developments that could influence markets on Tuesday: - Euro zone flash CPI (May) - U.S. Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) report (April) - Fed's Goolsbee, Logan speak Trying to keep up with the latest tariff news? Our new daily news digest offers a rundown of the top market-moving headlines impacting global trade. Sign up for Tariff Watch here.
