The Edition

A rough quarter, a huge payout and an even bigger question: can Tesla keep Musk focused, or is his next act already pulling him away?

Australia has the land and energy for AI-era data centres, but red tape is driving local firms like IREN to build offshore instead.

The Productivity Commission’s bold tax reform pitch tests both Danielle Wood’s promise to make policy more adoptable and the government’s appetite for change.

With 240 million users and booming revenue, Canva’s momentum is clear. But next to Big Tech’s towering numbers, there's still plenty we don't know.

Atlassian co-founder Scott Farquhar says no one is safe from the AI shift. He wants Australia in the race with data centres, tech embassies and bold reform.

The legal industry is at the tip of the spear in the AI shift, and top firms like Gilbert + Tobin are racing to make it part of every lawyer’s toolkit.

Capital Brief has launched its fifth specialist newsletter, The Signal, covering the media and where it meets power, politics, policy and technology. Here's why the media still matters.

Parliament returned this week with ceremony, protest and posturing as Labor flexed its majority and early signs of its policy agenda for the new term began to emerge.

Macquarie’s AGM served up pastries, protests and pressure, as shareholders grilled the company on soft results, leadership and climate contradictions.

Sussan Ley’s first big moment in parliament as Liberal leader was overshadowed by Coalition infighting, with Nationals MPs reviving old battles over net zero and energy policy.

Crypto is back in the spotlight — and this time it’s regulation, not hype, driving the rally. But in Australia, the action is a little less hot.

Most of Australia’s internet flows through just 15 cables. As global tensions rise, experts warn our digital lifeline is dangerously exposed.

A new report on Donald Trump’s ‘bawdy’ birthday message to Jeffrey Epstein has capped a chaotic week of paranoia, backlash and uneasy questions from the MAGA faithful.

Donald Trump once dubbed Jerome Powell “Mr Too Late”. Now, with rising unemployment and growing pressure, could Michele Bullock earn a similar title?

National Australia Bank's tidy growth narrative is being tested, with leadership churn and chatter around chief executive Andrew Irvine causing investor angst.

The RBA’s proposed ban on surcharges is a bold shake-up aimed at lowering payment costs — but it’s set to divide consumers, merchants and fintechs alike.

Despite pledges of transparency, Australia’s freedom of information system remains slow, opaque and riddled with excuses to block public access to information.

Compared with the Optus and Medibank hacks, the response to the Qantas breach looks subdued. CEO Vanessa Hudson is surely relieved it wasn’t worse.

Anthony Albanese’s China trip — with Australia’s business elite in tow — underscores the tricky balance between trade and strategic loyalties.

Calls to reveal how individual RBA board members voted raise a crucial question: how much transparency is too much when it comes to rate decisions?

The Reserve Bank’s shock decision to hold rates at 3.85% has stunned markets and economists, reigniting debate over its communication approach.

Elon Musk has reignited his psychodrama with Trump with his new party, threatening Republican unity and testing how far billionaire egos can shape US politics.

Anthony Albanese is signalling a shift away from government-led growth and calling on business to take the lead, as debate over tax and economic reform heats up.

With the US tariff pause set to expire, Australia seems unlikely to get a deal that's either better or worse — and 10% may be as good as it gets amid ongoing trade concerns.

In the political bubble, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's ability to strike a trade deal with US President Donald Trump has been framed as a huge test. But economists are far less concerned.

OpenAI is stepping up its lobbying in Australia, urging rapid AI rollout as ministers weigh the potential economic upside against local risks.

It’s the football transfer saga that’s captured the attention of Australia’s media industry — but instead of players, it’s Optus and Nine trading Premier League rights.

Jim Chalmers has opened invitations to his economic reform roundtable, but the absence of tech voices raises questions about the path to productivity.

International capital, big exits and a surprise unicorn. Kiwi tech is having a moment this week, showing the strength of the sector across the ditch.

Xero’s $4 billion Melio deal is its boldest US play yet — and a high-stakes test of CEO Sukhinder Singh Cassidy’s strategy, salary and investor faith.

Virgin Australia’s flashy ASX return began with Middle East chaos and ended with a share price pop. But big questions remain about its long-term prospects.

News Corp boss Robert Thomson has had his contract renewed, cementing his role after a decade transforming the company into a digital media powerhouse.

As global crises escalate, new data shows Australians’ trust in news is flatlining — and distrust is rising — in an increasingly chaotic media landscape.

Maile Carnegie’s departure leaves ANZ searching for a new retail chief — and adds fuel to a fierce war for talent across the big four banks.

Canva’s acquisition of MagicBrief is another signal of its enterprise push, bringing ad smarts to its creative toolkit ahead of a long-awaited IPO.

The National Reconstruction Fund is set to play an enormous role in the innovation ecosystem and the future of the Australian economy. Despite its worthy goals, it deserves serious scrutiny.

Jim Chalmers may not be winning friends in boardrooms, but the $30 billion Santos bid could be a chance to show he’s serious about foreign investment.

Israel’s strike on Iran rattled markets and raised fears of oil disruption — another reminder that in today’s economy, instability is always close at hand.

The US decision to review the AUKUS submarine agreement adds to pressure on the Albanese government as the prime minister prepares to meet Donald Trump in Canada.