Post #299 28 February 2026

 Gentlefolk,

This post describes our main activities during the month of February 2026.

The contents of this post are in the following sequence:

Photos of our activities during February 2026.

News items which caught my eye in February 2026. 

Some key actions by President Trump during February 2026 (from MS NOW Project 47) and a summary of his "State of the Union" address to Congress on 17 February.

Highlights of  February 2026

The highlight of the month, for me, was the wake for John Boland. I grew up with the Boland boys (Peter, Michael and John - they also had 2 sisters, Mary and Elizabeth) in Cooma in the 1950s and 1960s. Michael was in the same class as me, so I was closest to him. John was the youngest of the three. He had an interesting life - difficult to summarise  because it was so varied. He had a law degree, owned a large gym & pool complex, coached the para-olympic swim team, etc, etc.   John fought multiple cancers late in life, but was always positive and cheerful. A fighter. May he Rest in Peace.

We watched a lot of sport in February: The Winter Oympics in Italy. the finals of the Australian Tennis Open; The Super Bowl. Just wonderful to see these top athletes perform. It's a pity that there have to be winners and losers - in many events the margins were measured in seconds, or even parts of a second. Some of our favourite events were: figure skating, dual moguls, free style big air, downhill, slalom, speed skating, relays, cross country. Congratulations to all the participants!

The Brumbies (Canberra's Rugby Union team) started the 2026 Super Rugby season with two big wins, against the Force and the Crusaders - let's hope they can keep it up. The 2026 NRL (Rugby League) season starts this weekend - go the Canberra Raiders!

We had a flat tyre - the first in 10 years!

We saw two concerts at the Caloundra Events Center: heavy metal and Motown - very different.

Herewith photos of some of our activities in February 2026:

The Australian Tennis Open was held in Melbourne 18 January to 1 February (prize money totalled A$111 million). Elena Rybakina beat Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 to win the Women's Singels. Carlos Alcaraz beat Novak Djokovic 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 to win the Men's Singles. Marvellous tennis.

We attended the wake for John Boland on Bribie Island where John and Maria had retired. John died after a long battle with cancer. He was a fighter! I went to primary school with the Boland boys in Cooma in the 1950s. Emotional speeches by Maria and their children. It was good to catch up with Peter & Bambi at the wake.

The 2026 Winter Olympics were held at Milano-Cortina in Italy 6 - 22 February 2026. Norway topped the medal count with 41, followed by USA 33, Italy 30, Germany 26 and Japan 24. Australians won 6 medals, our best effort. We watched a lot of the Winter Olympics - wonderful skiing and skating, etc.  Norwegian Johannes Klaebo won 6 gold medals - what a champion!

Lots of great perfomances at the Winter Olympics. World champion downhill skier American Linsday Vonn (41) was valiant, but crashed and was badly injured.

The closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics. 

Nikki and Charles spent a weekend with us.

We celebrated the Lunar New Year (Year of the Fire Horse) with Henny & Julius and Nikki & Charles at the Chinese Holiday restaurant.

Nikki and Charles came to this concert with us. Orchestra from England. Heavy metal - loud and brash with amazing graphics.

The theatre was full for the Rock Orchestra concert.

The following week Nikki and Charles invited us to their home in Brisbane to meet a family visiting from Qingdao. We had a flat tyre (our first in 10 years) and fortunately Charles was able to put the spare wheel on.  Thanks, Charles!!!

The family visiting from Qingdao: Sun Gang Yun, Liu Li Na, and their daughters Sun Xiao Qi and Sun Zhi Xian. Li Na was in charge of Foreign Teachers when we were teachers at the China University of Petroleum (2009 - 16). It was great to catch up with Li Na and her family.

 Li Na was an excellent boss!

Another concert at the Caloundra Events Centre.
 

All the Motown hits, from The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, The Jackson 5 etc.

We caught up with Laura, Oda's granddaughter living and working at Noosa.

We had lunch at a Japanese Restaurant in Mooloolabah, then a nature walk in Buderim, and finally coffee & cake at the Coolum Surf Club. It was a lovely warm summer's afternoon. 

Iem and Colin visited us from Brisbane. We had lunch at home, and then coffee at Kings Beach. Colin's family used to vacation in Caloundra when he was a lad.

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Caz & Andrew took the kids to Marrakech (Morocco) for 5 days during the term break. It has been a very busy few months settling in to London, so this was a welcome break.

Camel ride.

They did an excursion to the Atlas Mountains outside Marrakesh.

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Jen & Tom's youngest son, Sid, is in his final year at Marist College Ashgrove. He took Daisy to his "Formal". Our little grandson is little no more!

Sid's classmates and partners at the "Formal". The next generation. Don't they look great???

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News items which caught my eye in February 2026.

($ are US dollars unless otherwise shown)

Global	Tennis: Australian Open in Melbourne. Record crowds. Prize money A$111M. Men’s singles champ Carlos Alcaraz; women’s singles Elena Rybakina. Iran: Some student protests again. USA military buildup. Trump wants a deal limiting Iran’s nuclear program; negotiations in Geneva. Gaza: Israel partially opened the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. About 600 killed in Gaza since the ceasefire in October 2025. Winter Olympics: held in Milano-Cortina 6 – 22 February. Top 3 medal winners: Norway, USA, Italy. Pakistan: a terrorist bomb in Islamabad killed 31, injured 169. Border clashes with Afghanistan. Japan: PM Takaichi’s LDP had a big win in the general elections. Israel: new legislation tightened its control over the West Bank. The prospects of a "Two State Solution" are fading.   Canada: Shooting at BC’s Tumbler Ridge Secondary School by 18 year old Jesse van Roostselaar killed 8, injured 25. Lunar New Year started 17 February. Year of the fire Horse. Ukraine/Russia: 4th anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Talks in Geneva.   UK: Former Prince Andrew and Lord Mandelson questioned by police re connections with Jeffrey Epstein. Mexico: widespread violence following the killing of drug lord.
USA	The US Supreme Court 6-3 declared that President Trump had exceeded the authority to impose tariffs under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Trump immediately declared a universal import tariff of 15%, under Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act (he will have to get Congress approval after 150 days). It is unclear if the estimated $150B raised so far will be returned to importers. The Republican Party has a “war chest” of $483M; the Democratic Party has $167m. SpaceX (Elon Musk) applied to launch 1M satellites to power AI. President Trump announced that Kevin Warsh will be the new head of the Federal Reserve in May. 700 ICE agents were withdrawn from Minnesota following public protests. Super Bowl: Seattle Seahawks beat NE Patriots 29-13. MVP running back Kenneth Walker. Aussie punter Michael Dickson is the second Australian to win a Super Bowl (Jordan Mailata with the Philadelphia Eagles last year). Aussie Cameron Myers, 19, won the Wanamaker Mile in NYC in 3m 47s. Actor Robert Duvall (The Godfather etc) died aged 95. US Civil Rights leader Jesse James died aged 84. Mayor of NYC Mamdani said city has a budget deficit of $13B.
Australia	PM Albanese visited Jakarta to sign an updated security pact with Indonesian President Prabowo Sugianto. In response to continuing high inflation, the Reserve Bank (RBA) increased interest rates by 0.25% to 3.85%. The President of Israel Isaac Herzog visited Australia to show support for the Jewish community following the Bondi shootings. But there were big Pro Palestine demonstrations in several cities. Federal Politics: the Lib/Nat Coalition split, then reformed. Angus Taylor replaced Sussan Ley as leader of the Liberal Party, and Leader of the Opposition. Commonwealth Bank net profit for last 6 months A$5.4B. Barbeques Galore (68 coy stores + 27 franchise) declared bankruptcy. Discounting process used by Coles Supermarkets under scrutiny. The Brumbies beat the Crusaders 50-24 in Christchurch; first win there in 26 years. Charlie Cale MVP. The Royal Commission on Anti-Semitism headed by Virginia Bell started work; must report by 14 December 2026.

Trump’s key actions

From: MS NOW Project 47

 

Week ending 4 February 2026

Nominated the son-in-law of a longtime billionaire donor as the next chair of the Federal Reserve

Sued the Internal Revenue Service for $10 billion over a leak of his federal income tax returns in 2017

Nominated a federal prosecutor to a newly created role of “fraud investigator” to work out of the White House

Said, “I don’t want to drive housing prices down, I want to drive housing prices up for people that own their home” at a Cabinet meeting

Week ending 11 February 2026

Shared, then removed, a video depicting former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, as primates in a jungle

Criticized a woman reporter who asked about Jeffrey Epstein, complaining that she “never smiles”

Invited only Republicans to an annual meeting of governors at the White House, in a break with tradition

Told Democrats in Congress he would release spending for the Gateway tunnel if they rename Penn Station and Dulles Airport for him.

 

Week ending 18 February 2026

Claimed, falsely, that he has been “100% exonerated” in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal

Held an event that was similar to a political rally at a military base in North Carolina, criticizing the leading Democratic Senate candidate

Harshly criticized the president of Israel for not pardoning Benjamin Netanyahu in a long-running corruption trial

Threatened to block the opening of a bridge between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario until Canada treats the U.S. better

 

Week ending 27 February 2026

Claimed, falsely, that the Pentagon was sending a hospital ship to Greenland after Denmark evacuated a crew member of a U.S. submarine who needed medical attention

Demanded, on social media, that Netflix fire former U.N. ambassador Susan Rice from its board of directors

Claimed executive privilege, through the Director of National Intelligence’s office, on a whistleblower complaint

Filed, through the Trump Organization, a trademark application for “President Donald J. Trump International Airport”

 

 

I asked Chat GPT for a summary of President Trump’s “State of the Union” address to Congress on 17 February. His speech was the longest on record. This is the summary.

Donald Trump used his State of the Union address to present a strongly partisan and campaign-style vision of the country’s direction, emphasizing economic growth, border security, energy independence, and a robust foreign policy posture. Speaking before the United States Congress, he highlighted what he described as achievements under his leadership—such as job creation, stock market performance, tax cuts, and deregulation—while arguing that his policies had restored American strength and global standing. Immigration enforcement and border wall funding featured prominently, framed as essential to national security and public safety. He also stressed “America First” trade policies, support for law enforcement, military funding increases, and opposition to what he characterized as radical or socialist policy proposals.

 The tone was assertive and combative, with applause from Republican lawmakers and visible resistance from many Democrats. Trump often used individual guest stories to underscore themes of patriotism, entrepreneurship, and law enforcement support, a traditional element of the address but delivered in his characteristically direct rhetorical style. He contrasted his administration’s agenda with that of his political opponents, sharpening partisan divides rather than seeking broad bipartisan consensus.

 Critics responded sharply. Democratic lawmakers and many political commentators argued that the speech overstated economic successes, downplayed ongoing challenges, and sidestepped controversies surrounding governance, institutional norms, and social divisions. Some fact-checkers challenged specific claims about job growth, immigration trends, and budget impacts. Others criticized the confrontational tone, saying it deepened polarization rather than fostering unity. Supporters, by contrast, praised the speech as confident and clear-eyed, arguing it reflected strong leadership and a focus on national priorities. Overall, reactions largely tracked partisan lines, underscoring the highly divided political climate in which the address was delivered.

 

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Our Subaru Forester has been great, but it is now 10 years old and we are wondering if it is time for a change - maybe electric?

It looks as if President Trump is getting ready to bomb Iran - let's hope not.

That's it for this post.

Stay safe and healthy and keep smiling!

Vera & Alex Olah

Caloundra, Australia

Saturday, 28 February 2026

 

Post #298 31 January 2026

 Gentlefolk,

This post describes our main activities during the month of  January 2026.

The contents of this post are in the following sequence:

Photos of our activities during January 2026 (mainly our visit to Bali 17 - 29 January 2026).

News items which caught my eye in January 2026. 

Some key actions by President Trump during January 2026 (from MS NOW Project 47) and a summary of his key policies in the first year of his second term (begane 21 January 2025). Trump continues to dominate the world media, and world politics and economy. I have been surprised that his (erratic) tariff policies have not had greater impact - apparently companies have absorbed most of the price increases - but for how much longer?

Highlight of  January 2026

The highlight of the month was the ceremony for the Balinese side of the family (Vera's mother was Balinese from Singaraja) to mark the wedding of Vera's nephew Fauzan Adibrata and Aretha (Tata) in Bandung on 12 December 2025.

Herewith photos of some of our activities in January 2026:

New Year's Eve party in our Clubhouse. Good fun, Vera danced non-stop!

Andrew, Caz, Eddie and Jay at ski resort in Austria. Nate joined them in London and Austria from Arkansas State University.

Eddie, Jay and Nate were introduced to skiing. Lessons every day, they picked it up quickly.

Lunch with Laura and Raul at Coolum Surf Club.

Lovely Coolum Beach was busy.

Nikki and Charles brought Angie Zhang to stay with us.

Later, when we took Angie back to their place in Shailer Park, Brisbane I met their chickens.

Sasha, Davide, Bonnie and Oscar called in, enroute back to Sydney.

With fellow Village residents, Lesley and Steve.

Andrew and Eddie at soccer in London.

Jen & Tom came up from Brisbane and stayed overnight. They did a great job cleaning all the windows. and fixing up the garden. What wonderful people!!!

Tom hard at work; he gets things done.

Off to Bali for the 3rd time in 5 months! Fauzan & Tata will have a Balinese celebration for their wedding.

About to board our flight to Bali at Brisbane International Airport.

It's hard to tell from this photo, but the inside of the aricraft is full of "vapour" before take-off.

Ita booked the family into the Furama Xclusive Ocean Beach Hotel in Legian (the Furama is close to the Jayakarta Hotel where we stayed before so we know this area well).

Part of the Furama Hotel. Apparently it was built about 30 years ago, and the developer sold units to individual investors. Some units are maintained better than others.

Breakfast on the balcony of the Furama Hotel, looking out towards Legian Beach.

It was pretty windy and wet (it is the rainy season, after all). The beach had high tides and plenty of rubbish - not as nice as when we were here a month ago.

Big clean-up job for the local Govt.

Ita in the pool at the Furama Hotel.

Ita with Yanti's adopted daughter.

Vera, Yanti and Iis.

We had lunch, twice, at the Kayana Restaurant in Denpasar.

Lunch at the Kayana Restaurant.

A lovely traditional portrait on the wall at the Kayana Restaurant.

Later we had a snack at this restaurant specialising in food from the Singaraja region of Northern Bali.

Ita arranged for us to play Padel Ball at Pro-Padel in Kerobokan (my first time): Gary, Yanti, Finda, Ita, me, Ike and Chris. It is a hybrid of squash and tennis. Becoming very popular with young people (Ita plays 3 or 4 times a week in Jakarta and Bandung. Fauzan is one of the best in Bandung).

Having a snack in Ita's room at the Furama Hotel.

One night, at about 10pm, we went to eat durian (the king of fruits).

Enjoying durian. Smelly, but nice!

Ita arranged for all of us to go to the Atlas Beach Club at Canggu. Huge, it was only about one-third occupied. We were there from about 5.30 to 9pm. Entry cost 1M rupiah each (about A$90), for which you got food and drink and use of the facilities. Our first time in a Beach Club! 

Atlas Beach Club.

Local dancers stirring things up at Atlas Beach Club.

A Balinese Hindu priest blessed the Villa.

We all went to a Balinese Hindu temple (Pura), on the seashore near Sanur.

Inside the Pura.

Fauzan and Tata, and others, were "baptised" with holy water and blessed by a Hindu priest.

We all got wrist-bands for good luck.

Our group at the Balinese temple. It was an interesting visit.

The entrance to the Majapahit Villas at Ketewel (about 20 mins north of Sanur). The Aventus Beach Grande Villa where we stayed is part of this complex.

Setting up in the courtyard of the Aventus Villa for the party.

Yanti supervising the setting up of the food stalls.

Vera and me in our "finery".

Fauzan and Tata photos before the party.

Photo of the immediate family: Andre, Fauzan, Ita, Tata, Iis.

Fauzan and Tata with Yanti and Tanya and partners.

The extended family with Fauzan and Tata. It was a nice occasion. Band, food stalls. We were so lucky - heavy rain came after the formalities and dinner.  The band couldn't play on, but they had booked a DJ so people danced under cover until about 10pm.
The next day the group went back to the Furama Hotel for 2 nights, and Vera & I went to the Jayakarta Hotel for 7 nights. Vera & I both had a touch of "Bali Belly" which laid us low for a few days.  After 3 days Vera saw a local doctor - got 'infusion' and antibiotics. 

Sweet Tata. 

On 26 January the Jayakarta Hotel had a special dinner for Australia Day, which we joined.

Band on the stage overlooking the pool at the Jayakarta Hotel, nice setting. We like the Jayakarta, it is older style but lovely grounds and a good atmosphere. We were in room 217, near the pools and beach.

 

Lunch with Vera's cousins at the Jayakarta: Syria, Ucik, Mamik. Syria and Mamik are both doctors, and gave us good advice to get over our Bali Belly.

We hired a car & driver (Komang) to visit Ulu Watu as we had not been in that area for about 15 years. On our way to Ulu Watu we passed the enormous GWK statue.

A construction site on the road near Ulu Watu. So much construction going on, villas and hotels being built. As usual, the infrastructure is not keeping pace.

We had lunch at "The Deli" which is run by Tanya and Kenny. They have a sandwich & coffee cafe near Batu Bulan Beach at Canggu, and opened this cafe at Ulu Watu 2 years ago - are adding a smoothie and acai bowl bar next door. They also have a bakery in Denpasar to guarantee the quality of their bread. 
Two smart young people working hard and doing well.

Vera and Tanya.

After lunch we visited Melasti Beach - the govt built a road down the cliff. We were amazed at the number of  Villas being built in the back-roads of Ulu Watu. The beach here is relatively small, big waves today so not good for swimming or surfing.

There are two beach clubs at Melasti Beach, the main one being White Rock Beach Club. These seem to be the fashion now. Many tour buses with local visitors, mainly from Java. 

We visited the Benoa Water Sports area. Lots of boats and activities (snorkling, banana boat, sailing, para-sailing, etc)

Water sports.

The impressive Peninsula Hotel and Garden at Benoa.

The lovely big pool at the Peninsula Hotel - but very few people around.

We also checked out the Grand Hyatt at Nusa Dua, mainly because Andrew & family stayed there once.

Vera with 'welcomers' at the Grand Hyatt Nusa Dua.

Our driver Komang Merta dropped us off at Bali International Airport.

A statue in the Departure area of Bali International Airport shows Hanuman, the White Monkey, on a surf board. The flight back to Brisbane went well. Jen picked us up at the Airport at 10.30pm and we were at her home by 11pm. So ended out latest trip to Bali.
We will have 3 nights in Brisbane, to celebrate Jen's 50th birthday, and then head up to Nirimba on Sunday.

In Brisbane, with Jen & Tom, and Kurt & Sid.

On our way to Felons (under the Storey Bridge) for Jen's Birthday lunch. Our "little girl" turned 50 a couple of days ago. She is a very special person and we love her!

 

Jen & Tom

Lunch at modern Japanese restaurant Yoko by the river at Felons.

Vera, Tom, Jen, Sid, Kurt, and me (missing is Nate who is at Arkansas State University, USA).

We had the set menu at Yoko - dishes to share - the food was delicious.

The set menu finished with Miso Caramel Icecream - fabulous!
And so ended our two-week trip away - we will drive back to Nirimba tomorrow morning.

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News items which caught my eye in January 2026.

This is shorter than normal because we were travelling.

($ are US dollars unless otherwise shown)

Global	Soccer: Australian soccer star Sam Kerr married American soccer player Kristie Mewis. They have a 7 month old son. Iran: Growing anti-govt demonstrations in many cities. Many protestors killed. Govt cut internet. Trump promised protesters that “help is on the way”. By the end of January a US Navy aircraft carrier group was near Iran - Trump said it was to force Iran to a deal on its nuclear program. Israel: Barred 37 NGO aid groups from operating in Gaza. Switzerland: A fire in a bar in a ski resort 40 dead, 120+ injured. Electric Vehicles EV: In 2025 BYD sold 2.3M units (up 28%), Tesla sold 1.6M vehicles (down 9%). Darts: Luke Littler (18) beat Gian Van Veen (23) to become World Champion for the second year. Littler signed a $30M sponsorship deal with Target Darts. China: its trade surplus for 2025 was $1.2T ($993B in 2024). Mark Carney, Canada’s PM, visited Beijing, as did Keir Starmer and other leaders. Trump warned them against getting too close to China. Several top military generals have been replaced (corruption?). India/EU: signed a trade agreement after two years of negotiations. Gaza: Trump announced that he would Chair a “Board of Peace” to oversight Gaza’s reconstruction. Members: Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, Blair, Rubio and others. Davos Economic Conference: dominated by Trump. Ukraine: Trilateral peace talks Ukraine / Russia / USA held in Abu Dhabi. Gold: passed $5,000 an ounce. United Nations: Sec Gen Antonio Guterres said that the UN is facing a financial crisis and likely bankruptcy by mid-year unless all member states meet their obligations (the USA has cut contributions severely, and some others too). Tennis: The Australian Open is on at the moment. We watched two marvellous semi-finals last night: Carlos Alcaraz beat Alexander Zverev in 5 sets (5h27m) and Novak Djokavic beat Jannick Sinner also in 5 sets (4h15m). So it will be Alcaraz v Djokovic in the Men's Singles Final tomorrow night.
USA	The US Govt announced that it was withdrawing from 66 international organisations (31 of which are UN affiliated). After an adverse ruling by the Supreme Court, President Trump withdrew the National Guard from Chicago, LA and Portland.  Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as the first Moslem Mayor of NYC. The S&P Index on Wall Street rose 17% in 2025, Nasdaq rose 21%. Gold increased by 60% to $4,549 per oz. The US military abducted President Maduro of Venezuela, and his wife Cila Flores. They were flown to NYC and charged with crimes (they pleaded “not guilty”). About 40 local soldiers were killed in the fighting. Venezuela has about 20% of the world’s reserves of oil. Vice President Delcy Rodriguez was sworn in as the new (temporary/interim) President. Later Trump met Maria Machado, the leader of the opposition in Venezuela. She gave him her Nobel  Peace Medal – he was smitten! The USA “arrested” more tankers carrying Venezuelan oil, forcing the new Govt to follow US directions as exports of oil are their only source of foreign funds. Trump met with leaders of the major US oil companies to encourage them to invest in Venezuela. He said the US will control the oil industry. The US Senate voted 52-47 to limit Trump’s actions in Venezuela. Trump insisted several times that the US needed to buy Greenland to protect its national security. He initially threatened tariffs on European countries which opposed this plan, but later relented. USA tariffs collected $187B more than in 2024. Apparently businesses absorbed 80% of the additional cost, so relatively little consumer pain, but future costs will be passed on. ICE agents shot and killed Nicole Good (37) in Minneapolis – anti-Trump protests in several cities. A few days later ICE agents killed Alex Pretti, 37. Both Good and Pretti were US citizens of good standing – huge demostrations in many cities. After initially taking a hard line, Trump replaced the ICE commander in Minnesota. Trump said that America’s military budget should increase from about $900B to $1.5T over the next five years. America’s 6 largest banks made a combined profit of $157B in 2025 (JP Morgan, BoA, Citi, Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley). Trump ordered Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to buy mortgage bonds worth $200B to force down interest rates. DoJ has launched an investigation into Jerome Powell, Chairman of the Fed Reserve. Strong reaction. Trump called for max 10% interest on credit cards. Trump told protesters in Iran that “help is coming”. He imposed an additional  25% tariff on all countries trading with Iran: China, India, Iraq, UAE, Turkey. (eg tariffs on imports from China will rise from 20% to 45%). Alphabet/Google shares passed $330 to give market capitalisation of $4T, second after Nvidia. Saks Fifth Avenue group filed for bankruptcy.
Australia	The ASX increased by 10% in 2025, the All Ords up 7%. After prolonged pressure from the Jewish community, PM Albanese announced that a Royal Commission will investigate the Bondi shootings. Former High Court judge Virginia Bell will lead. Must report by December 2026. Floods in Far North Queensland; many bush fires in Victoria. Adelaide Writer’s Festival was cancelled when 180 authors withdrew following the barring of Aust – Palestinian Randa Abdel-Fattah. Australia’s population is projected to reach 28M in 2026. Jay Vine won the Tour Down Under despite a kangaroo crashing into the riders about 100km from Adelaide. Australian of the Year is Katherine Bennell-Pegg (an astronaut keen to promote STEM); Nedd Brockmann is Young Australian; Henry Brodaty is Senior Australian; and Frank Mitchell is Local Hero. The Nationals split from the Coalition with the Liberals, again. Flash flooding closed the Great Ocean Road. Extensive rain and flooding in Far North Queensland; heat wave temperatures in SA, Victoria and parts of NSW. Fires in Victoria.

 

 

Trump’s key actions

From: MS NOW Project 47

Week ending 7 January 2026

Sent military forces to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro then claimed the U.S. is “in charge” of the country

Claimed the U.S. would be taking Venezuelan oil and its revenue as a “reimbursement for the damages caused us by that country”

Suggested the military may also take action in Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Iran and Greenland

Threatened to come to the aid of protesters if the Iranian government used lethal force against them.

 

Week ending 14 January 2026

Posted on social media that credit card companies should put a 10% cap on interest rates then claimed that was now “the law”

Reportedly began planning for a controversial ballroom to be as tall as the White House’s main mansion, a break with long-standing norms

Declared in an interview that the only limit on his power as commander in chief is his “own morality”

Claimed, without evidence, that a Minneapolis woman shot and killed by an immigration agent was a “professional agitator”

 

Week ending 21 January 2026

Sent the Norwegian prime minister a letter connecting his threat to annex Greenland to his failure to win the Nobel Peace Prizes

Struggled to explain the barebones health-care plan his own administration has put forward

Through the Justice Department, opened an investigation into Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey

Mused, again, that the U.S. “shouldn’t even have an election” this November after boasting of his accomplishments

 

Week ending 28 January

Argued that the governor of Minnesota and the mayor of Minneapolis are “inciting Insurrection” with their “dangerous” and “arrogant” rhetoric

Sued JPMorgan Chase and its CEO, Jamie Dimon, for closing his bank accounts after the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol

Boasted that the Justice Department was investigating Rep. Ilhan Omar, the the latest in DOJ’s growing list of Democratic targets

Said, in a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland that “sometimes you need a dictator”

 

First year of Trump’s second term

FactCheck.org posted 20 January 2026

 

Summary

Since President Donald Trump returned to the White House one year ago:

 

Job growth slowed, and the unemployment rate crept upward. Job-seekers now outnumber job openings.

Price increases slowed according to the most commonly watched number. But they worsened according to the measure preferred by the Federal Reserve.

Paychecks grew faster than inflation. Real weekly earnings of private-sector workers rose 1.4%.

Economists estimate the economy grew 1.8%.

Consumer sentiment declined.

The number of apprehensions at the U.S. border with Mexico decreased 91.4%, while refugee admissions declined 98%.

The international trade deficit decreased only slightly, by 0.9%.

The stock market continued to set new records.

The number of people receiving federal food assistance went down by about 1.2 million.

Oil production went up 2.5%, while oil imports dropped 6.9%. Carbon emissions increased slightly.

The number of murders nationwide continued to decline, a trend that began in 2022.

The federal debt held by the public rose about 6.7%.

I asked ChatGPT to do a summary of President Trump’s top 10 policies (plus Foreign Affairs) in the first year of his second term (21 January 2025 to 20 January 2026).

Contextual Note

These summaries are based on a mix of official actions and independent analyses of policy impacts. Trump’s administration often contrasts sharply with its predecessors, especially in immigration, environmental regulation, and federal governance structure. The effects of many policies remain hotly debated and legally contested in the U.S. courts and political discourse.

 

1️ Major Immigration Enforcement & Deportations

Trump has expanded immigration enforcement, leading to record deportations and broad new restrictions at the U.S.–Mexico border. Policies include limiting asylum access, reinstating and expanding earlier Trump-era border initiatives, and increasing detention capacity.

 

2️ Regulatory Rollbacks & Deregulation

In his first year, Trump aggressively rolled back federal regulations across multiple areas—environment, workplace, consumer protections, and more—aiming to reduce federal oversight and regulatory burdens.

 

3️ Climate & Environmental Policy Reversals

The administration has undermined major environmental protections: rolling back Clean Air and Water Act rules, weakening chemical safety standards, and proposing to roll back the key climate change “endangerment finding” that underpins U.S. climate regulations.

 

4️ Cultural & Historical Institution Changes

Trump’s executive actions have reshaped national museums and cultural narratives, removing references to slavery and racial injustice in some exhibits, restoring controversial monuments, and restructuring leadership at major institutions. These moves have sparked significant public debate.

 

5️ Executive Orders & Use of Presidential Power

Trump has relied heavily on executive orders—signing over 225 in his first year—to rapidly implement priorities across immigration, government structure, international agreements, and social policy.

 

6️ Government Efficiency & Federal Workforce Changes

His administration created a “Department of Government Efficiency” and enacted sweeping changes intended to cut government spending and workforce size, including reducing diversity, equity, and inclusion offices and altering hiring practices.

 

7️ Health & Pharmaceutical Policy

Trump announced new “Most Favored Nation” pricing deals with major drug companies to reduce costs in Medicaid programs, plus plans for an information platform (TrumpRx) aimed at lowering drug pricing transparency.

 

8️ Social Support Program Cuts & Budget Shifts

According to independent analysts, the administration made significant cuts to social support programs, including major reductions in SNAP (food assistance), tax and health benefits for many households, with impacts on low- and moderate-income Americans.

 

9️ Space & Defense Priorities

Policy actions include national missile defense initiatives (e.g., “Golden Dome for America”) and significant defense strategy revisions, focusing on homeland defense and deterrence. (See U.S. space policy priorities from official documents and defense strategy shifts.)

 

10 Broader National Strategy Shifts (Economy, Trade, Education)

While still evolving, Trump has moved toward:

 Tariffs and trade actions aimed at reducing foreign dependency and boosting U.S. manufacturing.

 Targeting the Department of Education for major restructuring or potential elimination.

 Continued pushes on energy independence & fossil fuels, including accelerating oil, gas and resource development.

 

11 Foreign Affairs Policy Areas        

Alliances & Treaties   Scepticism toward multilateral deals; re-assessment of NATO, UN roles

Military          Increased assertiveness; expanded use of force

Trade   Tariffs as geopolitical tools

Middle East    Pressure campaign on Iran; continued engagement

Europe & Russia         High-level talks, mixed progress on Ukraine

Foreign Aid     Re-oriented toward strategic interests

Diplomacy      Restructuring of diplomatic corps and missions

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Books I read this month:

Patterson is a master storyteller - continuous action!

Jen got me these two books. A group of 4 friends (2 men, Ron & Ibrahim and 2 women Elizabeth and Joyce) in a retirement village form the ' Thursday Murder Club' to solve crimes. I can relate to the circumstances! They are fun to read!

.......

Sid on his first day of primary school in 2014. He is now in his final year of High School and about 186cm. A good lad.

Eddie (11) has just been invited to trial out for the Fulham Development Squad in London  - wow!

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Four big birthdays this month: my brother Papa Andy, my sister Angie, my niece Britt, and our beautiful daughter Jennifer. Our best wishes to all of you, and everyone else who had a birthday in January 2026.

I want to mention the passing of John Boland after a long series of  illnesses. He was a fighter! May he Rest in Peace. Our thoughts are with his beautiful wife, Maria.

That's it for this post.

Stay safe and healthy and keep smiling!

Vera & Alex Olah

Caloundra, Australia

Saturday, 31 January 2026