Listening to Bessent speak now, it's reasonable to assume there's no dialogue between US and Chinese governments. He doesn't seem to care that there's no consensus around the benefits of tariffs. The madness continues, as does the Chinese squeeze.

Dissonance: it's a positive story about a US/India trade deal that casually drops in a prediction of global recession. What's the story @reuters.com ? - www.reuters.com/markets/comm...

One way this US shit show might be going: open.substack.com/pub/andyflan...

Is this the Monday when the markets can't cling on any longer and have to admit to themselves that the US has totally fucked it?

If China and US are going to talk, do we think China have Trump's balls in a vice? I think maybe.

I wrote about the markets, Trump and me and the last few weeks: open.substack.com/pub/andyflan...

Sad to hear of the death of the pope. RIP

Gods, is he going to abolish income tax?

Trump chunters on. Is it like election might? Do I have to decide between following every gory detail or just sleeping through the whole thing to face the aftermath with a reasonable night's sleep in me?

Our man Keir arrives at the White House. The hopes of an expectant nation, and the hopes of a political/trade union of which the expectant nation was once a member, weigh heavily on his shoulders.

Heathrow, eh? Haven't we watched this season before?

The fascist salute, no matter what the reason, is utterly sickening. How vile and disgusting. I have no interest in analysing it beyond this remark. It should be universally abhorred.

Bloody terrifying speech. We'll see how the bite matches up with the bark.

I know virtually nothing, no, actually nothing, about South Korean politics, but it feels like we might be watching another bulwark against the forces of authoritarianism discredit itself in the service of some short term goal. The trend, it seems to be the case, does not bend toward the light.

As time goes on distinction between Guardian and Observer seems less clear. Easy to see opportunity of hiving it off realising potential as a distinct brand. As for how you separate editorial teams/digital product/archive, seems like an interesting project. I'm probably missing some crucial angle.

It's starting to feel like maybe we're over here now. I still fire Twitter/X up by default but maybe it's time to force the change of habit.

Hello Bluesky. Let's hope enough others come over here and we can get out of the clutches of Musk. It's largely a grim dystopian hell hole over there now.