The Bull Ring

𝕋𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕚𝕤 𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕨𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕨𝕖 𝕧𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕗𝕠𝕣. 𝔹𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕚𝕣𝕖𝕤 𝕥𝕖𝕝𝕝 𝕋𝕣𝕦𝕞𝕡 𝔹𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕚𝕣𝕖𝕤 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕠𝕟 𝕋𝕣𝕦𝕞𝕡 𝕕𝕦𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕚𝕗𝕗 𝕡𝕠𝕝𝕚𝕔𝕚𝕖𝕤 𝕔𝕒𝕦𝕤𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕞𝕒𝕣𝕜𝕖𝕥 𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕞𝕠𝕚𝕝, 𝕥𝕙𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕚𝕣 𝕨𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕥𝕙, 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕕𝕚𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕚𝕣 𝕖𝕩𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕚𝕔 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕓𝕚𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕪 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕘𝕣𝕠𝕨𝕥𝕙 𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣 𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕡. W ealthy business leaders are turning on US President Donald Trump over his plan to impose a colossal set of tariffs on America's trading partners, as losses mount on stock markets around the world.   Billionaire investor Bill Ackman, who endorsed Trump's 2024 presidential bid, warned that going ahead with the new tariffs was tantamount to launching an "economic nuclear war."   On Wednesday (local time), Trump said he would impose significantly higher "reciprocal" tariffs on dozens of count...

ℙ𝕆𝕃𝕃 𝔸𝕟𝕒𝕝𝕪𝕤𝕚𝕤: ℂ𝕠𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 ℝ𝕖𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕤 𝕚𝕟 𝔸𝕡𝕣𝕚𝕝 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟝 𝟙ℕ𝕖𝕨𝕤 𝕍𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕒𝕟 ℙ𝕠𝕝𝕝 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔸𝕡𝕣𝕚𝕝 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟝 𝟙ℕ𝕖𝕨𝕤 𝕍𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕒𝕟 𝕡𝕠𝕝𝕝 𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕛𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕤 ℕ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝕒𝕥 𝟛𝟞% (+𝟚), 𝕃𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝟛𝟚% (-𝟙), ℕℤ 𝔽𝕚𝕣𝕤𝕥 𝟟% (+𝟚), 𝕘𝕚𝕧𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕔𝕠𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝟞𝟜 𝕤𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕤 𝕧𝕤. 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕝𝕖𝕗𝕥’𝕤 𝟝𝟠. 𝕃𝕦𝕩𝕠𝕟’𝕤 𝟚𝟛% (+𝟙) 𝕖𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕤 ℍ𝕚𝕡𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕤’ 𝟚𝟘% (+𝟛), 𝕤𝕚𝕘𝕟𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒 𝕣𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥-𝕓𝕝𝕠𝕔 𝕖𝕕𝕘𝕖 𝕒𝕞𝕚𝕕 𝕧𝕠𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕪. N ational’s rise to 36% (up 2% from February’s 34%) in April's 1News/Verian poll marks its first gain in a year, reversing a downward trend seen in polls like February 2025 (34%) and October 2024 (37%).  This could signal voter approval of coalition efforts—perhaps economic “green shoots” Luxon has emphasized—or fatigue with opposition critiques.  Credit: 𝔅𝔯𝔲𝔠𝔢 𝔄𝔩𝔭𝔦𝔫𝔢 Labour, slipping to 32% (down 1% from 33%), stalls after a February surge (+4%), suggesting...

𝔸𝕟𝕥𝕚-𝕋𝕣𝕦𝕞𝕡 𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕤 𝕚𝕟 𝕔𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕖𝕤 𝕒𝕔𝕣𝕠𝕤𝕤 𝕌𝕊 𝕕𝕖𝕔𝕝𝕒𝕣𝕖 '𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕤 𝕠𝕗𝕗' "ℍ𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕤 𝕆𝕗𝕗!" 𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕤 𝕒𝕔𝕣𝕠𝕤𝕤 𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝟝𝟘 𝕌.𝕊. 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕤 𝕣𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕖𝕕 𝟚𝟝𝟘,𝟘𝟘𝟘-𝟞𝟘𝟘,𝟘𝟘𝟘 𝕒𝕘𝕒𝕚𝕟𝕤𝕥 𝕋𝕣𝕦𝕞𝕡 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕄𝕦𝕤𝕜’𝕤 𝕡𝕠𝕝𝕚𝕔𝕚𝕖𝕤, 𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕘𝕖𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕘𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕟𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕔𝕦𝕥𝕤, 𝕊𝕠𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕝 𝕊𝕖𝕔𝕦𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕪, 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕕𝕖𝕞𝕠𝕔𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕪 𝕥𝕙𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕤. C rowds of protesters have amassed in cities across the US to denounce Donald Trump, in the largest nationwide show of opposition since the president took office in January.  The "Hands Off" protest planners aimed to hold rallies in 1,200 locations, including in all 50 US states.  Thousands of people turned out in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Washington DC, among other cities, on Saturday.  Protesters cited grievances with Trump's agenda ranging from social to economic issues.  Coming days after Trump's announcement that t...

𝔸𝕟𝕒𝕝𝕪𝕤𝕚𝕤: 𝕋𝕣𝕦𝕞𝕡’𝕤 𝕋𝕒𝕣𝕚𝕗𝕗 𝔾𝕒𝕞𝕓𝕚𝕥: 𝔸 ℝ𝕖𝕔𝕚𝕡𝕖 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝔼𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕚𝕔 ℝ𝕦𝕚𝕟 𝕋𝕣𝕦𝕞𝕡’𝕤 𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕚𝕗𝕗 𝕙𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕤 𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕨𝕣𝕖𝕔𝕜 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕌.𝕊. 𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕪 𝕓𝕪 𝕣𝕒𝕚𝕤𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕡𝕣𝕚𝕔𝕖𝕤, 𝕙𝕦𝕣𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕤𝕦𝕞𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕦𝕗𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕖𝕣𝕤, 𝕤𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕚𝕟𝕗𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕕𝕖 𝕨𝕒𝕣𝕤, 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕚𝕟𝕧𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥—𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕣𝕖𝕔𝕖𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕒𝕤 𝕔𝕠𝕤𝕥𝕤 𝕤𝕠𝕒𝕣, 𝕖𝕩𝕡𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕤 𝕕𝕣𝕠𝕡, 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕘𝕝𝕠𝕓𝕒𝕝 𝕣𝕖𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕙𝕚𝕥𝕤 𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕕. T rump’s tariff strategy, including a 10% baseline tariff on all imports and higher rates like 25% on Canada and Mexico, 20% on China, and even steeper targeted duties, fundamentally disrupts the U.S. economy’s reliance on global trade.  The U.S. imports over $3 trillion in goods annually, with nearly half coming from Canada, Mexico, and China alone.  These tariffs would sharply increase the cost of imported goods—everything from ...

ℕ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕪 𝕡𝕠𝕝𝕚𝕔𝕪 𝕕𝕖𝕥𝕣𝕚𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕒𝕝 𝕥𝕠 ℕ𝕖𝕨 ℤ𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕤 𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕚𝕔 𝕨𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕓𝕖𝕚𝕟𝕘 ℕ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝’𝕤 𝕥𝕒𝕩 𝕔𝕦𝕥𝕤, 𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕘𝕦𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟, 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕗𝕠𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕝 𝕗𝕦𝕖𝕝 𝕗𝕠𝕔𝕦𝕤 𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕜 ℕ𝕖𝕨 ℤ𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕒𝕟𝕕’𝕤 𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕠𝕞𝕚𝕔 𝕨𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕓𝕖𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕓𝕪 𝕨𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕕𝕖𝕗𝕚𝕔𝕚𝕥𝕤, 𝕚𝕘𝕟𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕤𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕔𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕖𝕤, 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕖𝕩𝕡𝕠𝕤𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕕𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝕘𝕝𝕠𝕓𝕒𝕝 𝕘𝕣𝕖𝕖𝕟 𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕗𝕥𝕤. T he National Party’s economic plan, as outlined in their 2023 platform, focuses on "rebuilding the economy" with measures like personal income tax cuts, reducing government spending, and reversing certain Labour-era regulations (e.g., lifting the ban on offshore oil and gas exploration).  They argue this will stimulate growth, ease cost-of-living pressures, and attract investment.  For instance, their "Back Pocket Boost" tax relief policy promised an average of NZ$24.85 weekly for a single earner with no childr...