Time is speeding up. If you managed to sit through the entire presidential debate, would you say it felt like 90 minutes? For us it seemed more like 10 minutes of pure mayhem played nine times over on some sort of faulty loop. It’s been a truly mad week in US politics… and that’s before you consider Trump’s bombshell COVID-19 diagnosis on Friday afternoon.

Crikey came at the race for the White House from multiple angles this week. Janine Perrett examined Joe Biden’s debate performance, Amber Schultz broke down the revelations about Trump’s taxes, and Bernard Keane explained what the election means for Australia.

Meanwhile domestic politics was full of foreshadowing to next week’s federal budget. Keane tackled manufacturing policy, while our economics correspondent Jason Murphy looked at whether tax cuts really work — and if so, for whom. I’d also highly recommend Madonna King’s piece on the upcoming Queensland election.

We finished the week on the issue of press freedom, with Charlie Lewis considering the lack of attention given to the Assange case, Michael Bradley reporting on attempts to reform contempt laws, and Mark Tilly writing about an unexpected press crackdown in Singapore.

JANINE PERRETT 2 minute read

The former vice president stumbled a little but he gave as good as he got from the hectoring, ranting Donald Trump.

AMBER SCHULTZ 4 minute read

For years, Trump's tax returns have been the holy grail for journalists and political observers. Now that we've finally seen them, what have we learnt?

BERNARD KEANE 4 minute read

Australia needs the US to lead concerted international action on issues like trade and climate. A re-elected Trump administration is unlikely to deliver either.

CHRISTOPHER WARREN 3 minute read

The PM has created a Potemkin policy village. He's learnt that it’s not whether you do nothing, it’s how you do that nothing that counts.

KISHOR NAPIER-RAMAN 2 minute read

The national broadcaster offered no explanation for several hours as it revised, added to and amended its article.

GEORGIA WILKINS 4 minute read

In the game of political power plays, the 'minnow' energy company holds all the cards, critics say.

AMBER SCHULTZ 2 minute read

Nationals MPs have a long history of finding themselves at the sharp end of Australian National Audit Office reports...

JASON MURPHY 4 minute read

With the government eying off an early start to tax cuts, it has to be asked: will they actually do anything to bring the economy out of the gutter?

MADONNA KING 3 minute read

Queensland is a state of traditions. But will it break with one at the ballot box next month?

BERNARD KEANE 3 minute read

The Andrews government has no right demanding additional powers over its citizens when it can't responsibly exercise the powers it already has.