David Levitz

Dutch Daily Briefing · Episodes

Every episode

A new episode goes up here every morning, a few minutes after the pipeline finishes. Each one links to the articles it's based on.

Dutch Daily Briefing cover art

Latest episode · Thursday, 5 November 2026 · 15 min

A Blue Sweep, an Open Marriage and HEMA at 100

Chapters

November 2026

  1. Tulips Spared, Votes Still Missing: The Revised Tax PlanThe cabinet's revised tax plan pushes back the new box 3 tax, puts the flower VAT rise on hold and drops a planned labour tax, but it still doesn't have a majority. We also cover the new nitrogen law, Democrats taking the US House, big pension rises for two million retirees, a shrinking rental market, two Amsterdam restaurants shut over suspected exploitation, and the Amsterdam Museum turning 100.15 min
  2. A Tax Deal Without a Majority, Hacked Freezers, and the 34-Cent StroopwafelThe coalition has agreed a revised tax plan and a one-year delay to the new wealth tax, but it heads into Wednesday's debate without a majority, a day after the Council of State tore into the timetable. We also cover hackers turning shop freezers into heaters, a grid connection freeze in Gelderland, a record €2 million reward for 'Bolle Jos', and a stroopwafel price war. Plus what's on in Amsterdam tonight.14 min
  3. Airbnb's Data Handover, a Broken Promise to Sick Children, and a Phantom TrainNew holiday rental rules mean Airbnb and Booking.com now have to hand host data to the government, and Amsterdam is ready to use it. Care homes for seriously ill children say they'll close by year's end even though about 25 children still have nowhere suitable to go. Plus a warning about elderly alarm buttons, Verstappen's win in Mexico, a ghost on the Amsterdam metro, and a wolf called Bram.14 min
  4. The Riots That Weren't, and a Tax Plan Still StuckSaturday's feared 'Gen Z' riots mostly didn't happen. Police in The Hague arrested 34 people, most of them teenagers, and prosecutors want triple sentences. Weekend talks at the Catshuis ended without a tax-plan deal, which sets up a showdown in parliament on Wednesday. Also today: a first-ever migrant boat rescue off Zeeland, a missing Peter Greenaway film paid for partly with Dutch money, a professor's AI twin, and the bats that are throwing off your rain app.15 min

October 2026

  1. Boarded Up for 'Gen Z' Saturday, and a Station on the MoveShops in The Hague board up and police get ready after anonymous online calls for 'Gen Z' protests in several Dutch cities today. We also cover the stalled tax plan talks, a strong economy, possible regional bus strikes, new asylum figures and the courier tasered in Amsterdam. Plus a cinema in an old sewage silo, a rescue for the Pieterburen seals, a 720-tonne station building on the move, and ideas for tonight in Amsterdam.15 min
  2. The Right's Price List, Shell's Windfall, and a Panda Says GoodbyeThree right-wing opposition parties have teamed up and set their price for backing the minority cabinet's tax plan. Their demands cover tax, asylum, nitrogen and abortion. We also cover Shell's doubled profit and your energy bill, the ECB's pause and Christine Lagarde's surprise early exit, and a push to ban AI in primary schools. Plus a panda's farewell, a World Series title with Dutch roots and a rock star's painting that hung at the tax office.15 min
  3. Zelensky in The Hague, and Booking.com Wins on Office DaysZelensky visits The Hague and the Netherlands pledges billions for Ukraine, though the money had already been set aside. Also today: a deadly train crash in Spain, a court backs Booking.com on office days, pension funds flush with cash, bird flu keeps poultry indoors, gas breaks €100 and the Vondelpark fatbike ban stays. Plus a royal lunch, a Roman glass trick recreated, and what's on in Amsterdam this weekend.15 min
  4. Out, In, Out Again: The Netherlands Skips EurovisionA month after saying it would go back, the Dutch public broadcaster pulls the Netherlands out of Eurovision 2027 over Israel's participation. Israel's election ends with no clear winner. Also today: the watchdog blocks the sale of Unox, Schiphol's nature permit could stay in limbo until 2028, a new mortgage rule for homes with bad foundations, and an amateur club's big night in the Dutch cup.14 min
  5. One in Six Civil Servants, Gas at a Four-Year High, and the Roze Koek CrackdownThe cabinet wants about 25,000 fewer central government jobs by 2035, with help from AI, fewer rules and possibly tighter freedom-of-information rules. Plus European gas hits its highest price since 2022, an Amsterdam Islamic school is told to improve or lose its funding, parking permits get much pricier, and new Schiphol rules that could mean more night noise. We also cover the Temu and Shein parcel drop, remember Rudi Fuchs, hear Herman Koch's news, and look at the blood bank's biscuit problem.14 min
  6. Storm Boelo Turns Deadly, and Serbia's Students WinStorm Boelo, the season's first official storm, killed a cyclist in Amsterdam, left a kitesurfer missing off The Hague and grounded dozens of flights at Schiphol. We also cover doctors pushing back on the health minister's long covid plans, a court ruling that matters to international families, and Serbs queueing in The Hague as Vucic concedes defeat. Plus Tallon Griekspoor's fiery title win and Queen Máxima on the dance floor.14 min
  7. Seven Parties, One Tax PlanThe Jetten minority cabinet starts talks this week with seven opposition parties to get its tax plan through, and a small print change hits new entrepreneurs. We also cover energy bills that are up about €1,100 in ten months, a cut to drought funding, a panther attack at Beekse Bergen and a second weekend of protests in France. Then the clocks going back, ADE's last day and a tenth straight European korfball title.13 min
  8. Dutch Spies, Kushner's Phone and a Second StormA new book claims Dutch military intelligence hacked Jared Kushner's iPhone and watched Gulf money move through an account he controlled. Kushner denies it and the MIVD won't comment. Also today: prosecutors' new timeline in the killing of Hajar, Storm Austen and tonight's Storm Boelo, the PHP flaw now being exploited, Amsterdam weighing a ban on takeaway packaging, Michael van Gerwen falling out of the darts top ten, and a €3 million rescue for Sinterklaas's steamboat.14 min
  9. The Student Loan Promise That Doesn't Add UpThe education minister says the coalition's 2.5 percent cap on student loan interest would cost at least four times the money set aside, and student groups are furious. We also have new details in the killing of Hajar in Amsterdam, the closure of the Dutch embassy in Cairo, a legal fight over Schiphol and a crackdown on deadly fake-pill webshops. Plus a record night for Dutch football, Airbnb's new checkout rules, a whistling tower in Rotterdam and ideas for your weekend in Amsterdam.15 min
  10. The Day the Dutch Internet Switched Itself OffTwo critical flaws in PHP led DigiD, MijnOverheid, parliament and news sites to go offline as a precaution. We look at what happened and what's still unknown. Plus the first health insurance premium for 2027, a truce in the regional transport strike, the latest in the Hajar investigation, MPs reading out AI-written speeches, and Channel smuggling boats coming through the Netherlands. To finish: Formula 1's new home, a lost Erasmus book, a train's second farewell and the weekend in Amsterdam.15 min
  11. An arrest in the Hajar case, pricier trains, and a minister under fire over abuse at a home in SpainAmsterdam police have arrested a 23-year-old man over the killing of Hajar. NS says train fares will rise 4.7 percent next year, and the youth minister is refusing an independent inquiry into a Spanish care home where Dutch children say they were abused. Also today: takeaway vouchers, PostNL's money troubles, churches offering shelter to refugees, Gerard Joling leaving De Toppers, ADE turning thirty and what's on in Amsterdam tonight.13 min
  12. Fix It First: 29 Projects Shelved, and the Prime Minister's Baby NewsThe cabinet is putting 29 road, rail and waterway projects on hold, including part of Amsterdam's Zuidasdok, to pay for overdue repairs. Rob Jetten's baby news puts the surrogacy bill back in the spotlight. Plus Thursday's regional transport strike, curfews in France, Albert Heijn's police report, more unrest in Floradorp, remembering Coos Huijsen, Sanne Wevers' farewell, and a very wet promotion for Princess Amalia.13 min
  13. France Counts the Cost, and a Lost Sunday at SchipholA ten-hour failure of Schiphol's passport e-gates left several hundred travellers watching their flights leave without them, and most can't claim compensation. France counts almost 2,400 arrests after a day of riots, and President Macron's TV address draws heavy criticism. Also today: Albert Heijn's app comes back, Dutch families take refugees into their homes, Amsterdam's culture scene pushes back on the tourist tax, and two Dutch athletes have very different weekends.14 min
  14. France Burns, a Leiden Clinic's Final Count, and a Ring Lost for 83 YearsCost-of-living protests turned violent across France and Belgium, with more than 1,200 arrests and Limoges' historic city hall destroyed by fire. At home, a final report says a Leiden fertility-clinic lab technician fathered at least 16 children, Amsterdam police seized an activist server at America's request, and poverty relief groups are starting waiting lists. Plus a goodbye to TV favourite Maarten Spanjer, marathon day in Amsterdam, and a wedding ring that went home after 83 years.14 min
  15. €18 Billion to Fix Bridges, and the Lelylijn Is ShelvedThe cabinet is putting €18 billion into the country's ageing bridges, locks and roads, and shelving 29 projects to pay for it, including the Lelylijn and part of Amsterdam's Zuidasdok. Also today: a suspected arson in Nieuw-West, a Dutch bank caught up in US sanctions on the International Criminal Court, farms making way for F-35s, rising energy bills and Albert Heijn's longer delivery outage. Plus Netflix's AI dubbing flop, Floor Jansen leaving Nightwish, and ideas for tonight in Amsterdam.13 min
  16. A 'Culture of Fear' at Picnic-PostNLSeventy-one riders and staff describe a years-long culture of fear at the Dutch cycling team Picnic-PostNL, and the team promises an independent inquiry. We also cover the first Dutch-French talks on nuclear weapons, an EU ruling that could change how banks treat scam victims, and data centres clogging the queue for the power grid. Plus an update on Albert Heijn, Ajax's rough night in Split, a looted Kandinsky from the Dam, the end of the leap second, and ideas for your weekend in Amsterdam.15 min
  17. Albert Heijn Restocks, Police Want a Complaint, and Your IND PermitAlbert Heijn's distribution centres are running again, and police and prosecutors are publicly urging its parent company to report the cyberattack. A new law also ends IND late-decision payouts for skilled migrants, students and family members, and ASML says it can't build chip machines fast enough. Also today: unrest over a bonfire in Amsterdam-Noord, a US-requested server seizure, the plan to phase out dolphins at the Dolfinarium, a White House loan to the Van Gogh Museum, the fight over the real Limburgse vlaai, and what's on in Amsterdam this weekend.15 min
  18. Albert Heijn Restarts, Asylum Rules Pass, and Poems on Garbage TrucksAlbert Heijn is slowly restocking after a cyberattack routed through servers in four countries, and there's still no sign that customer data was stolen. We also cover the Senate's new asylum measures, an urgent warning from the domestic-abuse agency Veilig Thuis, rising fuel and gas prices, today's regional transport strike and a bigger mortgage guarantee. Then it's Russian gymnasts refused visas for Rotterdam, poetry on Rotterdam's garbage trucks becoming national heritage, and ideas for tonight in Amsterdam.14 min
  19. Albert Heijn's Cyber Outage, the End of the 13-Week Scan, and U.S. Sanctions on the ICCA cybersecurity incident at Ahold Delhaize has stopped several Albert Heijn distribution centres and knocked its apps offline, and fresh-food shelves may empty. We also cover the health minister scrapping the 13-week pregnancy scan, the Dutch response to U.S. sanctions on the International Criminal Court, the tax fight over the "freedom contribution", and the row over Israeli fans at AZ Alkmaar. Then the seal centre in Pieterburen fighting bankruptcy, the cabaret prizes, a panda heading to China and what's on in Amsterdam tonight.14 min
  20. Noise or Homes? The Schiphol Trade-offThe cabinet has picked new noise zones around Schiphol that leave more residents exposed to serious aircraft noise, so that 24,000 planned homes can still be built. Trump announces a Russia–Ukraine "energy truce" without any terms, record fuel prices put Rotterdam's refineries back in the spotlight, and the Dutch parliament flies a rainbow flag for the first time. Also: Verstappen finally wins in Singapore, a sea-mine scare in Scheveningen, and ideas for tonight in Amsterdam.16 min
  21. Fire on the Tracks: Suspected Sabotage Halts Rotterdam–Delft TrainsSomeone cut open a door at a Rotterdam rail bridge with a grinder and set the cables inside on fire, and trains between Rotterdam and Delft stay stopped until at least tonight. On the same Saturday, a power failure cut Schiphol off by rail and a KPN outage left hospitals hard to reach by phone. Plus record petrol prices, Trump's Russian diesel deal, the Netherlands' first woman bishop, and the TV troll who scared a generation of Dutch kids.15 min
  22. Washington Takes Aim at the Court in The HagueThe US has sanctioned the International Criminal Court itself, just hours after a former ICC judge won the Nobel Peace Prize, and the Netherlands is caught in the middle. We also cover asylum seekers sleeping in the rain at Ter Apel, Wednesday's regional bus strike, a long-awaited apology to Q fever patients and the fight over a shipyard in Amsterdam-Noord. Plus a looted diamond going back to Indonesia, Groningen's ban on camera glasses, skating at twenty degrees and what's on in Amsterdam tonight.14 min
  23. Peak-Hour Power, Grounded Planes and Rabbits to the RescueThe Dutch regulator wants your electricity grid fee to depend on when you use power, and KLM is cutting flights all winter because too many planes are waiting for repairs. We also cover a cooling housing market, a fire under Amsterdam's Olympic Stadium, drought cracking Dutch foundations, rabbits helping to free Rotterdam's port from its permit freeze, and a damning report on the hack at the prosecution service. Then the Van Gogh Museum's truce with The Hague, the top Dutch TV award, and ideas for your weekend in Amsterdam.14 min
  24. Laughter at the Catshuis: Strikes Paused as Polder Talks RestartThe cabinet, unions and employers have restarted talks on a new social accord, and the strikes are on hold for now. We also cover the 2029 heat pump rule for homeowners, the protest Mayor Halsema broke up on the Dam, rising rents, a new asylum bill and higher student loan interest. Then a record on the bestseller list, a looted vase going home to Sicily, Chocomel's yellow, and what's on in Amsterdam this weekend.14 min
  25. 140,000 Shelved Asylum Claims, a Tax Plan in Trouble, and a Porridge World ChampionAn EU court says the Netherlands can't keep more than 140,000 Ukrainian asylum applications on hold indefinitely, and that adds pressure to an asylum system that's already badly backed up. The minority cabinet's tax plans run into trouble in the Senate, Amsterdam keeps losing rental homes, and Booking.com takes its works council to court over office days. Plus a check on whether you're overpaying for your power connection, a new cleaners' strike, a Nobel Prize for catching neutrinos, De Kooning beside The Night Watch, and a Dutch porridge champion.14 min
  26. Phones in the Locker, Fines by SurnameThe cabinet wants phones locked away for the whole school day from 2027, as part of a wider push to protect children online. An investigation alleges that the UWV benefits agency's fraud unit fines people with non-Dutch surnames more often and more harshly. Also today: sixteen at-risk bridges, Dutch links to Sudan's RSF, the grid queue, student debt, a bike speed limit in Amsterdam, Michelin results and a Dutch-Indonesian football triumph.19 min
  27. A push to ban slaughter without stunning, Verstappen wins again, and Van Dijk hits 100Animal welfare state secretary Silvio Erkens says the Netherlands should follow Belgium and ban slaughter without stunning, which reopens a 15-year fight over religious freedom. We also cover Verstappen's first win of the season after a chaotic start, Van Dijk's 100th game for Oranje, and Damen's multi-billion claim against Germany over cancelled warships. Then the future of the Delta Works, Polymarket's court fight and Michelin's 100th birthday, plus what's on in Amsterdam today. (Partly voiced line by line through a backup service because Gemini's two-host voicing was unavailable.)19 min
  28. Centraal Goes Quiet, a Wine Bottle Tests the Settlement Ban, and Ladders for ToadsAmsterdam Centraal had no trains at all on Saturday, and service is still reduced through Monday. A former SGP MP bought Israeli wine on purpose to test the new ban on settlement goods, the cabinet's budget offer mostly pays off for PRO, and cleaners are getting ready to strike again. Also today: the University of Amsterdam's wartime apology, Demi Vollering's second title in a week, and the little ladders saving Dutch toads. (Partly voiced with backup Microsoft voices because Gemini's voices were unavailable.)19 min
  29. The Oranges and the Colonies: What the King's Own Study FoundA study King Willem-Alexander asked for and paid for finds that the House of Orange actively backed colonialism for centuries and earned the equivalent of about 576 million euros from it. Prime Minister Rob Jetten has ruled out new reparations. Also today: inflation is up again and the G7 is releasing emergency diesel, a court backs stricter family reunification rules, banks cut how much older buyers can borrow, vapes get a planned tax, and Dutch television turns 75.18 min
  30. The Finance Minister BlinksAfter a day of criticism in parliament, Finance Minister Eelco Heinen says he'll change the box 3 plan so it spares small savers. Also today: an aid worker with Ebola is being treated in Leiden, the EU has stopped aid to Sierra Leone in a row over drug lord Bolle Jos, and Katwijk has approved Eli Lilly's pill factory. Plus a draft freelancer law, rivers too shallow to measure, a surgical first in Nijmegen and the Batavia's last voyage.20 min
  31. Remembering Paulien Cornelisse, plus MPs push back on taxing small saversThe Netherlands is mourning writer and comedian Paulien Cornelisse, who died at 50 while she was still on TV every night. We also cover the end of the border checks and the wider powers that replace them, MPs pushing back on taxing small savers, mortgage rates at their highest this year, and tougher sentences for attacks on public workers. Plus a Van Gogh that could set an auction record, what the Fabel Friet queue may be doing to house prices next door, and what's on in Amsterdam this weekend.18 min

September 2026

  1. Welfare Cuts Scrapped, Strikes Called Off, and a New Tax on SharesThe cabinet drops its welfare cuts and brings in a tax on gains from shares, and the unions call off their strikes. We also have new allegations against the ShinyHunters suspect, the first new Schiphol rules in 18 years, and fresh numbers on PFAS in Dutch blood. Plus a lecture hall with no screens, Amsterdam's finished bike ring, and a few ideas for today in the city.18 min
  2. Diplomats Out in Ramallah, a Budget Deal Within Reach, and Petrol Hits Another RecordIsrael is stripping Dutch diplomats in Ramallah of their status in retaliation for the Dutch ban on settlement goods, and The Hague has summoned Israel's ambassador. We also cover a budget deal that could land tonight, record petrol prices sending drivers over the border, the arrest in the ShinyHunters hacking probe, and a TikTok-famous chip shop that's ended up in court.19 min
  3. Israel Expels Dutch Diplomats Over Settlement Goods BanIsrael has given Dutch diplomats in Ramallah seven days to leave, in retaliation for the Netherlands' new ban on goods from illegal settlements. Also today: protesters interrupt Prime Minister Rob Jetten at D66's 60th birthday while his minority cabinet looks for budget votes, electricity prices more than double, and the Rhine hits a record low just as a late-September heat wave arrives.16 min
  4. Budget Concessions, an ICC Standoff, and the End of FireworksPrime Minister Rob Jetten's minority cabinet scrambles for budget votes by shelving welfare cuts and overhauling wealth taxes, while a war of words erupts with Washington over the International Criminal Court. Plus, a daytime shooting at Amsterdam's NDSM wharf, a revolt over asylum quotas, and tons of fireworks handed in ahead of a national ban.14 min