President Trump officially rolled out his long-teased “Liberation Day” tariffs, sending shockwaves through global markets. Here’s the breakdown:
📊 U.S. Tariff Rates by Country:
| Country | Tariff Rate |
|---|---|
| China | 34% |
| Vietnam | 46% |
| Cambodia | 49% |
| India | 26% |
| Japan | 24% |
| European Union | 20% |
| UK | 10% |
| Others | 25–44% |
- 🧾 Effective Dates: 10% universal tariff starts April 5, country-specific tariffs by April 9.
- 🌍 Market Fallout: S&P 500 dipped, Nasdaq fell over 4% post-announcement.
- 🧨 Retaliation Watch: China & EU hint at sharp responses. Trade war chatter is officially back.
🏠 Boomers Dominate Housing Market
Despite sky-high prices and rates, baby boomers bought 42% of homes last year, overtaking millennials (29%).
- 💸 Many boomers bought in cash, skipping mortgages altogether.
- 📉 Millennials' share dropped from 38% → 29%.
- 🧠 Takeaway: Intergenerational wealth gap is shaping U.S. real estate dynamics.
💰 The Billionaire Boom Continues
The Forbes 2025 Billionaires List is out, and it’s record-breaking:
- 🌎 3,028 billionaires globally
- 🇺🇸 902 in the U.S. alone
-
💰 Top 3:
- Elon Musk: $342B
- Mark Zuckerberg: $216B
- Jeff Bezos: $215B
This is the first time three people are worth $200B+ each.
- Average billionaire net worth: $5.32B
- In 2010: Only 1,001 billionaires existed globally
👓 Meta’s High-Stakes Ray-Ban Gamble
Zuck is betting big (again) on smart glasses. The new Meta x Ray-Ban deluxe model is expected to:
- Cost $1,000+
- Feature gesture controls, photo display, & app support
- Build on 2024’s surprising 1M-unit sales of the budget version
Still… Meta’s $60B+ AR/VR losses make this a risky runway.
🍺 Craft Beer Bubble Bursts
For the first time since 2005, the U.S. saw more breweries close than open last year.
- 335 opened, but 399 closed
- Tariffs on steel/aluminum could worsen it
- Even icons like Anchor Brewing Co. have shut doors
The craft beer boom? Maybe fizzling.
🤝 Big Tech Goes on a Buying Spree
Big Tech M&A is back with a vengeance, thanks to an AI gold rush and a friendlier regulatory climate.
- 💥 Q1 2025 saw $54.5B in startup acquisitions
- 🧠 Google bought Wiz for $32B — its largest deal ever
- Meta, Nvidia & others circling AI chip and infra startups
We may be entering a new Pac-Man phase of consolidation.
📉 S&P 500 Target Slashed by Goldman Sachs
Due to the tariff mess and weak data, Goldman now expects:
- 📉 S&P 500 to hit 5,300 short-term
- 📈 Rebound to 5,700 by year-end
- 🧯 Recession risk: 35%
Event platforms like Kalshi peg a 43% chance of U.S. recession this year.
🧠 FAST FACTS
- 📊 Tesla down 4% after Q1 deliveries miss (↓13% YoY)
- 🥑 Chipotle bought 5% of U.S. avocado supply
- 📺 Newsmax surged 1,100% after NYSE debut
- 🏙️ Austin is now America’s greenest city (#79 globally)
- 💉 Moderna slumped 10% after internal FDA shake-up
- 📚 Charlie Javice found guilty of defrauding JPMorgan out of $175M
🎭 On the Fringe: ‘Baby Reindeer’ Dominates BAFTA Noms
Netflix’s gritty series Baby Reindeer scooped up 8 BAFTA nominations, continuing the trend of Edinburgh Fringe-born hits making it big globally. Eyes on Richard Gadd, the breakout writer-performer.
🧭 WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
- 🌐 Tariff retaliation timeline
- 📉 Tesla earnings & job market update
- 🏦 Fed commentary on rate path
- 🧠 Next moves from Meta, Apple, Nvidia