Trade war reignites.
Markets plunge.
Aussie is more athletic than me…by a lot.
Markets
PAST WEEK | YEAR-SO-FAR | |
|---|---|---|
Nasdaq | -3.0% | +15.2% |
S&P500 | -2.7% | +11.7% |
MSCI Emerging Markets | -4.5% | +24.4% |
Bitcoin* | -7.1% | +22.2% |
Ethereum* | -8.5% | +23.6% |
Stock of the week: | +185.1% | +398.3% |
Crypto of the week: | +56.3% | +357.1% |
*Source: CoinGecko.com As of 4:04PM October 12, 2025
World news
Top news stories of the past week
1) Trade War 2.0: President Trump announced that the U.S. will impose a 100% tariff increase on all imports from China starting November 1. The decision follows China’s new export restrictions on rare earth minerals - key materials for electronics and defense. Trump also hinted at new export controls on critical software, likely tightening tech trade further. China denounced the move and vowed retaliation.
My Temu package is in there somewhere.
2) Market Meltdown: Global markets plunged Friday, losing $2 Trillion in value, after President Trump reignited trade war fears, threatening a “massive increase” in tariffs on Chinese imports and canceling plans to meet Xi Jinping. The turmoil spilled into crypto, where Trump’s proposed 100% tariffs triggered a record $18 billion wipeout. Apparently, volatility isn’t good for investor morale?
3) Federal Firings Begin: The Trump administration has started laying off more than 4,000 federal workers across seven agencies as the government shutdown stretches into its second week, using the cuts to pressure Democrats in stalled budget talks. Officials say more layoffs are coming, marking the first time a shutdown has led to permanent job losses rather than temporary furloughs. Labor unions have sued to block the move, calling it illegal and politically motivated, while the White House defends the reductions as part of its plan to “optimize” the federal workforce. Because why wait for a budget deal when you can just fire people!
Top WEIRD stories of the past week
1) An Australian university used AI detection software that falsely accused thousands of students of using AI, wrongly flagging about 6,000 people for cheating. AI’s really out here gaslighting us into thinking we’re AI.
2) Police in Northern California pulled over a self-driving Waymo taxi after it made an illegal U-turn - but because there was no human driver, they couldn’t issue a traffic ticket. Cop: license and registration? Waymo: beep boop no.🫡
3) An Australian police officer smashed the Guinness World Record by doing 733 pull-ups in one hour, setting a new high for women. I would need a week to complete this.
Chart
You like charts? Graphs? Ya you do
If the current tariff escalation goes similarly to last time, it shouldn’t be TOOOO bad.
Personal Finance
Financial Booster
Do you like TACO?
I’m not referring to the delicious food, I’m talking about the trading strategy.
It stands for…
Trump
Always
Chickens
Out
And is something to keep in mind if you’re nervous about the current trade dispute.
HISTORICALLY, Trump has made big moves (similar to this week’s 100% tariff threat against China), only to walk them back USUALLY after negotiating with the opposing party (look to the April tariff dispute for reference).
Basically, Trump uses very public, loud negotiating strategies to try and get what he wants. Believable.
If that is the case, then the massive market selloff on Friday is an opportunity to buy.
Tracking crypto prices over the weekend, they have fallen slightly from the close of stock markets (4pm) on Friday, but they’ve mostly stabilized. This is a good sign.
Stocks may slip slightly on Monday (assuming no major news comes out), but if Trump’s past strategy holds, this will get China to the negotiating table motivated to make a deal.
Volatility is an opportunity. Don’t forget it! GO TACO.
Music
Banger of the week
Most important thing
Meme? Nah. Art.
