4 April 2025
good morning. strap in, I’ve got a lot for you.
BOO
normies (NY transplants) are making Tashkent West Village reels.
the WH is studying the cost of its Greenland takeover, specifically researching how much it would cost the government to provide its citizens aid. just saying: pay attention if you voted for Trump because you don’t like the idea of your $$$ going overseas.
veterinarians working on developing a response to the bird flu outbreak were fired after RFK Jr. gutted the HHS. just saying: pay attention if you voted for Trump because the price of eggs was too high. but, RFK Jr. has acknowledged that amidst the sweeping layoffs, some programs and people were mistakenly cut and are to be reinstated.
its loss to LAFC puts Inter Miami at risk of elimination from the Champions Cup.
the EU is considering fining X more than $1bn for failing to uphold a law which protects users from exposure to illicit content and disinformation.
YESS
among the must-see exhibits in NYC this April are Taryn Simon at Gagosian and Monstrous Beauty: a Feminist Revision of Chinoiserie at the Met.
lavender milk is the nail color of the season. butter yellow is everywhere. hoe is you dairy deprived ?
the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express has officially begun running its route from Paris to Tuscany.
South Koreans are celebrating after the country’s highest court upheld President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment following his imposition of martial law in early December.
MONEY
traders were rattled by tariffs, evidenced by the free fall stock market indices saw yesterday. the S&P and Nasdaq saw their most dramatic drops since 2020 after yesterday’s announcement and the Dow fell nearly 1700 points. here’s what we’re looking at ahead of the opening bell:
DJIA: ↓ 3.98%
S&P 500: ↓ 4.84%
Nasdaq: ↓ 5.97%
APPL: ↓ 9%, the worst day for its stock in five years.
AMZN: ↓ 8.98%
US 10 YR: ↑ 1.16%
US 5 YR: ↑ 0.76%
meanwhile, cash is being poured into gold funds, which reached a record high of $318.88 / troy ounce.
analysts suggest the tariffs could cost the average family of four an extra $7200 / year.
and now, a brief pause for an ECONOMICS LESSON by NKG, in case you’re scratching your head but too embarrassed to ask, exactly, what a tariff is.
tariffs are a tax on imported goods.
when we import, we’re importing things from countries that are better at producing those things than we are. in an economic sense, “better” here means they give up less than we do to produce the same amount and therefore, comparative advantage over us.
if a country has the comparative advantage, they produce goods for cheaper. if we trade instead of inefficiently spending our resources on producing something we’re bad at producing, it means we get what we want for the best possible deal.
when a tariff is placed, those goods become more expensive.
the IDEA is that it becomes so much less attractive to import that importers turn to domestic producers, therefore supporting domestic production.
the REALITY is that we’re so inefficient at producing certain goods that
(A) producers still have to import, paying that tariff !
or (B) it takes years to develop the comparative advantage in producing the tariffed products !
either way, EVERYONE IS WORSE OFF. producers pay a higher cost of production, so we consumers wind up losing out because the higher cost of production gets passed on to us.
LIT
The Great Gatsby has lately been the center of a lot of analysis on literary blogs because that excellent, uniquely American novel turns 100 this month.
MIAM
your spring seasonality list: asparagus, carrots, artichokes, radishes, peas, arugula, mustard greens, strawberries, rhubarb, lemons, morels, leeks, ramps, bear garlic, fava beans, tarragon, chives, cilantro, mint, basil.
BOP
“Rain in the River” by Bruce Springsteen. the Boss has also announced a new box set featuring songs of his which have never been released officially.
“LCA” by The Dare.
One Million and Three Love Songs, the deluxe version of Bnny’s new album.
“Am I Your Girl” (dance version) by Peach Pit.
“Обряд” by Холодный Звонок (BTW an example of the best language thing ever, when literal translations mean the same, separate thing).
“Messy Hair” by TV Girl, Magdalena Bay, and George Clanton.
“Back To Me” by the Marías.
“End of the World” by Miley Cyrus.
“Tonight” by Pink Panthress.
“Rodeo” by Momma.
SCREENS & STAGE
apparently the current production of Othello on Broadway apparently asks the question anyone who has ever read the play asks themselves: is Iago or Othello the star ?
FRIDAY FUNNY SWEEP
have a good day ★
