Bloomberg Daybreak: US Edition

On today's podcast:

1) The stock selloff moderates around the world as the world's richest lose more than $200 billion since President Trump's Inauguration. It comes as Wall Street strategists like Citi downgrade views on US equities. Investors remain cautious due to concerns about the American economy, tariffs, and government spending cuts.

2) Ukraine launches its biggest attack yet against Russia ahead of talks with the US. Ukraine launched a record number of drone attacks on Russia, with air defenses downing 337 drones including dozens that targeted Moscow. Top US and Ukrainian officials are set to meet in Saudi Arabia to explore the potential for reaching a ceasefire, with the US seeking a clear commitment from Ukraine to a diplomatic resolution.

3) House conservatives get behind a stopgap to avert a government shutdown. The House Freedom Caucus has backed a stopgap funding package, which would reduce and then freeze spending for six months, to help Speaker Mike Johnson pass the bill without Democratic support. The bill's fate is uncertain, with some Republicans, including Representative Thomas Massie, opposed to the measure, and Democrats' support still needed to clear the Senate.

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On today's podcast:

1) President Donald Trump said the US economy faces “a period of transition,” deflecting concerns about the risks of a slowdown as his early focus on tariffs and federal job cuts causes market turmoil.

2) Mark Carney won the race to become Canada’s next prime minister, putting the former central banker in charge of the country just as US President Donald Trump’s administration threatens its economic future

3) President Donald Trump said Sunday he was negotiating with four different possible buyers for TikTok’s US business and that a deal for the social video app could come “soon.”

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Bloomberg Daybreak Weekend with Tom Busby takes a look at some of the stories we'll be tracking in the coming week.

• In the US – a preview of U.S CPI and PPI data, along with earnings from Oracle and Adobe.
• In the UK – a preview of European Central Bank Chief Christine Lagarde addressing central bankers.
• In Asia – a recap of China’s NPC and outlook for its’ economy.

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On today's podcast:

1) President Donald Trump exempted Mexican and Canadian goods covered by the North American trade agreement known as USMCA from his 25% tariffs, offering major reprieves to the US’s two largest trading partners.

2) China’s top diplomat accused Donald Trump of taking a hypocritical approach to bilateral ties and denounced tariffs, as tensions rise between the world’s largest economies.

3) Broadcom Inc. shares were on track for their biggest gain in 12 weeks in early trading after the chip supplier for Apple Inc. and other big tech companies gave an upbeat forecast, reassuring investors that spending on artificial intelligence computing remains healthy.

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On today's podcast:

1) President Trump hits reverse on auto tariffs for Canada and Mexico for now. The Trump administration is exempting automakers from newly imposed tariffs on Mexico and Canada for one month, following pleas from industry leaders. The exemption applies to auto parts that comply with the USMCA trade pact. It comes as the president's set to meet with US tech leaders Thursday, whose companies also face the possibility of import tariffs and stricter export rules.

2) European leaders gather for an emergency summit on military defense. European leaders meet in Brussels for emergency talks on Ukraine and defense spending. They are discussing an EU proposal to unlock as much as €800 billion of funds across the bloc. Germany will seek a constitutional amendment to exempt defense from its budget limit.

3) A global bond selloff continues following Germany's historic spending plans. A global bond selloff continued due to Germany's spending plans, which are expected to reshape growth outlook on the continent. Investors are reacting to Germany's move to unlock hundreds of billions of euros for defense and infrastructure investments, which is expected to boost its economy and spill over to neighboring countries.

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On today's podcast:

1) President Trump promises golden age but warns tariffs could cause disturbance, President Trump defended his tariff plan, saying it would raise "trillions and trillions" in revenue and rebalance trading relationships, despite acknowledging potential economic pain. The president touted his tariff moves as effective in bringing jobs to the US, threatened to impose new tariffs, and announced plans for domestic energy production and an office of shipbuilding at the White House.

2) Trump calls for a repeal of the Chips Act. The president touted his tariff moves as more effective at bringing jobs to the US than Biden’s efforts, which included the Chips and Science Act and its billions in subsidies to spur domestic semiconductor manufacturing. Trump urged lawmakers to eliminate the Chips Act and said he would not give chipmakers any more funds from the law.

3) Job cuts are on the way at Disney. The Walt Disney Company is eliminating roughly 200 jobs across its ABC and entertainment TV networks, according to an internal memo. The majority of the cuts affect the ABC News division in New York. Production units including ABC News Studios, 20/20 and Nightline will be consolidated and the impacted employees will be notified on Wednesday, according to the memo.

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President Donald Trump acknowledged there may be an “adjustment period” as his tariffs take effect, but defended his push to remake the US economy and declared “momentum is back” in a primetime speech to Congress on Tuesday night.

“Tariffs are about making America rich again and making America great again. And it’s happening, and it will happen rather quickly,” Trump said in the longest-ever presidential address to a joint session. “There’ll be a little disturbance, but we’re okay with that. It won’t be much.”

Trump’s address comes at a pivotal moment. Data shows new strains on the economy as factory activity stagnates, inflation simmers, consumer confidence ebbs, and stocks lag behind equity markets in other countries.

Stocks swung wildly Tuesday following Trump’s most recent tariff actions against the US’s largest trading partners, with the S&P 500 Index closing at its lowest level since before the president’s election last year. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick hinted the administration might announce a pathway for tariff relief for goods from Mexico and Canada — two of the countries hit — that are covered by a free trade agreement as soon as tomorrow.

For instant reaction and analysis to President Donald Trump's joint address to Congress, plus Michigan Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin's speech in response, Bloomberg Balance of Power hosts Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz along with Bloomberg Surveillance cohost Annmarie Hordern speak with:

• • Bloomberg politics contributors Rick Davis and Jeanne Sheehan Zaino
  • US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright
  • US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Scott Turner
  • Senator Adam Schiff of California

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Russia agreed to assist President Donald Trump’s administration in communicating with Iran on issues including the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program and its support for regional anti-US proxies, according to people familiar with the situation.
Trump relayed that interest directly to President Vladimir Putin in a phone call in February and top officials from his administration discussed the matter with their Russian counterparts at talks in Saudi Arabia days later, people familiar with the matter in Moscow said, declining to be identified because of the sensitivity of the issue. 
White House officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Neither Russia nor Iran have publicly confirmed or denied the request. 
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in response to questions sent by Bloomberg that “Russia believes that the United States and Iran should resolve all problems through negotiations” and that Moscow “is ready to do everything in its power to achieve this.” 
A spokesman for Iran’s foreign ministry, when asked if Russia had offered to mediate between Tehran and Washington, said only it was “natural” for countries to offer their assistance. 
“Given the significance of these matters, it’s possible that many parties will show good will and readiness to help with various problems,” the spokesman, Esmaeil Baghaei, said during a televised press conference Monday in Tehran. “From this perspective, it’s natural that countries will present an offer of help if it’s needed.” The ministry didn’t respond to questions from Bloomberg News. 
Since taking office about six weeks ago, Trump has tried to restore relations with President Vladimir Putin, which the US severed after Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. As Trump seeks to broker an end to that war directly with Putin — including a Feb. 12 phone call between the two leaders — both sides have signaled they’re open to cooperating on other geopolitical interests, including trade routes and resources in the Arctic. 
Top US and Russian officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, discussed Washington’s interest in Moscow helping with Iranian issues, during a Feb. 18 meeting in Riyadh, according to people with knowledge of the situation, asking not to be identified as not all details of those talks have been made public. 
Russia’s Lavrov later shared details about the US meeting with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi when they met in Tehran, Araghchi said in a televised press conference after the meeting.

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On today's podcast:

1) Trump Escalates Global Trade War, Sparking Tit-for-Tat Tariffs. President Donald Trump delivered on his threat to hit Canada and Mexico with sweeping import levies and doubled an existing charge on China, spurring swift reprisals that plunged the world economy into a deepening trade war. The US new tariffs — 25% duties on most Canadian and Mexican imports and raising the charge on China to 20% — impact roughly $1.5 trillion in annual imports, an expansive move signaling to markets that the Republican president is committed to wielding import duties to obtain fresh revenue and create domestic manufacturing jobs.

2) What Trump Aims to Achieve With His Tariffs. After promising during his election campaign to put import taxes back at the center of US economic policy, President Donald Trump moved swiftly once back in office, announcing significant new tariffs aimed at America’s trading partners. The tactics — implementing new tariffs and threatening others in an effort to intimidate or gain leverage on other disputes — represent a dramatic shift in a global economy where most major economies have sought to reduce trade barriers.

3) Trump Pauses Military Aid to Ukraine After Clash With Zelenskiy President Donald Trump ordered a pause to all US military aid to Ukraine, turning up the heat on Volodymyr Zelenskiy days after an Oval Office blowup with the Ukrainian president left support from his country’s most important ally in doubt. The US is holding up all pending military assistance until Trump determines Ukraine’s leaders demonstrate a good-faith commitment to peace, according to a senior Defense Department official, who asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations. The administration will also review the aid to make sure it’s contributing to a solution to the conflict, a White House official said.

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On today's podcast:

1) Europe races to support Ukraine after last week's Oval Office blowup. European leaders, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni, and French President Emmanuel Macron, are working to rebuild relations between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy after a disastrous clash at the White House. The leaders are fast-tracking efforts to improve their own defense capabilities and are seeking to build a "coalition of the willing" to participate in peacekeeping forces and reassure Kyiv about the durability of any peace.

2) President Trump readies a barrage of tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China. President Donald Trump is planning to impose new tariffs on Canada and Mexico, and double a levy on China, which would apply to roughly $1.5 trillion in annual imports. The tariffs would put a 25% tariff on all imports from Canada and Mexico, except Canadian energy, which would face a 10% rate, and would also double a tariff on China to 20%.

3) Andrew Cuomo enters the race for New York City mayor. Andrew Cuomo, the former three-term governor of New York, has announced his candidacy for mayor of New York City, joining a crowded field of challengers vying to unseat incumbent Mayor Eric Adams. Cuomo's decision to run has upended the race, with several polls showing him leading the field, and he has touted his record during the Covid-19 pandemic despite criticism from both Republicans and some members of his own party.

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