Buzz -- Posting Evening Of Thursday, February 13, 2025

Locator: 48552BUZZ.

The buzz -- headline without links. It doesn't take a weatherman to know which way the wind is blowing.

Geiger:

Apple: Tim Cook to announce "new member" of the family on February 19th. Betting: iPhone SE. My current phone is an iPhone SE --- much interest ... to say the least ...

India: after discouraging remarks in the Oval office about trade with India, it's being reported that Modi and Trump aim to more than double bilateral trade to $500 billion in five years. 

For reference, in 2023, same figure for US / Mexico was $807 billion. Canada/US: $923 billion. China and the US, 2024: $582 billion.

TikTok: returns to Apple, Google app stores. Biggest story trending on social media; business networks. Trump signed EO on his first day in office to extend a decision on TikTok for an additional 75 days, to April 5.  

CHIPS Act: things on hold. Trump will re-evaluate proposed payments to various chip companies. Watch for winners and losers. Tea leaves: Intel (INTC) will be a winner. 

Federal agencies: ordered to fire probationary employees.

Firing federal employees: very, very tricky; very, very difficult. Trump is getting it done four different ways. Sort of like his strategy on deporting illegal immigrants. Trump remains the smartest man in the room.

They must be reading the blog: Trump 2.0 is closer to JFK. Kamala and today's Democratic Party are closer to Dick Cheney. In the US Senate, Schumer is another Mitch McConnell; and in the US House, Obama's doppelgänger is Jeffries. Schumer and Jeffries: bad, bad optics.

Nvidia: will delay its RTX 5070 until after AMD's reveal.

Papa Johns: stock soars on report of potential takeover.

IRS: Trump confirms that DOGE will be auditing the IRS. The betting is that it will be sooner than later. Thursday afternoon, 1:27 p.m. ET, February 13, 2025 -- it's being reported that DOGE employees just entered the FBI building.

Schwab: names new head of digital assets as company eyes crypto opportunities.

The Fed: JPow is out no later than the end of 2026. Trump is looking to name Ron Paul to replace JPow.

Roku stock soars, after earnings report.

Does this feel like a recession?

Porsche: to cut 1,900 jobs in Germany after EV demand slumps.