On today's podcast:
1) President Trump's optimism on trade is lifting stocks following yesterday's selloff on Wall Street. Positive signals from initial US-Japan trade talks stirred optimism agreements can be reached to avoid higher levies on American trading partners.
2) Fed Chair Jay Powell says tariffs make a challenging scenario for the Federal Reserve. Powell on Wednesday signaled a wait-and-see approach to tariffs, pushing back on hopes the central bank would act quickly to soothe investor fears. His comments, along with concerns over the impact of tariffs on the tech sector, helped end a two-day consolidation in stocks.
3) Harvard continues to push back against pressure from the White House. Harvard University's refusal to comply with a Trump administration deal to require it to reform its governance and end diversity programs is resulting in retribution. The administration's freezing funding of 2.2 billion dollars of multiyear grants, accusing Harvard of mishandling antisemitism on campus. President Trump says the school should lose its tax-exempt status and several outlets reported that the IRS is considering the issue