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Quote of the Week

Tough week for Nvidia basically…

The Orange Man President Donald Trump has launched a major effort to shrink the federal government, offering employees the option to resign and receive eight months pay.

Federal workers have until February 6 to opt into the “deferred resignation” program, with their employment ending by September.

The White House claims the plan could save up to $100 billion, while critics, including unions and Democratic lawmakers, warn of widespread disruption. The move follows Trump’s push to end remote work and reassert control over the federal workforce.

Meanwhile, Trump has also signed an executive order restricting gender-related medical treatments for minors and moved to pause federal grants and loans, though a judge has temporarily blocked the latter.

Trump calls for tariffs on computer chips, semiconductors and pharmaceuticals from Taiwan

Donald Trump has proposed tariffs on foreign-made computer chips, semiconductors, and pharmaceuticals, aiming to push production back to the U.S.

Speaking at a House GOP event, he criticized Biden’s $52 billion CHIPS Act, arguing that chipmakers like Intel don’t need subsidies and should instead face steep tariffs—potentially as high as 100%—if they manufacture abroad.

Industry groups warn that such tariffs could drive up electronics prices—game consoles could hit $1,000, while laptops and tablets could rise by 46%.

Meanwhile, the Semiconductor Industry Association defended the CHIPS Act, citing its role in spurring 90 new projects and tripling U.S. chip production by 2032.

Semiconductor and chip exports are a big part of Taiwan’s economy, and China has held a sovereign claim over the nation since 1949.

Computer chips aren’t the only chips struggling this week.

An FDA recall on Lay's potato chips originally issued in December has been upgraded by the agency to its highest risk level.

The original recall was in mid-December, with more than 6,000 bags of Lay's 13 oz. bags of classic chips removed from shelves in Washington and Oregon.

Rachel Reeves backs third Heathrow runway in growth push

UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves has changed her tune quite a bit.

Gone is the heavy taxation rhetoric of the October budget. Labour have gone into “growth, growth, growth” mode and they have big plans.

With the UK economy showing all the dynamism of a 3hr delayed EasyJet flight—flatlining at almost 0% growth in Q3— Reeves is rolling out the infrastructure plans.

A third runway at Heathrow, expansions at Gatwick and Luton, an Oxford-Cambridge "Silicon Valley" and a reform to free up pension fund profits are all part of her bid to get Britain moving.

Reeves insists economic growth requires bold decisions, not "worrying about the bats and newts," while critics argue that her tax hikes and red tape pledges don’t quite align.

The £78bn boost promised from these projects sounds good, but with GDP growth at a standstill, inflation still biting, and productivity lagging, the real question is whether Reeves is building runways for a big takeoff—or just another long taxi to nowhere.

Spare a thought for the poor newts and bats that’ll probably get clubbed to death building the new runway.

Firms finding it ‘almost impossible’ to survive after Labour tax hikes

Rachel Reeves’s grand vision for UK growth—runways, railways, and a £78bn Oxford-Cambridge tech hub—now collides with a stark economic reality: business distress is soaring.

Less than three months after Labour’s first Budget, critical financial distress among UK companies has jumped 50%, with sectors like hotels (+84%) and retail (+47%) hit hardest.

With compulsory liquidations at their highest since 2014, business leaders warn that recent tax hikes, National Insurance increases, and wage mandates could be the final blow for many firms already on the brink.

Reeves wants to "get spades in the ground"—but if businesses keep folding, there may not be much left to build on.

Spain’s Economy Surges Ahead with 3.2% Growth in 2024, Outpacing Eurozone Peers

While much of Europe limped through 2024, Spain sprinted ahead, posting 3.2% GDP growth—four times the eurozone average.

A record-breaking 94 million tourists, booming exports (+3%), and strong consumer spending (+3.7%) kept the economy buzzing, with unemployment hitting its lowest level since 2008.

Forecasts for 2025 remain bullish, with 2.5% growth expected, but challenges loom—rising living costs, political deadlock, and global trade tensions could slow the momentum.

Still, with a resilient services sector (+3.9%) and solid fiscal footing, Spain remains one of Europe’s standout economic performers.

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