POD TIME me, @robarmstrong.bsky.social and in his pod debut, Daire MacFadden, (who I don't think is on here) on what's eating the bond markets and how the UK is contriving to make a bad situation slightly worse, featuring: -FT anarchy -shampoo -no silly questions open.spotify.com/episode/19Rx...

Black White Black from Series of Ten Lithographs http://www.moma.org/collection/works/67187

Some all-time highs today: Intel Qualcomm SanDisk Micron Corning AMD AMAT Western Dig Texas Inst Seagate Some 52-week lows: Domino's Lululemon Norwegian Cruise McDonald's Hormel General Mills Tractor Supply @cnbc.com

You know what ground beef goes into? www.wsj.com/politics/pol...

POD me + the wriggly and restrained @robarmstrong.bsky.social on super soaraway US earnings, featuring: -Buy America? -Apocalypse Now -semi-annual reporting? Y tho? -muntjacs open.spotify.com/episode/6WO1...

McDonald's here continues to describe low-end as pressured & declining. Fair to say #$MCD has been more dour on this demo than most for a while now. This Q, #$V #$COF #$SYF with much broader view of this consumer have cited no step-down & if anything improvement. #$XLY #$XLF #$WMT #$DG

This is a great example of someone using Masshole in the best possible way. “Is that a question?” “Yeah, kinda, like… are we being pricks? Are we trying to do nothin’? Cause it seems like we’re doin’ nothin’.”

Reminder that we're doing this tonight. Stop by and say hello, if you want. Or not. Whatever. www.ft.com/content/7863...

POD @robarmstrong.bsky.social and I roped in @robinwigglesworth.ft.com for his favourite hobbies: shameless self-promotion and being a Finance History Dad. The essay question: Are AI the new US railroads? www.ft.com/content/f9ca...

Yes, can't imagine why the Brits would be up in arms over something that's threatening to tank their economy

The pod! From me and @robarmstrong.bsky.social Featuring: -the only funny joke by a central banker ever -staying alive -bathing in diamonds -extreme old age -NACHO is the new TACO open.spotify.com/episode/2G3g...

AI companies' talk about safety & responsibility is just noise. They will follow the money, like all other companies. And that's (mostly) fine. as.ft.com/r/c9d586a9-1...

👂🏻 POD 👂🏻 Me and @robarmstrong.bsky.social with a grab bag of stuff like: -are stocks behaving rationally for once? -UAE's Opexit -Jay Powell's swan song -TFW your smart watch hates you -snooker open.spotify.com/episode/2apZ...

Time for a particularly good round of the "Imagine if Obama did this" game

Broadway http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/kelly-broadway-t00511

25 April 1911 | A Dutch Jewish woman Elisabeth Carolina de Vries-Gersons was born in Tiel. In February 1943 she was deported to #Auschwitz together with her daughter Rosa Henriette. They were murdered in a gas chamber after selection.

A vibe check from commodities pros - www.ft.com/content/b5e2... via @robarmstrong.bsky.social It's worse than the headline numbers suggest:

Even as a critic who has tried to write about MJ’s legacy with nuance and grace, I appreciate the clarity the director of Leaving Neverland brings to the table

String Bean Leaves III https://collections.artsmia.org/art/46099/

🚨Job🚨 at @data.ft.com: We're hiring a data journalist in the US, based in New York or Washington #ddj: job-boards.greenhouse.io/financialtim...

Wearing a sweater does not make you a nice person: www.ft.com/content/b41b...

“.. Developing Asia is already in a full-blown energy crisis. .. Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines are facing shortages, rationing and demand destruction. .. If the strait remains closed, this will develop, horribly, into a food crisis ..” @robarmstrong.bsky.social www.ft.com/content/b5e2...

OOF

👂🏻 POD TIME 👂🏻 Me & our man in Lausanne, @robarmstrong.bsky.social, hanging out with the masters of the commodities universe, on the shit show in the middle east The commods gilet guys are *coining it* but still not up for Rob's jokes 🤣 Plus! Evil supervillains open.spotify.com/episode/1vDH...

www.ft.com/content/3ac8... LACMA’s new David Geffen Galleries — insanely expensive but utterly astonishing

Terrific reporting by @kayewiggins.ft.com, addressing a question that has been bugging me throughout Trump 2.0: What does the white-collar defence bar even do these days? as.ft.com/r/4b987ba4-1...

👂 POD 👂 me + @robarmstrong.bsky.social on springtime in markets! for some reason! featuring: -joy 😁 -bullshit 💩 -a drive-by on @robinwigglesworth.ft.com 👟 -artificial stupidity 🧠 -the Strait of Vermouth 😆 www.ft.com/content/c889...

👂🏻 POD👂🏻 me, @robarmstrong.bsky.social and FT legend Richard "Muddy" Waters, who I don't *think* is on here, on SpaceX Feat: -more Elon? Really? -how can this thing possibly be worth the thick end of $2 TRillion? -Indices -popes -magnolias open.spotify.com/episode/2qbr...

This is such good news. The Banner is a great paper.

oh snap

Comments are lively

Breaking news: Another very rich and once powerful man discovered that he can't bully the FT

Crispin Odey has dropped his £79mn libel claim against the Financial Times over its reporting of sexual misconduct allegations against him, acknowledging that the FT would win in its defence.  www.ft.com/content/6966...

👂🏻 POD TIME 👂🏻 me and @robarmstrong.bsky.social on: Are we there yet?? Featuring: -Rob slurping his coffee -people desperately trying to buy the war dip -no way back -stop "maxxing" everything FFS -okey doke open.spotify.com/episode/1ijP...

Happy dont mess with Ohio day

*POD* me + @robarmstrong.bsky.social but also, crucially, @mshannahmurphy.bsky.social at Very Early O'Clock in SanFran, on the social media lawsuits, featuring: - throwing the book at Zuck - weird witch coffee - shameless self-promotion by Rob (shocking, I know) - ANTM www.ft.com/content/5a73...

Hegseth doubled down on this megataco, saying that the strait is other countries' problem. Could just be the usual BS, but still mind boggling.

I have said, repeatedly, that in war Trump will not be able to Taco. This headline suggests I could be wrong. Holy crow.

woah

Rob writes a newsletter about markets in an economic superpower, I write a newsletter about politics in a country entering its third lost decade, hence my more maudlin disposition.

29 March 1933 | Polish Jewish boy, Serge Radzyner, was born in Warsaw. He emigrated to France. He was deported to #Auschwitz from #Drancy on 14 September 1942. He was murdered in a gas chamber after the arrival selection.

POD! me and @iankmsmith.ft.com on the bad times in UK and European bonds, including: -why it's easy but also a bit silly to blame hedge funds -why you need to care even if you think bonds are boring -Harry Potter -boy kibble open.spotify.com/episode/1BT7...

POD O CLOCK me and @robarmstrong.bsky.social , both a bit sniffly to be honest, on: -why do investors listen to the president? -nobody knows anything -although some oil traders got hella lucky? -Short kings -British compliments open.spotify.com/episode/3aUJ...

I thought @robarmstrong.bsky.social was using his serious voice when I heard him on the FT News Briefing this morning, turns out he just has a cold As does @katie0martin.ft.com Get well soon both! Great listen today on irrational kings, rational markets and rash trades

"Just two weeks ago, the president declared the war with Iran to be “very complete, pretty much”" ... and every syllable out of the president’s mouth turned out to be nonsense" by TACO-meister @robarmstrong.bsky.social www.ft.com/content/16c1...

Where we are at with markets and Trump - from the latest Unhedged from @robarmstrong.bsky.social and @katie0martin.ft.com as.ft.com/r/53bc8677-7...

Blue and White http://www.moma.org/collection/works/109763