Listen to today’s podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-nqwUyvLDEvs7bV985k-gQ
Today’s podcast episode was created from the following stories:
Bitcoin tops $90,000, oil rises as Russia-Ukraine peace hopes falter
By Omkar Godbole — December 29, 2025
Bitcoin climbed more than 2% to trade above $90,000, with ether, XRP, and solana also advancing. The rally came as hopes for a Russia–Ukraine peace deal faded following strikes on critical energy infrastructure, helping lift WTI to $57.24 (+1%) and Brent to $60.81 (+0.8%) amid thin year-end trading. The juxtaposition of buoyant crypto and firmer oil underscores how geopolitical risk is steering risk appetite and inflation expectations into the year’s close.
Why haven’t Trump’s tariffs crashed the US economy?
By Jeffrey Frankel — December 29, 2025
Despite a sharp 2025 tariff hike that lifted the average effective U.S. rate from 2% to 18%, the immediate hit to inflation and jobs has been smaller than feared. Data gaps from a government shutdown, delayed or rolled-back levies, country exemptions, pre-tariff inventory stockpiling, and retailers absorbing costs helped mute the initial impact. The author warns the bill may come due in 2026 as more costs pass through to prices, pressuring real incomes if tariffs remain.
