Market Ripples and Migration Mandates

Welcome to Neural Newscast. I am Evelyn Hartwell. It is Tuesday, January 13th, 2026. And well, we are tracking what's turning out to be a really significant day of policy shifts. We're seeing it reverberate through the financial sectors and, honestly, much further. The S&P 500 has retreated from its recent record highs, closing down 0.19% at 69.63, as the market really begins to digest this series of aggressive executive edicts coming out of the White House. And I'm Lila Grant. It is a wild day for the markets, Evelyn. I mean, truly. We're seeing a major vibe shift on Wall Street right now. Even though JP Morgan actually beat earnings expectations on both the top and bottom lines today, their stocks still took a 4.2% hit. It's like the market is trying to find its footing, while the administration, well, they keep moving the floorboards with these new proposals. Yeah, and that skepticism seems rooted in whether these proposals are even feasible, Lila. I mean, we are looking at potential 10% caps on credit card interest rates and a ban on institutional investors buying up single-family homes. While those might be popular talking points, the banking industry is already signaling some major resistance. JPMorgan's CFO, Jeremy Barnum, indicated the industry might push back, and we're seeing market analysts like Tim Holland questioning if these changes can even happen without congressional approval. Exactly. And it's not just the banks feeling the heat. Defense companies are now being told they shouldn't issue dividends or buyback stocks. It's creating this massive cloud of uncertainty. Even Microsoft was down over a percent today after the president mentioned they'd be changing how they handle utility costs for their new data centers. The tech world is definitely watching its back right now, Evelyn. That uncertainty extends right into the energy sector as well. We saw oil prices jump today after the administration canceled all meetings with Iran. This follows that announcement that any country doing business with Iran would face a 25% tariff on their U.S. business. It's a return to maximum pressure. and we're seeing that immediately reflected in the commodities market. Mm-hmm. And the energy play is just so intense. Between the Iran news and the pressure on domestic tech to keep utility costs down, it feels like the administration is trying to micromanage the entire supply chain. It's a lot for traders to keep up with. And we're seeing that reflected in the volatility of the Dow, which shed, I think, think it was nearly 400 points today. Now, amidst all that volatility, we did get some hard data on inflation today. The December Consumer Price Index showed core inflation rose 0.2% for the month, which was actually slightly lower than what economists expected. This suggests that the underlying price pressures are, well, they're stabilizing, though the Federal Reserve is still expected to hold rates steady through the early part of this year. But Evelyn, we have to talk about the sustainability of this. Stifle's chief equity strategist released a note today calling the current K-shaped economy unsustainable. Basically, if only the wealthier spending and everyone else is feeling the squeeze, the growth we've seen in the S&P 500 might not last for a fourth straight year. It's a real reality check for that everything is fine narrative. It is a sober reminder that the macro level records don't always reflect the ground level reality. And speaking of ground-level changes, we have to look at the massive shift in immigration policy announced this morning. The administration has confirmed it will end temporary protective status, or TPS, for Somali nationals currently in the United States. This is a huge deal for the Somali community, Evelyn. White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt and Homeland Security Secretary Christy Nome were very clear. The deadline is March 17, 2026. NOME's exact words were temporary means temporary. This follows a pattern of the administration pulling TPS from several other countries, like Afghanistan and Venezuela too. And you have to remember, Somalia has been eligible for this status since 1991. For over 30 years, thousands of people have built lives here under that protection. The administration's argument is that conditions in Somalia have improved enough that the status is no longer legally required, though many human rights groups and legal experts are already preparing to challenge these moves in court. Right, and the rhetoric surrounding this is really heating up. We're seeing it all over social media. The president's recent comments calling these regions, um, hellholes and targeting specific communities in Minnesota has created a really charged atmosphere. It's not just a policy change. It's a total shift in how the U.S. is positioning itself globally on human rights. It is a day of definitive actions, certainly. From the financial markets responding to executive edicts to the hard deadlines set for thousands of residents, the landscape is shifting rapidly. We will continue to track the legal challenges and market reactions as they develop. I'm Evelyn Hartwell. And I'm Leela Grant. Thanks for keeping it locked on our coverage. We'll be back tomorrow with the latest on how these stories are trending and what they mean for your world. Neural Newscast is AI-assisted, human-reviewed. View our AI transparency policy at neuralnewscast.com.