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We’ve heard about people rushing to replace big-ticket essentials ahead of trade war-related price hikes, but what about stuff that’s more of a want than a need? In this episode: Tariff anxieties shape discretionary spending, giving consumers a way to feel some control in this chaotic economy. Plus: mixed signals from a manufacturing report, bitcoin’s chance at “digital gold,” and one of Altadena’s largest employers wants to rebuild and rehire longtime staff after the California wildfires.

For the first few years of the pandemic, businesses navigated a backed-up global supply chain that left some with excess inventory and others with no inventory at all. Tariffs may cause similar issues: Companies are stocking up on imports, and prices will likely rise. In this episode, business owners compare this economic moment to early-COVID supply snarls. Plus: Trade tensions are causing a drop in oil prices and stoking confusion in the steel industry. Also: The first installment of our series about how Altadena, California, businesses will rebuild after the devasting wildfire.

Fear of unemployment jumped 4.6 percentage points to 44% in March, according to a New York Fed survey. That’s the highest it’s been since April 2020. Expect the commercial real estate market to feel that same vibe. Companies concerned about a tariff-induced recession may make cuts or stick with Zoom instead of leasing new office space, experts told us. Also: Uncertainty is driving up junk bond yields, foreign investors may be pulling back on U.S. markets, and we talk to a small-business executive in “survival mode” over tariffs.

Just like some people fudge the numbers to lower their taxes, some companies do the same when paying tariffs on foreign goods. The federal government is mostly trusting that what’s in that shipping container is actually 100 bicycles, and not 500 bicycles. But erratic, rapidly changing trade policy is making it easier to evade tariffs, a customs broker told us. Also in this episode: Car insurance costs dip (but probably won’t stay down), a six-figure household income isn’t what it used to be, and the U.S. dollar takes a tumble.

Stocks aren’t the only assets in the financial markets that were beat up this week by President Trump’s tariffs. Bonds suffered too. After 3-year Treasury yields rose in the face of disappointing demand, bond investors are scrutinizing Treasury auctions for signs of further weakness. Also in this episode: Trump's anti-DEI push could hurt minority contractors, Atlanta Fed chief Raphael Bostic counsels caution and a millennial in Texas dreams of becoming a homeowner.