UK Growth Downgrade, Powell In No Rush & Germany Confronts Trump Tariffs

Your morning briefing, the business news you need in just 15 minutes. On today's podcast: (1) Rachel Reeves faces a new risk of having to make spending cuts after the UK government’s fiscal watchdog downgraded its growth forecast, leaving Britain’s finance minister scrambling to meet her budgetary rules when a key report is published next month. (2) UK taxpayers will end up paying £150 billion ($186 billion) to cover the total losses incurred by the Bank of England on its quantitative easing program, according to new estimates. (3) The rise of multi-manager hedge funds poses a threat to financial stability, according to Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey. (4) Citadel founder Ken Griffin said he’s grateful that Elon Musk is taking time away from his companies to slash government spending but offered blunt criticisms of President Donald Trump’s rhetoric on tariffs. (5) Hamburg, Germany's largest seaport, is a hub of activity, handling two-thirds of the country's goods, but is vulnerable to the global trade war instigated by US President Donald Trump. (6) Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the central bank doesn’t need to rush to adjust interest rates, again signaling that officials will be patient before lowering borrowing costs further. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.