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Yesterday, President Donald Trump announced a slew of tariffs on nearly every country in the worldover 180 of them, notes CNBC. The tariffs Trump announced are higher than most economists and business leaders feared. Trump chose to hold off on announcing the tariffs until after the markets closed yesterday, and after seeing how those markets have since reacted, it’s easy to understand why. Individual stocks and the markets as a whole plummeted after the tariffs were revealed, and in premarket trading, those markets and stocks remain greatly depressed. Major American companies like Apple, Amazon, Nike, Tesla, and Walmart are seeing their share prices decline this morning, while Nasdaq, Dow, and S&P futures have fallen significantly. President Trumps tariffs explained Trumps tariffs were announced yesterday on a day the president coined Liberation Day. Business leaders, economists, and global heads of state were on edge before the announcements, fearing just how high the tariffs would be. It turns out, in many cases, they were worse than expected. President Trump announced a minimum 10% tariff on nearly every country worldwide. That means that nearly every good that is imported into the United States will be slapped with a default 10% levya levy which will then either have to be absorbed by the U.S. company importing the product, leading to reduced profits, or passed on to American consumers, leading to increased prices. However, countries that were only hit with a 10% tariff could count themselves relatively lucky. Thats because Trump levied much higher tariffs against dozens of countries, which are also the countries from which American companies import most of their goods and parts. Here are some of the countries that got hit the hardest with high tariff rates: China: 54% Cambodia: 49% Vietnam: 46% Bangladesh: 37% Thailand: 36% Taiwan: 32% South Africa: 30% India: 26% Japan: 24% European Union (27 member states): 20% There are two big omissions from the list of key trading partners above: Canada and Mexico. Trump did not announce new tariffs on either country yesterday, but previous tariffs imposed on both nations remain in place, notes Reuters. Reactions from global leaders to the swatch of new tariffs have been vocal and swift. Many condemned Trumps tariffs and vowed to retaliate in kind, leading to fears that an all-out global tariff war is about to begin. Foreign stock markets have already fallen today, but the worst fall may be yet to come when U.S. markets open in just a few hours. American stock marketsand tech sharessink American investors are already not taking the news of Trumps tariffs well. As of the time of this writing, Americas three largest stock markets are down a significant amount, according to data from Yahoo Finance: S&P 500 Futures: down 3.23% Dow Futures: down 2.57% Nasdaq Futures: down 3.6% But things are even worse for many big-name tech stocks. Here is how many of Americas largest tech giants’ shares have reacted as of the time of this writing: Alphabet Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOG): down 2.76% Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN): down 5.7% Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL): down 7.4% Meta Platforms, Inc. (Nasdaq: META): down 4.23% Microsoft Corporation (Nasdaq: MSFT): down 2.27% NVIDIA Corporation (Nasdaq: NVDA): down 4.46% Shopify Inc. (Nasdaq: SHOP): down 10.13% Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE: TSM): down 4.84% Tesla, Inc. (Nasdaq: TSLA): down 4.86% As you can see, some tech stocks are being hit worse than others. Apples shares are among the worst hit. A significant reason for that is that Apple manufactures most of its products in China, Vietnam, and Indiaall countries that got hit with some of the most considerable tariffs. That means that Apple will either need to absorb those costs or increase prices for consumers. If Apple does the former, it will reduce the companys margins and profitability. If it does the latter, fewer people may buy its products, reducing the companys profitability. Likewise, NVIDIA and TSMC shares are among the biggest tech losers since their products rely on supplies from some of the hardest-hit countries, including China and Taiwan. As for Amazon, many of the goods the company sellsfrom tech to clothingcome from a number of the hardest-hit countries, including China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and more. Shopify is one of the hardest hit tech companies this morning, because many of the goods sellers on its platform offers originate from the countries that are hardest hit by Trumps tariffs. As for Tesla, many of the components that go into its electric vehicles are sourced from overseas. Even tech giants that dont generate too much of their revenue from selling physical goods imported from overseaslike Meta and Googleare seeing their share prices fall, because those companies rely on infrastructure made overseas, like servers, to keep their businesses going. Physical retailers and apparel makers see stock prices get hit, too But its not just Americas tech stocks that are getting hammered. Here is how many of Americas largest retailers and apparel makers shares are reacting: Costco Wholesale Corporation (Nasdaq: COST): down 3.4% Lululemon Athletica Inc. (LULU): down 12.48% NIKE, Inc. (NYSE: NKE): down 9.6% Target Corporation (TGT): down 5.12% Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT): down 4.96% Much of the apparel Americans buy comes from countries like China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Indiaall of which were hit hard by Trumps tariffs. Its no wonder then that apparel makers, including Lululemon and Nike, are seeing some of the biggest share price drops today. And just as Amazon and Shopify are seeing large declines in their stock prices, Americas brick-and-mortar retailers are as wellagain, due to the fact that they import many of their goods from the countries hit hardest by Trumps tariffs. Thse retailers include Costco, Target, and Walmart. How will the tariffs affect me? Every American will likely be affected by Trumps tariffs. This will primarily happen in two ways. First, Americans will likely see most of the goods they buyfrom gadgets to food to clothing to carsjump in price over the next days and weeks. This means Americans money will be able to buy less, and Americans with lower incomes will be hit harder than those with higher incomes because they already have less discretionary spending power. Second, as of this morning, many Americans who invest directly or indirectly in the stock marketwhether through a brokerage account, 401 (k), or pension planwill likely see their investments be hit. Those who dont need to tap into these funds for years or decades may be able to ride out the tariff storm. But those older Americans who are or will be tapping into their investments in the coming weeks will, if the stock price declines today hold, see that their investments are worth less than they were before the tariffs went into effect. However, as poorly as the markets have already reacted after Trumps tariff announcements yesterday, things could get even worse in the days ahead. Thats because we do not yet know how, exactly, other countries will respond. If they respond as strongly in kindand its likely many will, including trading powerhouse Chinathen many experts fear that Trumps tariff wars could lead to another global recession like the one the world has not seen since 2008.
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Are you ready for another 140 days of summer vacation? Disney announced today that the long-awaited reboot of its animated hit Phineas and Ferb will be back on June 5 for the start of a 40-episode run across Disneys linear and streaming platforms. The action picks up the summer after the shows original run left off, with the kids a year older but not visibly changedexcept for an extra orange stripe on Phineass trademark T-shirt. Co-creators Dan Povenmire and Jeff Swampy Marsh are back at the helm. Originally launched on Disney XD in 2008 (after a 2007 sneak peek), the animated showabout two inventive stepbrothers on summer vacation, their pet platypus, and a bumbling supervillain named Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtzaired for 126 episodes, the longest-running show in Disney TV history. It beat out rival Nickelodeons SpongeBob SquarePants to become the No. 1 animated TV series among tweens (ages 9 to 14) in 2009, and became the most successful animated series for kids and tweens in Disney Television Animation history. The show spawned six one-hour specials, two movies, a soundtrack album, a touring live show, and a really dedicated cult following both IRL and online (Povenmire has 6.8 million followers on TikTok). Its multilevel humor, catchy songs, and lively visuals appealed not only to its tween target audience but also to their parents. Now those kids are in college, their parents are in their forties and fifties, and theres a whole new generation of younger viewers who have discovered the show on Disney+. (Across linear and streaming platforms, more than 13 billion hours of Phineas and Ferb content has been viewed since the shows launch.) Disney has extensive plans to reach all of those viewers where they are. The new episodes will air first on Disney Channel, Disney XD, and Disney Channel YouTubeand the next day on Disney+.
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Its summer again. A decade may have passed in real time since stepbrothers Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher had their last summertime adventure on TV, but its just one unremarkable school year later for the characters in the beloved animated TV series Phineas and Ferb. The longest-running show in Disney Channel history, Phineas and Ferb aired from February 2008 to June 2015, winning five Emmys and becoming the most successful animated series for kids (ages 6 to 11) and tweens (ages 9 to 14) in Disney Television Animation history. It became the No. 1 animated TV series among tweens in 2009, supplanting Nickelodeons SpongeBob SquarePants. Tina Fey, Ben Stiller, Seth MacFarlane, and Chaka Khan guest-starred, among many others, attracting a wide audienceroughly 25% of whom were older than 18. A live show featuring costumed actors doing musical numbers toured North America from 2011 to 2013. Then, after a seven-year run of 126 two-part episodes, co-creators Dan Povenmire and Jeff Swampy Marsh ended the show. They were exhausted. But viewers were notPhineas and Ferb has since racked up more than 13 billion viewing hours across linear and streaming platforms. It remains Disneys top-ranked title among boys 6 to 11, and has achieved cult status among many of its original fans. Dan Povenmire and Jeff Swampy Marsh, creators and executive producers of Disneys Phineas and Ferb [Photo: Disney/Michael Kirchoff] During the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, Povenmire got on TikTok because I was bored, he says. Almost immediately I got millions and millions of followers. (He has 6.8 million today.) I realized that all the twentysomethings who grew up with the show had all moved to TikTok. Posts in which hed evoke the voice of Phineas and Ferb archvillain Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz would get millions of views overnight. [Image: Disney] In January 2023, Disney announced it was bringing the show back. Forty new episodes are set to run, starting with two episodes on Thursday, June 5, at 8 p.m. ET and PT on Disney Channel and Disney XD. (The first episode will be available that same day on Disney Channel YouTube). The first 10 episodes of the season will then premiere the next day on Disney+ and also be available to stream on Disney Channel On Demand. The action picks up the summer after the shows original run, with the kids a year older but not visibly changedexcept for an extra orange stripe on Phineass trademark T-shirt. (You can see the new trailer here.) [Image: Disney] If you were bingeing the whole series and got to the end of the fourth season and went right into the fifth season, it shouldnt feel like a different show, says Povenmire, who returns to the helm with longtime collaborator Marsh (they also voice the characters of Dr. Doofenshmirtz and Major Monogram, respectively). Most of the original voice cast is also returning, and the new series will have the same format: two stories contained in a 30-minute time slot. But since the shows original run, the world has changed, the way audiences consume media has evolved, and the Disney universe has expanded. So with the reboot of Phineas and Ferb, Disney is using every trick in its marketing playbook, hoping to optimize new platform synergies and maximize engagement with fans well beyond the typical Disney Channel demographic of 6- to 14-year-olds. With Phineas and Ferb, we have a rare opportunity to tap into both nostalgia and discovery, says Shannon Ryan, president of marketing at Disney Entertainment Television. Many original fans are now young adults or parents, and our campaign is designed to celebrate that cross-generational appeal. [Image: Disney] “Hey, Ferb! I know what were going to do today! Phineas and Ferb is known for its rapid-fire puns, visual gags, and zany pop-culture eferences, all of which came easily to creators Povenmire and Marsh, veterans of The Simpsons, King of the Hill, and Family Guy. The shows plot is essentially always the same: Phineas and Ferb dream up an over-the-top, large-scale inventionan other-dimensionator, a giant robot shark, a tower to the moon, an animal translator, a time machine, a backyard beach with an oceanand get their pals to help them build it. Their teenage sister, Candace, tries to bust them. Meanwhile, the boys pet platypus, Perry, in his alter ego as super-spy Agent P., battles the gleefully evil supervillain Dr. Doofenshmirtz and his latest -inator device (De-Love-Inator, Hot-Dog-Vendor-Revenge-Inator, Double-Negative-Inator, to name a few). Almost always, the story ends with the evidence of the boys invention being wiped away, leaving Candace fuming. Early on, we decided to make the show a nicer show, Povenmire says. We decided to get rid of a lot of the attitudinal humor that is the easiest to write and say, Let’s see if we can make a good, edgy show without making the characters into jerks and idiots. And I think thats what you geta show that’s wholesome but not cringey. [Image: Disney] Integral to the shows appeal are its catchy songs, written by Povenmire, Marsh, and collaborator Martin Olson. Every episode of Phineas and Ferb features at least one musical number, and these songs have continued to inspire viral content on TikTok and Instagram many years later. Id see Jason Derulo [dancing to] Platypus Controlling Me, Povennmire says, Lizzo doing Squirrels in my Pants in front of a sold-out crowd at a concert, Jimmy Fallon and Reese Witherspoon doing Squirrels on TV. It was really bizarre, but it gave us this feeling like theres still a very rabid fan base out there. Its an unusually broad one. The first generation of Phineas and Ferb fans are college age. Their parents, who were often won over as well, are now (gulp) in their fifties. And an entire new generation of youngsters has discovered the show through streaming on Disney+. Each of these audiences has different viewing habitsand presents unique marketing challengesand Disney has made a calculated plan to appeal to them all. [Image: Disney] Seize the day! Even during the shows original run, it was clear that fan appetite extended beyond traditional TV, Ryan says. Thats why we launched early original short-form series like Take Two With Phineas and Ferb and Doofs Daily Dirt to keep the world alive between seasons. This summer, Disney will debut two new original shorts, Cartoonified With Phineas and Ferb, a Take Two update featuring interviews with real-life celebrities drawn in the style of the series, and Agent P, Under C, featuring Perry as Agent P. battling rivals from A.N.A.T.H.E.M.A. (the Alliance of Nefarious Animals That Has an Exceptionally Memorable Acronym). The shorts will play on Disney Channel, Disney+, and Disney YouTube channels. The new episodes themselves will initially run at 8 p.m. ET and PT on Disney Channela prime family viewing hour. They will then stream on Disney+ the next day, with more episodes released over subsequent weeks. The linear and streaming platforms dont seem to be cannibalizing each other, says Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded TV. Kids are title loyal, platform agnostic, and they watch anything, any and everywhere. [Image: Disney] Meanwhile, thanks to Disney+s extended constellation of properties including Marvel and Star Wars, there are new brand synergies to capitalize on. There were a couple of crossover episodes in the original run of the series, including Mission Marvel and Star Wars. This time around, Marvel will publish new comics featuring Phineas and Ferb and other show characters reimagined as superheroes. [Image: Disney] New show-related merch will include the first Phineas and Ferb FunkoPop! collectible figures and, on May 9, an album from Disney Music Group called Lofi: Phineas and Ferb, featuring chilled-out renditions of 10 songs from the original series. The summer celebratory takeover, in Disneys marketing speak, will also include trailer placement with in-theater screenings of the Warner Bros. Minecraft movie; promotion at this years Vans Warped Tour music festival; branded ice-cream trucks at beaches; and a sponsorship at the San Diego Zoo, home to the only two platypuses in the U.S. Near the start of the new series pilot, Phineas, Ferb, and their gang frantically throw out dozens of ideas for their next invention. Rather than deciding on one, they build them all. Disney seems to be doing much the same thing. Our campaign is about more than launching a new season of a hit show, Ryan says. Its about making Phineas and Ferb the must-experience event of the summer. Its going to be hard to miss.
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