ROWN N CHAOS – FEBRUARY 20, 2025

USA VS. CANADA: HOCKEY WARS & TARIFF THREATS

Tonight, Boston’s TD Garden is ground zero for the most electric hockey showdown in years: USA vs. Canada for the championship of the 4 Nations Face-Off—a brutal, fist-filled replacement for the NHL All-Star Game. This is a rematch of Saturday night’s instant classic, where 4.4 million viewers watched these neighbors drop gloves three times within nine seconds before Team USA skated away victorious.

As if the on-ice carnage wasn’t enough, the geopolitical tension is thick. Canadian fans have been booing The Star-Spangled Banner at hockey and basketball games after Trump threatened to slap tariffs on Canada and floated the idea of making it the 51st state.

Ticket prices? Try $2,000 to $4,000—rivaling Super Bowl costs. We’ll be watching from the cheapest bar we can find.

MARKETS: MONEY TALKS, INVESTORS ROLL

• Nasdaq – 20,056.25 (+0.08%)

• S&P 500 – 6,144.15 (+0.24%)

• Dow – 44,627.59 (+0.16%)

• 10-Year Treasury – 4.535% (-1.0 bps)

• Bitcoin – $96,411.55 (+1.48%)

• Microsoft – $414.77 (+1.25%)

Market Breakdown:

• S&P 500 hit another record high, shrugging off Trump’s threats of 25% tariffs on autos, drugs, and semiconductors.

• Microsoft is flexing its quantum computing muscles with its first-ever chip—20 years in the making.

NIKOLA: FROM EV DARLING TO BURNOUT

Another one bites the dust.

Nikola, once a hyped-up EV semi-truck maker worth more than Ford, just filed for bankruptcy.

What happened?

• 2020: Nikola went public via SPAC without selling a single truck.

• 2022: Founder Trevor Milton convicted of securities fraud for faking tech advancements.

• 2023: Forced to recall every single truck after multiple fire incidents.

• 2024: CEO Steve Girsky admits they’re broke.

Now, Nikola joins Fisker, Lordstown Motors, and Electric Last Mile Solutions in the growing graveyard of overhyped, underdelivering EV companies. Even Ford, GM, and Volvo are scaling back their EV ambitions, proving the industry is rougher than an overcooked steak.

TRUMP VS. ZELENSKY: VERBAL SMACKDOWN

Things got heated after the U.S. and Russia talked about ending the Ukraine war—without Ukraine in the room.

• Trump accused Ukraine of starting the war (Russia invaded in 2022, but sure).

• Zelensky clapped back, saying Trump was lost in Russian disinformation.

• Trump fired back, calling Zelensky a “Dictator without Elections” and complaining about U.S. spending—while exaggerating the actual amount.

Diplomacy? Never heard of her.

KFC DITCHES KENTUCKY FOR TEXAS

The "Kentucky" Fried Chicken brand is packing up its corporate HQ in Louisville, KY, and heading for the land of cowboy boots—Plano, Texas.

Parent company Yum Brands (owners of Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and Habit Burger) is consolidating operations, shifting to hubs in Texas and California. So, if you’re in Kentucky and feel betrayed… grab a biscuit, you’ll be fine.

APPLE KILLS THE HOME BUTTON (FOR GOOD)

Apple just dropped its new “budget” phone—the iPhone 16e ($600), shipping February 28.

Key changes:

• No more home button (RIP to your muscle memory).

• Face ID-only unlock (Welcome to the future).

• Apple’s first in-house cellular chip, ditching Qualcomm and saving billions in licensing fees.

Big picture? Apple’s been struggling in China, and this is part of their “please buy our phones again” strategy.

HOLLYWOOD WHO? CHINA DOMINATES THE BOX OFFICE

China’s Ne Zha 2, a blockbuster about a fire-wielding, demon-slaying child, just became the highest-grossing animated movie ever—raking in $1.7 billion globally in just three weeks.

Why this matters:

• First non-Hollywood film to crack the global Top 10 box office list.

• China’s box office is up 96% year-over-year.

• U.S. movies are increasingly irrelevant in China’s growing film industry.

The global movie game is changing, and Hollywood better take notes.

GOVERNMENT BLOWS AN $8 BILLION MATH PROBLEM

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a White House initiative championed by Elon Musk, was bragging about saving the government $55 billion—until the receipts didn’t add up.

One $8 billion canceled ICE contract? Actually only $8 million. They accidentally overcounted by 7,992,000,000 dollars. Classic.

Now, after some quick Ctrl + Z, the updated tally is $8.6 billion in real savings, leaving $46.4 billion unaccounted for. Transparency at its finest.

WHAT ELSE IS BREWING?

• Two small planes collided over Arizona, killing at least two people.

• Ex-OpenAI CTO Mira Murati just launched her own AI startup with 20 top researchers.

• Trump is trying to kill NYC’s congestion pricing program, calling it a “slap in the face” to working-class drivers (and his ego).

• Virgin Voyages is offering 80% off your second ticket + $300 in free drinks—because the best vacations include booze and no kids.

CHAOS ARMY, SOUND OFF!

You made it to the end—congrats, legend. Now do your duty:

• Share this newsletter with your fellow chaos junkies.

• Follow @RockKingBobbyD on all platforms for more unfiltered madness.

• Get the merch at Shred Apparel—because looking cool is half the battle.

Until tomorrow, keep it loud, keep it chaotic.

—The Rock King & Chaos CrewSHARE THE CHAOS

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