US equities faced volatility as the S&P 500 surged 8% before plummeting 3.5% over claims labeled 'fake news' by the White House regarding tariff postponements. The rumors triggered erratic trading after social media speculation suggested that President Trump might consider a three-month pause on tariff enforcement. However, White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett denied these claims, reinforcing that tariffs will proceed as scheduled. Concurrently, Bitcoin remained stable around $78,000, despite falling below $80,000 recently. Amidst ongoing trade tensions, Trump warned of imposing a 50% tariff on China if retaliation did not cease. As trading unfolded, the S&P 500 was trading 0.6% lower, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average briefly turned positive before dropping significantly. The volatility has heightened expectations, with markets now anticipating five interest rate cuts from the Federal Reserve in the coming year, sharply increasing the likelihood of a May rate cut from 14% to 33%.

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