Today’s priceless Doonesbury 

Notes Today: 

• Russian precision-guided missiles are failing up to 60% of the time in Ukraine, three U.S. officials with knowledge of intelligence on the issue told Reuters, a possible explanation for the poor progress of Russia's invasion. 

• In the face of fierce Ukrainian resistance, Russia appeared to scale back its war ambitions, its defense ministry saying that the first stage of its mission had “generally been accomplished”. 

• The International Monetary Fund approved a $45bn debt restructuring program for Argentina after more than a year of negotiations. 

• Ice Shelf About the Size of Los Angeles Collapses in Antarctica

• JohnAuthers: I’ve learned since Feb. 24that I’m not a military expert, a refreshing change after two years of learning how little I knew about epidemiology. Like the pandemic before it, the war in Ukraine is a great reminder to investors and everyone else of the virtues of humility, and recognizing what you don’t know.

Russian Basic Goods

• reuters.com India is considering restrictions on sugar exports for the first time in six years and may cap exports at around 8 million tonnes in an effort to prevent domestic prices surging #sugar 

Sugar in the lead..

Quick Overview is up to date

Look out Russia!

All wheat US planted acreage:

Chart of interest: Soy  / Corn Ratio

Chart of interest: wheat

 Chart of interest: Soybeans

 Chart of interest: Corn

Chart of interest: Canadian $

 Utopia Street  Art

Quick Overview is up to date 

Notes Today:

 

• From a Telegram channel: "Vladimir Putin's general mental state has recently caused alarm among people who can be attributed to the president's inner circle. Putin is in a depressed state, often breaks down on loved ones and withdraws into himself. 

• The U.S. Treasury sanctions African Gold Refinery, one of the continent’s biggest processors of the metal, for allegedly contributing to conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

• Stocks in Mexico hit all time high

• US existing home sales at 6-month low

• South Carolina prisons gives green light to carry out executions by firing squad. 

• Nestle refuses to withdraw from Russia even after a desperate plea from Ukraine’s prime minister. 

• The coldest location on the planet has experienced an episode of warm weather this week unlike any ever observed, with temperatures over the eastern Antarctic ice sheet soaring 50 to 90 degrees above normal. (WP) 

• Remember when former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said: "Do you think Americans care about fucking Ukraine"? 

• U.S. House of Representatives voted 424-8 to permanently reauthorize the Global Magnitsky Act. The following reps voted against: Andy Biggs, Dan Bishop, Lauren Boebert, Matt Gaetz, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Glenn Grothman, Thomas Massie and Chip Roy.

A man was seated next to a kid ..

Commodity Traders Make Record Profits — And Now Want a Bailout

 

Quick Overview is up to date

Happy St. Patrick’s Day 

Diageo

Brekshire  Hathaway at $518,438 per share - remarkable!

Notes today: 

• Because of the war in Ukraine, the American biopharmaceutical company AbbVie has suspended the supply of Botox and fillers to Russia - the most popular products in Russian aesthetic medicine. Oligarch’s wife’s AND Mistresses will be seriously upset. 
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• Move over, real estate. Used-car prices are rising so quickly that some consumers are selling their vehicles for a tidy profit (Bloomberg)

• Russia Ally Uzbekistan Rebukes Ukraine Invasion, Won’t Recognize Moscow-Backed Separatist States.

• The U.S. House has voted to suspend normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus.