🌞 War Games – February 17 2022

*Stock data as of market close, cryptocurrency data as of 5:00am ET. 

• Markets: Stocks slipped on Thursday as traders weighed geopolitical developments in Ukraine and a flurry of corporate earnings. Nvidia crushed earnings expectations by doubling its revenue but then share prices dropped like a rock in after-hours trading. Go figure. 

The Lead: War or Not to War

credit: getty

We are in a he-said, she-said situation regarding the possible war in Ukraine. Russia says that it is withdrawing troops from the Ukrainian border and the West says, “no you’re not.” 

The Biden administration says that up to 7,000 more troops have arrived at the Ukrainian border. In a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Russian President Vladimir Putin says that he has already begun a “partial troop withdrawal.” 

A Russian official says that the troop exercises that the West is alarmed about is an annual drill that happened the same way last year and no one said “Boo” about it. 

The U.S. Navy now says that Russian planes flew over international airspace in an “unprofessional” way on Wednesday. 

Recall that the U.S. warned two weeks ago about fake Russian videos that would provoke war. Could the videos of troop withdrawal be faked or are they real and that was the U.S. government’s warning not to believe it? 

European leaders are set to discuss the situation today. It’s noteworthy that every time European leaders ring in, they indicate de-escalation because Europe is the most dependent on Russian exports. Every time U.S. officials discuss the situation, they indicate escalation. 

Is anyone else perplexed by all of this rhetoric?

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Government Funded Harm

credit: getty

New research shows that world governments subsidize harmful farming practices to the tune of $1.8 billion. This means that governments help businesses that clear out forests, rainforests, grasslands and savannah areas to grow food in unsustainable ways. 

Yet, reforestation is crucial. See the story below about rising sea levels. Shouldn’t government subsidies be redirected towards sustainable farming pronto?? 

“In a situation where, as a civilisation, we are dying from climate change and biodiversity loss, we should not be spending money on making the situation worse,” Ariel Brunner, head of policy for BirdLife Europe and Central Asia, told The Guardian. “The biggest threats to our ability to feed ourselves are climate change and environmental collapse. We have enough food. The only scenarios in which we wouldn’t have enough are linked to running out of water, soil erosion and the collapse of ecosystems.” 

Indeed, the world does have enough food. The problem is that access is limited for those without wealth and those with wealth waste it. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, industrialized nations annually waste 670 million tons of food. Think about that next time you go shopping. Too many of us buy food that was grown on deforested land just to throw it away. 

Rising Tides Lifts All Boats

credit: getty

A new report shows that sea levels will rise in the next 30 years at the same rates that they did in the last 100 years. So ⅓ faster. This comes from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

This would equate to 10-12 inches of sea-level increase by 2050. That is a lot. Scientists say that it will lead to more coastal flooding, high-tide flood events, bigger hurricanes, you name it. 

Is this a sure thing? No. The report says that it is dependent on how much the world cuts fossil fuel emissions in order to limit global temperature increases. Well, the world is not moving all that fast on that front so we are heading towards that forecast. 

News By The Numbers

credit: abc

40. That is how many Ironman races an 82-year-old man in Florida has done. He recently qualified for another in Hawaii in October. 

0. That is how many Ironman races I have done. 

86%. That is how many guns seized at airport security last year were loaded, according to the Transportation Security Administration. 

10,000. That is how many pillows My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell was carrying with him when he was denied entry to Canada to join the Ottawa Freedom Convoy on Tuesday. Maybe he didn’t know that most freight trucks have sleeper cabs so they’re probably good on pillows. 

Today's Live Show

MORNING INVEST LIVE

Here's what's coming up on our live show at 9AM EST. 

• Justing Trudeau digs an even deeper hole as Ottawa police warn of mass arrests coming
• NATO doesn't believe that Russia is de-escalating the situation

 Click here to RSVP and we'll see you at 9 AM Eastern. 

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

credit: disney

When I was a child, I wanted to live at a Disney park. Clayton still does. 

This is now a possibility because Disney is building residential communities. The first development will be called Cotino and will have 1,900 housing units including single-family homes and condos in Southern California. 

The development will have shops, a hotel and a 24-acre lagoon. You’ll have to stock your own fridge with Mickey butter. 

What's Trending?

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Aaron Rodgers is trending on news that he and fiancé Shailene Woolley have broken up. 

Bob Saget is trending because a judge in Florida has blocked the release of his death investigation. Some are speculating it has to do with Covid. 

Linda Evangelista is trending because she shared photographs of her body after a bad reaction to cosmetic surgery. Instead of reducing fat, it increased it. 

Pot Roast is trending because the thusly-named cat that was a TikTok star has died.

JeenYuhs is trending because Netflix released a three-part documentary on the life of Kanye West. 

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