tybs
RAF RRR6899 C-17 Globemaster departed Kyiv after another delivery
>>121903 pb C-17 Loads Of Anti-Tank Missiles Arrive In Ukraine Courtesy Of The United Kingdom
NATO07 USAF E-3 Sentry AWACS over Turkey from Geilenkirchen
SAM193 USAF C-32A on ground at Kyiv (from last night)-Blinken
SAM182 USAF G5 sw from JBA and transponder off just ne of Fort Jackson
French AF CTM1023 A330 es from MacDill AFB overnight
09-0016 USAF C-32A on a low altitude flight west and also trans off just east of Charlottesville Albemarie Airport
VALOR29 USAF G5 inbound from Ramstein AFB depart earlier today
Biden Picks Democratic Donor Jane Hartley as U.K. Ambassador
Joe Biden plans to nominate Jane Hartley as the U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom, picking a longtime Democratic donor for one of the most prestigious diplomatic posts.
Hartley, who served as U.S. ambassador to France during the Obama administration, was a “bundler” for the Biden campaign, soliciting checks from a broad swath of donors. If confirmed, the former Democratic aide and consultant will move into the historic Winfield House, a sprawling 12-acre estate in London’s Regent’s Park.
Biden is announcing Hartley’s pick Wednesday, along with several others, according to the White House. Nominees are subject to Senate confirmation.
Two other top donors Elizabeth Bagley and Alan Leventhal are among those the president selected to serve as ambassadors. Bagley, the widow of R.J. Reynolds tobacco heir Smith Bagley, will be nominated as U.S. envoy to Brazil. Bagley served as the ambassador to Portugal during the Clinton administration, and was a major fundraiser for the Biden campaign. The president selected Leventhal, the founder of Beacon Capital Partners, as ambassador to Denmark.
A career diplomat, Alexander Laskaris, will be nominated to serve as U.S. ambassador to Chad.
https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/biden-picks-democratic-donor-jane-hartley-as-u-k-ambassador-1.1709911
only thing he doin' today after 'getting up' an hour ago
4:00pm EST Not AF1 Joe holds a press conference
https://factba.se/biden/calendar
WIFE10 US Navy E-6 B Mercury with an early depart from Travis and off-shore
>for Mrs. G
Nice breakout on Au
They still habs way too much control on Ag but nice to see it through the DMA's albeit berry choppy.
Expect a smack if it gets too far above $24/oz
https://www.kitco.com/charts/livegold.html
https://www.kitco.com/charts/livesilver.html
02-5001 USAFSOC C-32B heading to NAS Oceana from Nashville Int'l depart
Second trip to Nashville for dis one in 24 hours.
09-0016 USAF C-32A back to JBA-must be mandrake on a cert flight
VVSD405 F-18 H outta Pax River off shore
RAF RRR6804 C-17 Globemaster out from Brize Norton for yet another load to Kyiv
RRR6899 heading back to Brize Norton from Kyiv depart
History of these two ACs for 0119 cap #2
and 0118 cap #3
US Giving Ukraine $200M More In Military Aid As Blinken Talks "Diplomacy"
On Wednesday Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during the latter's trip and meeting with Ukraine's leaders in Kiev for an additional $200 million in military aid. The new aid for weapons and other military hardware was first revealed as being approved in December, but finally confirmed this week.
Zelensky told Blinken during their Wednesday meeting, which specifically came in response to the Russian forces build-up near Ukraine's border: “This [military] support not only speaks to our strategic plans of Ukraine joining the alliance, but more importantly to the level of our military, our military supplies." The Ukrainian leaders was of course referencing Kiev's desire to be fast-tracked into NATO, which has been they key source of contention, particularly during last week's largely unsuccessful Russia-NATO dialogue.
Ended negotiations with @SecBlinken. I appreciate personal involvement in the de-escalation of the situation around 🇺🇦. Grateful for 🇺🇸's political & security support. Count on enhancing economic & financial cooperation. I'm sure there will be no decision about 🇺🇦 without 🇺🇦. pic.twitter.com/MNGvHqBKE2
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 19, 2022
Zelensky stressed further according to the AP: "If we want dramatically fast steps in modernizing the military, we need help especially in these tough times." He added. while addressing Blinken, "Your visit is very important. It underlines once again your powerful support of our independence and sovereignty."
Blinken in turn claimed that a Russian invasion could come at any moment. He affirmed the US stands ready to help - though stopping short of any direct pledge of sending troops - in such a scenario as a Russian offensive. "The Ukrainian people chose a democratic and European path in 1991. They took to the Maidan to defend that choice in 2013, and unfortunately ever since you have faced relentless aggression from Moscow," he said.
moar
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/us-giving-ukraine-200m-more-military-aid-blinken-talks-diplomacy
and then the AP article referenced above
Blinken urges unity to fight ‘relentless’ Russian aggression
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged western nations on Wednesday to remain united in the face of what he called “relentless” Russian aggression against Ukraine and reassured Ukraine’s leader of their support while calling for Ukrainians to stand strong.
Blinken told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a visit to Kyiv that the U.S. and its allies were steadfast in backing his country and its democratic aspirations amid growing fears of a potentially imminent Russian invasion.
Blinken said Russia had plans to boost its military presence of some 100,000 troops along the Ukrainian border and suggested that number could double soon. Blinken also said he would not be presenting a formal written response to Russia’s demands when he meets on Friday with Russia’s foreign minister.
https://apnews.com/article/antony-blinken-jen-psaki-vladimir-putin-sergey-lavrov-congress-1df536e9a832830dc3bae2e89aef4116
If I wuz VP/Lavrov I'd be rotf
"deez amateurs....what will they think of next"
weapons, money..how much moar obvious can it be?
Guess not enough
And that is just wut we are allowed to see.
Malaysian Flight (2014) redux comin-or something similar
Lavrov literally ate the German FM and then gonna feast on Blinken in Geneva.
Those pressers are fun to watch..usually get to them later in the day-if only for the body language.
Belgian AF BAF646 A400M departing Halifax after an overnight
Left Brussels Int'l on 0117 and stopped at Halifax then to JBA where it left from yesterday
02-5001 USAFSOC C-32B west after quick stop at NAS Oceana
No, Germany Did Not Deny RAF C-17s Bound For Ukraine Access to Its Airspace
edited
However, things got clarified on Jan. 18, 2022, when Julian Roepcke published a tweet today, stating that the German MoD did not deny the C-17s flying from Brize Norton through the German Airspace.
The German defence ministry says it did not ban the UK from using German airspace for its C-17 flights to Ukraine; simply that it received no such application. (See https://t.co/XR2poVn6ix) https://t.co/PNm41ZDWHG — Tom Nuttall (@tom_nuttall) January 18, 2022
In fact, it seems that the decision to avoid the German airspace was made deliberately by the RAF planners, and the British C-17s were not really forced to fly around the German territory: aircraft carrying specific kinds of cargo and/or weapons require a dedicated clearance that the UK did not apply for (for reasons yet to be disclosed – although time might have been a factor here); hence the route avoiding the German airspace.
https://theaviationist.com/2022/01/18/c-17-aircraft-route-to-ukraine/
As mentioned yesterday the RAF Rivet Joint flew over German Airspace and a Joint STARS did as well.
>>121850 lb
The show continues....
Hedge Fund Fees in Crosshairs as Gensler Lays Out SEC’s 2022 Agenda
Gary Gensler is putting hedge funds and private equity firms on notice that the fees they charge clients are going to draw more scrutiny from Wall Street’s main regulator in 2022.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission will look at what fund managers charge as part of a broader effort to boost efficiency, competition and transparency in markets, Gensler said Wednesday. The comments follow similar remarks the SEC chief made last year when he took aim at hedge fund fees, including the long-standing 2-and-20 model for charging clients.
“If we can use our authorities to bring greater transparency and competition into that market, that helps portfolio companies on the one hand, and the pensions and endowments that are investing in that space on the other,” Gensler said in prepared remarks for an event hosted by the Exchequer Club of Washington, D.C. “Similarly, if we can drive efficiencies across other key sectors of the capital markets, that too would help issuers and investors.”
In addition to the asset management industry, Gensler said staff would review equity, bond and Treasury trading for areas to make improvements.
Another area of focus for the SEC this year will be the role predictive analytics and artificial intelligence play in financial markets, Gensler said.
“While these developments can increase access and choice, they also raise important public policy considerations, including conflicts of interest, bias, and systemic risks,” Gensler said, reiterating concerns that he has previously raised.
https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/hedge-fund-fees-in-crosshairs-as-gensler-lays-out-sec-s-2022-agenda-1.1709998
ain't gonna do nuffin but apply lip-service but it sounds good....:I
U.S. Leveraged-Loan Price Index Soars to the Highest Since 2007
plus short market summary
U.S. leveraged loans continue to hold sway over investors looking for protection against inflation and rising rates, with average prices on the debt reaching the highest level since July 2007.
The S&P/LSTA Leveraged Loan Price Index jumped 0.05% to 99.07 on Wednesday as buyers pile into the risky debt. Demand for the asset class has been robust for some time as its floating-rate benchmarks prove to be a big draw in a potentially volatile increasing-rate environment.
These rate concerns have been a tailwind for funds that invest in U.S. leveraged loans. They pulled in about $1.84 billion of cash for the weekly period ended Jan. 12, according to Refinitiv Lipper data. That intake comes after investors added a whopping $45 billion in 2021. Meanwhile, collateralized loan obligations, the biggest buyers of leveraged loans, ended last year with record issuance of over $183 billion, Bloomberg-compiled data show.
The CLO-driven appetite for loans is poised to remain strong, as well. Analysts at Morgan Stanley project around $160 billion of U.S. CLO issuance this year while JPMorgan Chase & Co. strategists see as much as $135 billion.
Earlier this month, the S&P/LSTA Leveraged Loan Price Index hit what was more than a seven-year high while traders recently lifted bets that the Federal Reserve will implement four quarter-point rate hikes this year.
Although companies have been ramping up sales of leveraged loans in the primary market, a typical December lull left few new issues for investors to buy. That directed them to the secondary market, which helped fuel a jump in loan prices.
Companies looking to the loan market for fresh funds capitalized on low interest rates in 2021 to raise over $862 billion, the highest tally since 2017, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Mergers and acquisitions in need of financing drove sales, and that’s expected to continue this year.
https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/u-s-leveraged-loan-price-index-soars-to-the-highest-since-2007-1.1710141
on todays market-cap #3
late day volume surge on the close and ended on the lows of the day
https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/%5EDJI
and Oil is fuggen ridiculous-cap #4
Basically straight up since start of Dec.
Ag/Au held those earlier gains >>122023
but watch out for the smackdown-especially in Ag...dat coming usually habbens on the NYMEX open or shortly before the daily print at 1:30pm EST
The bond market continues to demand higher rates-cap#5
ANON US Navy Osprey departed North Island
Nice to see you again....o7
Florida's Citrus Crop To Be Smallest Since WW2, Squeezes OJ Prices Higher
The first meal of the day may soon become more expensive for consumers as food inflation soars. A combination of citrus disease and adverse weather conditions have plagued Florida's orange crop and may soon constrain supplies, which has already forced orange juice prices to multi-year highs as demand remains robust. "You have your classical supply-demand mismatch," Shawn Hackett, president of Hackett Financial Advisors, which specializes in agricultural commodities analysis, told CNN Bussiness. Due to dwindling supply, "much higher prices are coming to supermarkets," he warned.
Last week, the US Agriculture Department issued a report about the state of Florida's orange crop, revealing the Sunshine State will harvest only 44.5 million boxes of oranges this year, the smallest harvest since the 1944-45 season. "The Florida citrus crop is going to be one of the smallest crops since the 1940s," said Judith Ganes, president of J Ganes Consulting, which offers commodities analysis to the food and agriculture industry. "It's going to be even smaller than the production that occurred several years ago ... when Hurricane Irma blew through Florida," Ganes said.
In what appears to be a citrus shortage developing, frozen orange juice futures have been squeezed higher, up more than 50% since the start of the virus pandemic. Prices are around $1.55 per pound as speculators could send prices to as high as $2.
Besides oranges, prices of other agricultural commodities have risen over the last year as supply-chain disruptions and or bad weather has kept inventory low.
https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/floridas-orange-crop-be-smallest-ww2-catapults-oj-prices
I guess if all ya cared about wuz BOTUS and fake twatter accounts you'd be set ober there.
China Aoyuan Says It Won’t Pay Bonds, Signals Default Imminent
China Aoyuan Group Ltd. won’t make payments on four dollar bonds and said that will trigger defaults on all other offshore debt, becoming the latest Chinese developer to succumb to the industry’s liquidity crisis.
The company won’t pay off a dollar note that matures Thursday or a separate bond due Sunday, it said in a Hong Kong stock exchange filing late Wednesday. The notes have a combined $688 million of principal outstanding, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The builder also said it wouldn’t pay interest before the end of a 30-day grace period on two other notes. Those periods end Thursday and the coupons total $15.3 million, according to Bloomberg-compiled data.
Aoyuan becomes the latest Chinese developer to renege on its debt obligations amid a cash crunch sparked by a crackdown on excessive borrowing in the industry. The crisis has fueled a property market slump that has prompted the government to dial back some of the measures, with news on the easing of the use of proceeds from presold homes spurring a bond and stock market rally Wednesday.
Aoyuan made the decision not to pay the debts “to preserve its limited cash resources and maintain fairness among all of its creditors pending a holistic debt restructuring,” it said.
Aoyuan is based in the southern province of Guangdong, which is also home to industry giants China Evergrande Group and Kaisa Group Holdings Ltd., which were declared in default last month. Aoyuan has $5 billion of onshore and offshore bonds outstanding, according to Bloomberg-compiled data.
It was ranked 37th by sales among Chinese developers last year, according to China Real Estate Information Corp.
https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/china-aoyuan-says-it-won-t-pay-bonds-signals-default-imminent-1.1710228