Newsletter Apr 12, 2021

The U.S. faces a series of conflicts with China and Russia, and President Biden drew some boundaries with a series of foreign policy proclamations.

3 Things

Words of warning: During the Cold War, former President Richard Nixon implemented a new foreign policy strategy to deal with threats from communist superpowers China and Russia called triangular diplomacy -- the art of playing two enemies against one another.
A half-century later, the two have turned the tables on the U.S. as both pose serious threats to national security and international order. Secretary of State Antony Blinken addressed the situations on ABC's "Meet The Press" and issued stern words of warnings for both rivals.
Blinken discussed a wide range of policy issues and used the air time as an opportunity to send signals about President Joe Biden's policies. With both nations hindering peace talks in Myanmar, China making overt threats to Taiwan's autonomy, and Russia amassing troops on the Ukrainian border, Blinken made it clear where the U.S. stands -- and why China and Russia should stand down.
"President Biden's been very clear about this. If Russia acts recklessly, or aggressively, there will be costs, there will be consequences,â€ said Blinken, offering similar warnings to China.
FIND OUT WHAT ACTIONS THE U.S. IS THREATENING TO MAKE

'Clear the Capitol': That was the impassioned plea from former Vice President Mike Pence during the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol as a pro-Trump mob calling for him to be lynched stormed the building.
New evidence showed Pence made several phone calls to the acting secretary of defense asking the Pentagon to send help and begging his boss to call off the dogs. Pence and his family were eventually evacuated shortly before the invaders took over the Capitol.
Phone records show other lawmakers made similar pleas for assistance that fell on deaf ears at the White House, where Trump allegedly watched the events unfold on television and failed to take action until things were out of control. The info is renewing calls for charges of treason against Trump, who faces mounting legal issues.
That hasn't stopped Trump from launching fresh attacks on the Capitol, or at least the lawmakers that work inside. He called Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell a "dumb son of a bitch" and a stone-called loser" in a speech at a Republican event for donors.
FIND OUT WHAT OTHER TARGETS MADE TRUMP'S BURN LIST

Stimulus interruptus: If you haven't already spent your $1,400 stimulus check, you might want to set some aside for the future. It doesn't appear there will be any more on the immediate horizon.
Despite calls from some Democrats to implement recurring stimulus payments for those hardest hit by the pandemic, Congress doesn't seem to have the stomach for more relief after already spending $6 trillion battling COVID and providing a safety net for Americans.
With Republicans pulling at the purse strings and the Bidenâ€™s moving on to push for a $2 trillion infrastructure plan, pandemic relief could be placed on the back burner for awhile. And with the economy on the comeback and vaccinations allowing people to go back to work, don't be waiting by the mail box for another round of freebies.
WHY A FOURTH ROUND OF STIMULUS CHECKS IS UNLIKELY

Markets

DJIA	33,800.60	0.89%
S&P 500	4,128.80	0.77%
Nasdaq Composite	13,900.19	0.51%
Japan: Nikkei 225	29,616.71	-0.51%
UK: FTSE 100	6,915.75	-0.38%
Crude Oil Futures	59.33	0.02%
Gold Futures	1,738.60	-0.36%
Yen	109.51	-0.14%
Euro	1.19	-0.07%
* As of market close

Invest your age

The older you are, the less likely you are to invest in new technologies and riskier alternatives to traditional stocks and bonds. And the younger you are, the less likely you are to take the investing advice of your elders.

That's the big takeaway from a recent Harris Poll survey that shows millennials (ages 25-40) and Generation Z (18-24) are the driving force behind cryptocurrency, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and fad-driven stocks like GameStop. Not surprisingly, they're also more likely to bet on sports or even the outcome of a game show in hopes of a get-rich-quick strike.

Cryptocurrency seems to be the big appeal for younger investors, with Gen Zers saying it accounts for more than three quarters of their entire portfolios. Dubbed "crypto-crazies" by more conservative investors, the trend toward riskier, new-age tokens and blockchain technology is rewriting the book on conventional wisdom about investment strategies.

SEE HOW YOUR INVESTMENTS STACK UP WITH YOUR AGE GROUP

Violent volcano

Residents of the tiny Caribbean island St. Vincent remain on edge in anticipation of whether the La SoufriÃ¨re volcano will erupt again this week.

The island was largely evacuated following Friday's initial explosion that shot lava and ash six miles into the air and sent residents fleeing for their lives. The 20,000 or so evacuees are being held on cruise ships and neighboring Caribbean islands as officials await the volcano's next move.

Video footage of the scenes from the island are beginning to paint a grim picture of the fallout, which could create hazardous air conditions for weeks, or even longer of the volcano emits more major eruptions.

"The explosive eruption has started and it is possible you could have more explosions like these," one geologist said. "The first one is not necessarily the worst one, the first bang is not necessarily the biggest."

WATCH VIDEOS OF SCENES FROM THE ST. VINCENT VOLCANO

Royal pains

The world will be watching a real-life soap opera unfold this week in the U.K. as the funeral services for Prince Philip will also serve as an awkward family reunion of sorts for Prince Harry and the royal family.

Prince Harry arrived back in his homeland Sunday for a week-long tribute to his grandfather, who died at the age of 99 on Friday. It's the Duke of Sussex's first time to see family members face to face since he and wife Meghan Markle's controversial interview with Oprah Winfrey last month.

Among the fence's Harry must mend are with father Prince Charles, whom allegedly stopped taking his son's calls for a time, and Prince William, who claims he doesn't trust his brother to respect his privacy following the tell-all interview that aired the royal family's dirty laundry. Grandmother Queen Elizabeth might have some choice words too.

Harry is attending without his wife in tow due to her pregnancy, but insiders hope it will allow the family some quality time to heal and find some peace in a time of mourning -- at least that's the game plan.

FIND OUT IF THE ROYAL FAMILY CAN RISE ABOVE THE DRAMA