Submitted by Jeffrey Snider via Alhambra Investment Partners,

After February's bloodbath in Chinese trade data, expectations were for a scorching hot rebound in March. With PBOC's Yuan 'basket' devaluation accelerating throughout this period it should not be surprising that Yuan-based China exports soared and imports beat expectations (but fell 1.7% - extending the losing streak to 17 months in a row). For now, oil and stock (US and China) prices are rising in reaction to this "good" news. Offshore Yuan is drifting stronger against the dollar.

Just 24 hours ago we explained the beginning of the end of the US automaker "house of cards," detailing how the tumble in used-car-prices sets up a vicious circle as Goldman warns "demand has plateaued." This is most evident in the surge in pre-owned vehicle inventories to record highs, forcing, as WSJ reports, dealers to lower prices, further denting new-car pricing.

The Arctic has been the fascination of many people for centuries.

Hundreds of years ago, the Europeans saw the Arctic’s frigid waters as a potential gateway to the Pacific. The region has also been home to many unique native cultures such as the Inuits and Chukchi. Lastly, it goes without saying that the Arctic is unsurpassed in many aspects of its natural beauty, and lovers of the environment are struck by the region’s millions of acres of untouched land and natural habitats.

Hollywood is an odd place. Many times we see some of our favorite performers suddenly in “psychiatric holding” in order for them to recover from some mental illness. The darker truth, however, is that it could possibly be a “reprogramming” under the US government’s MK Ultra mind-control program. From Amanda Bynes to Britney Spears, the same pattern can be seen. Now, actor Jake Loyd, who played Anakin Skywalker in ‘Star Wars: The Phantom Menace,’ has been moved from a jail cell to a psychiatric facility.