Europe

When president Obama spoke in Cuba earlier today, he dedicated about one minute to address today's tragic events in Europe. He then spent the next several hours attending a baseball exhibition game in Cuba between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cuban National Team. 

Perhaps responding to some righteous public indignation, this is how Obama explained his decision to disregard what is happening in Europe, and to enjoy himself while chaos and tragedy reigned across the Atlantic:

Belgian PM Charles Michel said earlier that "this is the deadliest attack on Brussels ever," and as we noted in this morning's pre-open wrap:

This morning's Brussels bomb attacks have led to risk-off sentiment across European asset classes, with Bunds higher and equities firmly in the red, although if the Paris terrorist attacks of November are any indication, today's tragic events may be just the catalyst the S&P500 needs to surge back to all time highs

In April of last year we said the ECB would soon end up buying corporate bonds.

We’re not sure if one year later counts as “soon” or not, but ultimately, we were proven correct when, earlier this month, Mario Draghi announced a new easing “package” that includes IG non-fin EU corporates as part of a plan to increase monthly asset purchases by €20 billion.

Powerful speech by Philadelphia’s Catholic Archbishop Charles Chaput at BYU today. Excerpts:

I have a friend of many years, a man committed to his wife and family, well-educated and very Catholic, whose son attended West Point. Over the years he’s taken great pride in his son, and in the ideals of the military academy. He’s still proud of his son. And he still admires the legacy of West Point.

Police have stepped up security at key locations across the UK in the wake of the deadly attacks in Brussels. British prime minister David Cameron warned that Britain faces “a very real terror threat” announcing extra patrols at ports, airports, tube stations and major railway stations. Mark Rowley, the UK’s national police counter terrorism chief, said that increased police activity in the UK was a precaution. “As a precaution forces across the UK have increased policing presence at key locations, including transport hubs, to protect the public and provide reassurance.