I Read The News So You Don’t Have To – Market News (Dec. 27, 2018)

by ogordained     UNITED STATES Futures are pointing to a sharply lower opening this morning The Santa rally showed up in a big way with Dow Jones climbing over 1,000 points — its highest single-day gain Google has launched a service to help veterans find civilian jobs based on their military experience (if you’re a veteran interested … Read more

China uses Taiwan as R&D lab to disrupt democracies: Analysts warn Beijing is sharpening cybertools that could sway 2020 US election

TAIPEI — A growing number of voices inside and outside Taiwan are warning that China is becoming increasingly sophisticated in its attempts to influence democracy on the island. This has major implications for Taiwan, which will hold presidential and legislative elections in January 2020. In late November it held local elections under a cloud of … Read more

Bi-Partisan Support Is Growing For Gun Confiscation In 2019

by Jose Nino via Mises Wire The 2018 midterm elections produced a split Congress with Democrats gaining control of the House and Republicans gaining seats in the Senate. The Guardian detailed House Democrats’ desire to pass gun control legislation in the upcoming Congress: “Ted Deutch, a Democratic congressman from Florida who represents Parkland, where a February school shooting left 17 … Read more

Jeff Socha – Get Ready for the New Tax Law

from Financial Survival Network Tax expert Jeff Socha says make sure you get a head start on preparing your taxes this month. The new year is upon us. Make it a good one and spend the rest of this year preparing for tax time. 2018 was the first year under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the largest … Read more

The Fast and the Furious

by John Hussman Valuations are informative about long-term returns and full-cycle risks. Market internals are informative about investor psychology over shorter segments of the cycle. Presently, neither valuations nor internals are favorable, and that is what opens up a trap door under the market. There will certainly be periods where short-term oversold conditions will enable scorching … Read more

$2 MILLION NYC BATHROOM

by Jim Quinn Only government spends $2 million on a tiny bathroom in a park. I investigated: pic.twitter.com/IHjw4KNxCH — John Stossel (@JohnStossel) December 26, 2018   I wish that inefficiency and theft like this was worst of government activities. It is an example of just ordinary criminality. The communists(not progressives) have much much worse evil … Read more

The Most Splendid Housing Bubbles in America Decline

Wolf Richter wolfstreet.com, http://www.amazon.com/author/wolfrichter Seattle house prices drop 4.4% in four months, biggest drop since Housing Bust 1; Prices deflate in San Francisco Bay Area, San Diego, Denver, and Portland. Some of the markets in this select group of the most spending housing bubbles in America have turned the corner, according to the S&P CoreLogic … Read more

US Troops Excited To See President Trump And The First Lady As They Make Surprise Visit To Al Asad Airbase In Iraq

by Geoffrey Grider President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump made a surprise visit to Iraq on Wednesday — their first visit to a war zone since the sitting president took office nearly two years ago. As President Trump continues to order massive airstrikes on ISIS as the US prepares to pull out from Syria, he and the First Lady made … Read more

NEW SCIENTIFIC STUDY: Coffee, Alcohol, Overweight at 70 is Key to Living Longer

People who drink moderate amounts of alcohol or coffee and are overweight in their 70s live longer lives, according to researchers at UC Irvine Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders. The researchers started a study in 2003 to look at what makes people live past 90. https://abc7chicago.com/health/alcohol-coffee-could-be-key-to-living-longer-study-finds/4969273/ h/t duFontaine.

#JOURNALISM:

via Twitter: #JOURNALISM: Also: UPDATE: Yahoo Lifestyle: Melania Trump gets mocked for wearing Timberland boots while visiting the troops. ANOTHER UPDATE: Flashback: Maher: I’m “Hoping” For “A Crashing Economy” So We Can Get Rid Of Trump, “Bring On The Recession.” The entire story told in three headlines. It’s definitely a classic.     h/t GR  

Beware the Bear’s Bull Traps!

by David Haggith So, the bull market bounced back, right? Not so fast. When one appreciated reader suggested there would be a huge plunge the day after Christmas, given how badly the market plummeted the day before Christmas, I cautioned against that tempting thought. Herein are some warnings about bull traps in a bear market and … Read more

Uh Oh – Food Stamp Money Will Run Out By The End Of January If The Government Shutdown Lasts That Long

by Michael Snyder According to the Department of Agriculture, if this government shutdown stretches into February there won’t be money for food stamps.  And it certainly looks like this shutdown could last for quite a while, because President Trump is not backing down on his demand for border wall funding, and the Democrats have pledged … Read more

U.S. Stocks Just Had Their Best Day Ever – And Here Is Why That Is A REALLY Bad Sign…

by Michael Snyder  The Dow Jones Industrial Average just posted its biggest single day point gain ever.  On Wednesday, the Dow shot up 1,086 points, which shattered the old record by a staggering 150 points.  It truly was a remarkable day, and this is the sort of “Santa Claus rally” that investors had been hoping for.  … Read more