Morning Journal---Kissinger on Ukraine

Economics

   This Week’s Data

            The International Council of Shopping Centers reported weekly sales of major retailers up 0.2% versus the prior week and up 2.2% on a year over year basis; Redbook Research reported month to date retail chain store sales down 0.9% versus the comparable period a month ago but up 3.9% versus the similar timeframe last year.

           

            The NAHB homebuilders’ confidence index came in at 58.0 versus expectations of 55.0.

            http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2014/11/nahb-builder-confidence-increased-to-58.html

                Weekly mortgage applications rose 4.9%, while purchase applications increased 12.0%.

            October housing starts declined 2.7% (though September was revised up) versus forecasts of a slight advance; however, permits were up 4.8% versus estimates of up1.6%.

                http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2014/11/housing-starts-decrease-to-1009-million.html

   Other

            The growing Eurozone disaster (medium):

            http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/11229340/Soon-there-wont-be-a-Europe-to-be-part-of.html

            And Japan is no blueprint for a solution (medium):

            http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/18/business/international/as-japan-falls-into-recession-europe-considers-ways-to-avoid-the-same-fate.html

           

Politics

  Domestic

  International

            This is a long article written by a CIA interrogator on the subject of enhanced interrogation techniques; but it is very enlightening and provides a counterpoint to the ‘it is torture’ crowd:

            http://www.weeklystandard.com/author/stephen-f.-hayes

           

Kissinger on Ukraine (short):

            http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-11-18/kissinger-warns-we-need-new-world-order-ukraine-should-forget-crimea-nato