Morning Journal--the right to work laws

Economics

   This Week’s Data

            The International Council of Shopping Centers reported weekly sales of major retailers up 4.3% versus the prior week and up 3.5% versus the comparable period last year; Redbook Research reported month to date retail chain store sales fell 0.2% versus the similar timeframe the previous month but rose 2.4% on a year over year basis

            Weekly mortgage applications fell 12.3% while purchase applications declined 5.0%.

            http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2012/12/mba-mortgage-applications-decline.html

            November housing starts were down 3.0% versus expectations of down 2.5%.

            http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2012/12/housing-starts-at-861-thousand-saar-in.html

   Other

            When will we reach 6.5% unemployment? (short):

            http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2012/12/qe-til-6-5-unemployment-hows-2018-sound/

Politics

  Domestic

The value of ‘right to work’ laws from my favorite liberal (short):

http://dailycaller.com/2012/12/15/unions-dems-duck-the-big-question/

Thomas Sowell on gun control (medium):

http://townhall.com/columnists/thomassowell/2012/12/18/invincible-ignorance-n1468784

            Update on income redistribution in the US (short):

            http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2012-12-18/chart-day-death-americas-middle-class

  International War Against Radical Islam

            Blasphemy and Islam (medium):

            http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/335716/blasphemy-and-islam-andrew-c-mccarthy

            Russia sends two naval squadrons to Syria (medium):

            http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2012-12-18/russia-sends-two-squadrons-ships-syria