Newsletter Dec 23, 2021

As if the U.S. doesn't already have enough problems on the domestic front, Russia is threatening an invasion of Ukrainian that could destabilize Europe.

3 things you must know

Tensions rise at Russia-Ukraine border ahead of NATO talks
Several western countries accused Russia of "escalating" the tense situation at the border with Ukraine on Wednesday, and promised to present a united front when talks with Moscow begin in January.
Western allies are accusing Moscow of amassing troops at the Ukrainian border in preparation for a potential invasion, while the Kremlin maintains that Washington and other NATO countries are the aggressors thanks to their military and political support of Kiev.
FIND OUT WHAT ACTIONS NATO NATIONS ARE THREATENING

Housing market sets record for existing home sales increases
November marked the 117th straight month of year-over-year increases in housing prices across the nation, the longest-running streak on record. Existing home sales rose 2% from October to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.5 million. Overall, 83% of November home sales were on the market for less than a month.
SEE HOW LONG HOME PRICES EXPECT TO RIDE THE WAVE

US Gross Domestic Product sees slowest growth in a year
GDP rose2.3 % in the third quarter of 2021, barely topping the 2.1% forecast but reflecting the slowest growth since the second quarter of last year. Q3 was impacted by ongoing supply chain bottlenecks amid surging demand, labor shortages and another COVID surge.
FIND OUT WHAT ANALYSTS CREDIT FOR THE COOLDOWN

Markets

DJIA	35,753.89	0.74%
S&P 500	4,696.56	1.02%
Nasdaq Composite	15,521.89	1.18%
Japan: Nikkei 225	28,692.88	0.46%
UK: FTSE 100	7,341.66	0.61%
Crude Oil Futures	72.95	0.26%
Gold Futures	1,804.70	0.14%
Yen	114.12	0.01%
Euro	1.13	0.11%
* As of market close

Biden extends moratorium on student loans

Student loan holders will have at least five more months before having to make a payment after President Joe Biden extended the moratorium through May 1. The moratorium began in March 2020 under former President Donald Trump and has been extended by both administrations to help debtors.

FIND OUT WHY BIDEN CHANGED HIS MIND ABOUT AN EXTENSION

Rapid at-home COVID tests in short supply

The resumption of holiday travel coupled with the rapidly spreading Omicron variant left Americans scrambling Wednesday to find at-home COVID tests. Multiple major distributors including Amazon, CVS and Walgreens announced a maximum limit on kits sold per customer to aid availability.

FIND OUT WHY OFFICIALS ARE SCRAMBLING TO PROVIDE TESTS

Confederate statue removal sparks mystery

The removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee sparked controversy in Richmond, Va., followed by a mystery. A time capsule buried at the base of the monument when it enshrined in 1890 was found to contain some obscure items, not the Civil War memorabilia originally buried.

FIND OUT WHAT ITEMS ARE MISSING AND WHERE THEY MIGHT BE

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Holy war?

Here's hoping history doesn't repeat itself in Ukraine, but the former Soviet Union infamously invaded this country on Christmas Eve, 1979?

Wednesday's answer: Sorry, Barbie and G.I. Joe, but the No. 1 selling Christmas toy of all-time is the Cabbage Patch Kids, released in 1982.

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