Huge Decline In First Time Unemployment Claims -- Claims Drop 11,000; Retail Sales Huge; Trump Rally Continues -- December 14, 2017

Linn Energy: to split into three stand-alone companies in 2018.

Weekly jobs report: link here -- again, economists expected first time claims to rise; in fact, they dropped, and they dropped significantly.

• consensus: 238,999
• prior:  236K
• actual: 225K

Magic numbers (link here): Changed with Trump administration -- see earlier pages at the link for previous "magic numbers"

First time claims, unemployment benefits: 275,000 (> 250,000: economic stagnation)

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Connecticut, Illinois

Connecticut comes up short .... again. WSJ. Halfway into the budget year, sales and income tax revenues have come in over $200 million under projections.

Illinois drives people away --- WSJ. The taxpayer migration continues from the Land of Ever Higher Taxes. 

North Texas, DFW area: I don't think I've ever seen so much growth, so much constructions in an area already pretty mature. 

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China -- Coal

Huge story this week: China suffers natural gas shortage as coal ban backfires. Chinese authorities have commandeered supplies of natural gas to heat homes, forcing chemical plants and factories to shut down, after efforts to clear smog-choked air by banning coal use backfired by causing energy shortages in frigid weather. Huge story: gets very little play in the US.

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Back to the Bakken

Active rigs:

$56.24↓	12/14/2017	12/14/2016	12/14/2015	12/14/2014	12/14/2013
Active Rigs	51	40	64	181	191

RBN Energy: natural gas market balance, prices hinge on cold weather.