United States

Following yesterday's unexpected vote in the United Nations, when the United States broke with a long-standing approach of diplomatically shielding Israel, and did not wield its veto power as it had on many prior occasions - a decision Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu called "shameful" - leading to the adoption of a resolution demanding an end to Israel settlement building, Israel said it would re-assess its ties with the United Nations.  It also said it would not comply with the resolution, suggesting it may now be a "rogue nation" when it comes to UN enforcement.

Submitted by John Mauldin via MauldinEconomics.com,

There’s compelling evidence that US stocks are overvalued. Yet just in the last month, we saw investors react to the US election by bidding the benchmarks up to new all-time highs.

This implies they expect even higher prices next year. Can it happen?

Louis Gave of Gavekal took on that question in a lengthy and masterful presentation last week titled “Something’s Gotta Give” (article is behind paywall).

The CIA is using an army of internet Trolls as a form of PsyOps in the information war that's raging since the loss of their establishment candidate.  Here's a pocket guide how to spot a *real* Russian spy (not the CIA trained 'fake spies' pretending to be Russian Spies')

US anti-homeless laws are so cruel that their existence in the richest nation in the world is astonishing. Police punish homeless people for violating laws and living on the streets by taking away their blankets and clothing during the winter months. Anti Media reports: US Police departments across the country have been ramping up raids on the homeless, stealing coats, blankets, and other personal items and leaving those on the street with no protection from the cold and rain.

Submitted by David Rosenthal via The Foundation for Economic Education,

While most people know Jolly Old Saint Nick as a friendly figure, he too is not immune from the perils of administrative overreach and overcriminalization.

To get you in the Christmas spirit, here is a list of some of the potential crimes and violations of federal law Saint Nick as he prepares to take flight for 2016.

1. The Reindeer Act