There's been a fair amount of action today, after what's been a very slow summer so far for US equities markets

There's been a fair amount of action today, after what's been a very slow summer so far for US equities markets. The Malaysian airline shot down in Ukraine is exacerbating the move to safer assets by investors. Gold futures are up about 1.5% and silver futures are up 2%, while 10-Year bond yields are down 2.5%. In economics news, new home construction showed a surprise decline (to a nine-month low) as home building plunged in the Southern US. Housing starts declined by 9.3% compared to May. On the bright side, jobless claimed dropped once again - this time to 302,000. That's the lowest level since June 2007. The Fed wants to see the housing market recover at a more rapid rate, but at least hiring has really gained traction this year. (VIEW LINK)