If not this Friday, then certainly the next one. If they rule against tariffs, the US economy will be put through a meat grinder once again, and stocks will dive. The US national debt will rocket. Oh, and you, the consumer, are owed $500 million.

The U.S. trade deficit swelled in December, closing out a year in which the imbalance was essentially unchanged despite efforts by the Trump administration to close the wide gap. Closing out a tumultuous year in the global marketplace, the goods and services in December totaled $70.3 billion, the Commerce Department reported Thursday. That marked an increase of $17.3 billion from November and was well above the Dow Jones consensus estimate of $55.5 billion.

The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week, consistent with a stabilizing labor market. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 23,000 to a seasonally adjusted 206,0000 for the week ended February 14, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 225,000 claims for the latest week. Last week's drop marked a significant decline in claims since they jumped to 232,000 at the end of January.

as costs soar. Copper is much cheaper. Solar panel producers are intensifying efforts to replace silver with alternatives such as copper after silver rallied 130% over the past year, squeezing margins already under pressure from production overcapacity, particularly in China. Silver is the greatest contributor to the increased cost of manufacturing solar panels. The cost of solar panels has increased 7-15% over the last 12 months.

Contracts to purchase previously owned U.S. homes unexpectedly fell in January, with realtors blaming low housing inventory. The pending home sales index dropped 0.8% last month to 70.9, the National Association of Realtors said on Thursday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast contracts, which become sales after a month or two, rising 1.3%.