The latest on the economy, housing and retail

This past week was filled with a lot of confusing signs about the direction in which the economy is headed.

The National Retail Federation said today that retail holiday sales, excluding autos, gas, and restaurants, were nearly 6 percent higher than last year, a bigger bump than expected.

On the other hand, we learned that Minnesota's housing picture in 2010 was the worst it's been in a decade, with the $8,000 tax credit apparently eating up most sales early in the year and leaving remaining months barren.

Reporter Annie Baxter joined All Things Considered host Tom Crann to talk about the disconnect between the various economic signs.