Authored by Mike Shedlock via MishTalk.com,
As initially reported by the Census Department, motor vehicle sales were up 1.2% in July following a 0.9% gain in June. At the time, I commented, “This is unbelievably bizarre in the face of actual auto sales reports.”
Back in January, Trump took a very public victory lap when Ford decided to scrap plans to build a $1.6 billion manufacturing facility in Mexico and invest in its Michigan facilities instead (we discussed it here: Trump Takes Victory Lap After Ford Cancels $1.6 Billion Mexican Expansion Plan As "Vote Of Confidence" In President-Elect).
"@DanScavino: Ford to scrap Mexico plant, invest in Michigan due to Trump policies"https://t.co/137nUo03Gl
Jane Timm from NBC was working very diligently today, on International Women's Day of all days, in order to set the record straight for you Trumpsters out there who believe that he's done anything at all on the jobs front (note: ADP said 298k new jobs were created in America for the month of February, far exceeding the forecast of 190k).
Update: sure enough, here comes Trump's twitter victory lap:
"@DanScavino: Ford to scrap Mexico plant, invest in Michigan due to Trump policies"https://t.co/137nUo03Gl
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2017
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While it's not as applicable today, there used to be a saying that "as goes GM, so goes the economy." While the "Big 3" aren't quite as big as they used to be, they still offer vital clues about the overall economic health of the United States. Unfortunately for anyone who has been paying attention, those "vital clues" are all flashing red warning signs as each passing day seems to bring more news of idled plants and/or shift reductions (see here and here). Of course, rising interest rates, tightening credit, softening used car prices and rising subprime auto delinquenci