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Back in November 2008, then Russian president Dmitry Medvedev made a stark warning to NATO: "Russia will deploy Iskander missile systems in its enclave in Kaliningrad to neutralize, if necessary, the anti-ballistic missile system in Europe."

Submitted by Mish Shedlock of Mish Talk

Class 8 Truck Orders Plunge 39%; Large Truck Sales vs. Recessions

Class 8, “heavy duty” truck orders are down 39% from a year ago.

First, let’s take a look at the reports, then we will take a look at what this may mean for the economy.

Class 8 Truck Orders Plunge 39%

The Wall Street Journal reports Truck Orders Fall in April.

For years, our biggest lament and recurring confirmation that
unorthodox monetary policies are simply not working, has been tracking
global trade - the lifeblood of any properly functioning global economy - which has not only failed to reach its pre-crisis growth rates, but especially over the past 2 years, has seen slowing dramatically. The latest evidence of this slowdown came earlier today when the International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported that demand

Based on the world risk index, which takes into account not only the frequency of natural disasters in each country (known as exposure) but also how well equipped the country is to cope with and recover from the effects of a disaster, The Guardian reports Vanuatu is the riskiest country to live in, with natural disasters on average affecting more than a third of the population each year. If you want to be safe from natural disasters, move to Qatar (the lowest disaster risk country in the world)...

Source: The Guardian