presidential election

The brief April bounce in US Services economy has died as PMI slipped back to 51.3 as Markit warns "the service sector reported one of the weakest expansions since the recession." This weakness was followed by ISM Services which plunged to its lowest since Feb 2014, crushing the hopes of the April bounce. Employment plunged into contraction and New Orders tumbled, with the surveys pointing to GDP growing at an annualised rate of just 0.7-8% in the second quarter.

Bye bye April bounce!!

In the latest attempt by a state to disenfranchise voters, Ohio residents are finding that if they haven't voted in the past six years, they will be purged from the voting rolls.

The last time I voted for a Presidential candidate from one of the major parties was 1988 (George H. W. Bush). In succeeding elections I have never seriously considered voting for the Democratic nominee, but I have always given the Republican nominee a close look, and have tried also to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Those days are over.

Via TheDailyBell.com,

Hillary and Trump Leave Americans with Angst, Malaise and Little Confidence  … A new poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that the choice of Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump for president leaves Americans feeling frustrated, angry, helpless — suffering from angst and malaise, with little confidence with our political system.  –Red State  

We covered this AP-NORC poll previously HERE but focused on Americans lack of trust when it comes to government.

Following China's drop, Japan's plunge, and Brazil's crash, US Manufacturing PMI slipped once again to 50.7 - its weakest since September 2009 amid " subdued client demand and heightened economic uncertainty." New orders bounce is over as it fell to its weakest since Dec 2015 and worse still input costs are surging to 9 month highs as employment suggest payrolls will remain under pressure. ISM Manufacturing data improved marginally - leaving 50% of the last 10 months in contraction and 50% in expansion.