Financial components fuel Leading Index gains

Financial components fuel Leading Index gains. The Conference Board Leading Economic Index (LEI) for the USD increased slightly by 0.1% I May 2026 to 99.3, following a 0.2% increase in April. After these two consecutive increases, the LEI is down just 0.3% over the six months between November 2025 and May 2026, a much smaller rate of decline than its 1.3% contraction over the previous six months (May to November 2025).

The Leading Index for the US increased slightly in May, fueled entirely by positive contributions from financial components, especially stock process and the interest rate spread,” said Justyna Zabinska-LaMonica, Senior Manager, Business Cycle Indicators, at the Conference Board.

US raw steel production down from previous week

In the week ending June 20, 2026, US raw steel production was 1,851,000 net tons at an ACUR of 80.2 percent, this is down 0.2 percent from the previous week ending June 13, 2026.
Adjusted YTD production, through June 20, 2026 was 44,395,000 net tons at an ACUR of 78.6 percent.

Fifth District Manufacturing Survey reports activity flat in June 2026

The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond released its Fifth District Manufacturing Survey results and reports manufacturing activity was flat in June. The composite manufacturing index decreased to 4 in June, although both shipments and new orders remained in positive territory.

CFNAI decreased in May 2026

The Chicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI) decreased to -0.10 in May from +0.19 in April. Two of the four broad categories of indicators used to construct the index decreased from April and three categories made negative contributions in May. The index’s three-month moving average (CFNAI-MA3) decreased to -0.03 in May from +0.07 in April.

Alan Greenspan died Monday morning at the ripe old age of 100. I believe he served eight terms at the head of the federal reserve. He was a knowledgeable and wise man.

In New York City on Tuesday, three communists won in primary elections over incumbent Democrats. What a shame, and to think, these commies are all over the country. Americans had better wake up. The time for complacency is long gone. We must stand for and support American values, those same values which won our freedom some 250 years ago. You think we can’t lose our freedom? Think again. There are those seeking to take it from us every day. I do not see the attraction to tyranny, to government control, to fewer individual rights and choices. Is it the promise of “freebies?” They never happen. Those in power take all the money, the “people” get the scraps, enough to exist, not live. Americans have an opportunity to rebuke this nonsense in November and again in 2028. Do not listen to the broadcast propaganda for it is all lies designed to divide us as a people. The quest and thirst for power on the left is huge and they will lie, cheat, steal and do whatever is necessary to obtain it. We have seen it at work overtly since 2016 and covertly since the assassination of JFK in 1963. Wake Up America!

This trouncing of the left by the Democratic (hardly) socialists of America will (following are excerpts from an editorial in Thursdays Wall Street Journal) “change the Democrat party and perhaps the politics of the country.

The three socialist candidates for Congress endorsed by Mr. Mamdani defeated “establishment” Democrats, including two current House incumbents. Add the races for the New York Legislature, and seven of eight candidates affiliated with the DSA won on Tuesday. This was a rout of the far left over the left.

It’s true, voter turnout was low, as it often is in primaries…This shows the DSA is highly organized and can get out the vote of the young progressives who have replaced the white centrist voters who have fled New York.

It’s hard to overstate how far to the left the Mamdani slate is. Aber Kawas, who won the primary for a state senate seat, has said she found it “reprehensible” to apologize for 9/11 when America hasn’t apologize4d for its “system of capitalism, and racism and white supremacy.” We guess she wont be going to the 25^th anniversary ceremony at Ground Zero.

Darializa Avila Chevalier, who ousted Rep. Adriano Espaillat, was a leader of the anti-Israel protests at Columbia University after the 2023 Hamas massacre. She was for HAMAS. She has called for abolishing police, prisons and borders. She called Joe Biden a “rapist” and “war criminal”, says the US “occupied” Native American land, and called the country “a fucking disgrace.” She favors seizing private property.

How could she and the rest of the Mamdani slate win? One reason is that Democrats have run America’s biggest cities for decades, yet haven’t solved the problems of unsafe streets, lack of affordable apartments and failing public transit. Another reason for the socialist rise is that mainstream liberals put up so little resistance…the defeated Democrats in New York refused to make principled arguments against socialism or the anti-semitism of the Mamdani left.

After Tuesday they may offer even less resistance. They will face more socialist challengers across the country, and history says they will try to survive by accommodating the left’s ideas. Medicare for All, higher income taxes and a wealth tax, and abolishing ICE are going to be on the Democrat agenda-if not in swing districts in 2026, then in the Democratic presidential primary race in 2028.

The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is a growing force and has already captured the mayor’s office in Washington, DC., New York and maybe soon, Los Angeles. Bernie Sanders is closer to achieving his dream of capturing the Democrat party for the left through a younger generation.

One certain loser from all of this will be support for Israel. the Mamdani slate is called the “hamas slate” for good reason it will be hard for any Democrat candidate for president to be even as supportive of Israel as Mr. Biden was. Expect the left to try to make cutting off arms sales to Israel a party litmus test.

The socialist vision of class conflict and everything-for-everybody economics has ruined many countries. Sooner or later socialism crashes into reality, but it can do plenty of damage before it does.”

PAY ATTENTION TO THIS FOLKS, THERE IS, FOR SOME REASON, QUITE A BIT OF MONEY BEHIND THIS MOVEMENT TOWARDS COMMUNISM IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

With all the rampant corruption going on in our government, one must wonder, with the emergence of artificial intelligence, do we really need Congressional Representatives and Senators any longer? They don’t really do shit but enrich themselves at taxpayer expense, they work very little, most of their time is devoted to raising cash. So who needs them? Input necessary data, ask AI to solve a problem and wait for the suggestions. The president can make the choice, he is the executive. It would save a lot of time and money, and would serve to get things done for the people.

David Clayton-Thomas died Wednesday at the age of 84. He was the lead singer of Blood, Sweat and Tears in the late 60’s. I only bring this up because I managed (?) a band in the 60’s called the Mynd Garden who played in the basement of a building on 105^th and Euclid in Cleveland, named LaCave. BS&T played there when Al Kooper was the lead singer and our band opened for them. What a great time that was…

MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN