Universal Stainless is Raising Base Prices
Stainless steel bar producer Universal Stainless & Alloy Products is raising base prices for stainless bar products manufactured at three of its facilities, by 5% effective March 27. Current material and energy surcharges will remain in effect. The Bridgeville, Pa specialty steelmaker increased prices in February for low-alloy vacuum-arc remelt (VAR) quality bar manufactured at the same three facilities. AMM
US Raw Steel Production Retreated Last Week
US raw steel production retreated 2.5 percent last week as mills operated at an ACUR of 73.7 percent. In the corresponding week last year mills operated at an ACUR of 72.1 percent. Thus far this year mills have produced prox 19,000,000 tons compared to the prox 18,000,000 tons produced in the like period last year.
The CFNAI Increased in February
Led by improvements in employment-related indicators, the Chicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI) increased to +0.34 in February from -0.02 in January and only one of the four categories made a negative contribution to the index in February.
The index’s three month moving average (CFNAI-MA3) improved to +0.25 in February from +0.07 in January.
What do the numbers mean? When the CFNAI-MA3 value moves below –0.70 following a period of economic expansion, there is an increasing likelihood that a recession has begun.
Conversely, when the CFNAI-MA3 value moves above –0.70 following a period of economic contraction, there is an increasing likelihood that a recession has ended. When the CFNAI-MA3 value moves above +0.70 more than two years into an economic expansion, there is an increasing likelihood that a period of sustained increasing inflation has begun.
The US Census Bureau February 2017 Report on Manufacturers’ Shipments, Inventories and Orders
- New orders for manufactured durable goods in February increased 1.7 percent. This increase, up two consecutive months, followed a 2.3 percent January increase.
- Shipments of manufactured durable goods in February, up three of the last four months, increased 0.3 percent.
- Inventories of manufactured durable goods in February, up three of the last four months, increased 0.2 percent.
Regarding the President’s Budget Proposal
First of all, the American people, along with politicians, have been wanting to and promising to address the huge issues of our national debt, to control spending, to eliminate waste, to eliminate fraud etc. No one, to this point, has had the cojones to take this on.
Now, we have a President with big balls and this President will do just what he has promised… if the swamp people and the liberals would get the hell out of his way.
People are bitching about the proposed funding cut to Meals On Wheels, telling you bullshit that grandma and grandpa will lose their meals. I can assure you this will not happen…let me tell you something; I have been a volunteer delivery guy for Meals on Wheels for 16 or 17 years. Meal delivery is therefore free, the recipients pay a modest amount for their meals plus there are donations and of course, some Federal funding.
The amount of the proposed cut to funding is 3 or 3 ½ percent of the total expenditure for this program. This is hardly enough to get excited about. The point is, the vile people on the left and the firmly entrenched-on both sides, do NOT want Trump to succeed, the American people however, DO want him to succeed. We have to address the waste in government spending as there is an inconceivable amount of it going on.
Neil Gorsuch Hearings
I watched some of the Neil Gorsuch confirmation hearings yesterday and I was astonished…but not surprised…at the stupidity of the questions being thrown at the Supreme Court nominee.
Diane Feinstein rambled on like she just swallowed a box of idiot and the venerable (not really) Al Franken, made a complete ass of himself, but he has always been an ass. It confounds me how the American people continue to vote for the same morons…over and over again.
Neil Gorsuch is a commendable nominee to the Supreme Court and the obstructionist challenges pursued by the Democrat party are un-American.
Let’s NOT …
Let’s NOT build the wall, let’s not enforce existing immigration laws, let’s not commence extreme vetting, let’s not put a temporary halt to travel from terrorist hotbeds…what are these liberals thinking?
Yesterday it was reported that a FOURTEEN YEAR OLD female child was raped and sodomized in a bathroom at her junior high school by two immigrants, at least one of which is an illegal immigrant (probably both), an 18 year old male and a 17 year old male.
Upon arriving in the United States, both were placed in a 9th grade classroom because of their low intelligence levels and inability to communicate in English, undoubtedly they have also been given tons of taxpayer funded government assistance.
Is this what we want for our children? For our country? This is progressive, liberal nonsense and it must be stopped. Sanctuary cities…what are these people thinking of… besides votes?
“Incidental Collection”
On Wednesday, Devin Nunes (R-Calif), Chairman of House Intelligence Committee, reported on Thursday that “members of the Trump transition team, possibly including President Trump himself, were under US government surveillance following November’s presidential election.
Mr. Nunes said the surveillance appeared to be legal but he was concerned because it was not related to the FBI’s investigation into Russia’s meddling in the election and was widely disseminated across the intelligence community.
I have seen intelligence reports that clearly show that the president-elect and his team were, I guess, at least monitored,” Nunes told reporters. “It looks to me like it was all legally collected, but it was essentially a lot of information on the president-elect and his transition team and what they were doing….”
Nunes described the surveillance as most likely being “incidental collection.” It appears the surveillance took place after the election and until the inauguration.
I am willing to bet that Obama has his shorts tied in a knot. This will prove to vindicate Trump and indict the left on the “tapping” assertion.
Westminster Bridge Attack in London
Also on Wednesday, in London, England, an English born citizen, Khalid Masood (Muslim?), previously investigated over extremism, drove his car into a crowd of people, injuring forty. On leaving his car he wielded a knife and stabbed several people, killing an unarmed police officer. 4 are dead, including the radical-whom we will give no further thought. Piece of camel crap…that was my last thought.
American Health Care Act
The vote on the American Healthcare Act (AHCA) was tabled on Thursday afternoon. On Friday a vote will be taken. I am hearing so many differing views that it has become cloudy for me.
From what I hear, this step one does not contain much of Trumps’ promises…but he says those things come later. Thing is, there are so many conservatives against this step one bill that it gives me great pause. At this point I am kind of hoping the bill fails when the vote is taken today.
Let the Democrats live with the consequences of the ACA. Let conservatives and democrats work TOGETHER to craft a bill that will be a truly workable and bi-partisan health care law and do not present it until it is right.
In the meantime, let’s get on the tax reform wagon and the regulation reform wagon. Anyone with a pinch of common sense knows that the stock market rally, the jobs being brought back, the jobs being created, the positive sentiment of business is all because we expect and need the tax and regulation reform promises brought to reality.
Make it happen.
Infrastructure X (Keystone & Dakota pipelines)
Regulation Reform XX 1 in 2 out
Individual Tax Reform Entitlement Reform
Business Tax Reform Education Reform
Healthcare Reform X rollback begun
Veterans Administration Reform
Rebuild our Military
Trade Reform
Secure our Borders (The Wall) XX
Lead the world from the front XX
Help for the poor Drain the swamp X as we speak
Peace through unmatchable strength Support Israel
Destroy ISIS Extreme Vetting XX
Conservative Supreme Court nominees XX
American Jobs XX
I will track these campaign promises and will check them off as each is accomplished adding those I have missed as they become apparent. This is quite an agenda and will be difficult to achieve all in one term but I believe the American people are behind him and know these things need to be done. Now, if he can get our legislators to support him instead of fighting him….
“MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN”
Have a great weekend…. God bless America!
Buy American made products whenever you can, it’s good for you, good for your friends and neighbors and good for our country.
If you are hiring…try to hire a veteran…. they are loyal, disciplined, hardworking…and they deserve our support.
By the way, if you wish to comment on my rants or offer any other insights you may have, you are encouraged to email me.
