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World

French police stand at the scene of a shooting incident near the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France, June 6, 2017. (Photo: Reuters)

French police stand at the scene of a shooting incident near the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France, June 6, 2017. (Photo: Reuters)

The man shot and killed on Tuesday outside Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France, was armed with a hammer and shouted “this is for Syria.” He wounded a policeman before other officers neutralized the threat at one of France’s most famous tourist sites.

Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said the attacker was carrying the identification card of an Algerian student. The Gothic cathedral went into lockdown with nearly 1,000 tourists and worshippers inside. The Paris prosecutor’s office launched a counter-terrorism investigation into the attack, which is the first since President Emmanuel Macron defeated terror hardliner Marine Le Pen last month.

It comes days before the first round of a parliamentary election in France on Sunday. A second round will be held on June 18.

The attacks also comes just three days after three Islamic terrorists, one an asylum-seeker from Pakistan known to authorities, plowed into innocent people on London Bridge before stabbing others in the street in nearby bars.

They killed 7 people and wounded 48. That attack followed a suicide bombing in Manchester, England, which killed 22 people, including young girls and children. Snap elections will take place on Thursday in the United Kingdom (UK).

 

“This happens nearly every week now. I just hope it has nothing to do with the election,” David Stoklo, an American visitor to Paris, told Reuters TV.

Mr. Macron’s rivals argue he is a weak national security leader and it is way too early to tell if the attack would have any impact on the outcome of the two-round parliamentary election. A poll published earlier on Tuesday showed Macron’s new Republic on the Move party heading for a landslide win.

The man shot and killed on Tuesday

Politics

FBI Director James Comey testifies before the House Intelligence Committee hearing into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., March 20, 2017. (Photo: Reuters)

FBI Director James Comey testifies before the House Intelligence Committee hearing into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., March 20, 2017. (Photo: Reuters)

James Comey, the former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), will not accuse President Donald J. Trump of obstruction of justice. Democrats and Big Media were hoping to use his testimony to focus on the private meetings the former FBI director had with the President Trump, during which reporting claimed he was asked to drop the investigation into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.

ABC News, citing sources, reported that Mr. Comey will not agree during testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee that President Trump’s comments amounted to obstruction of justice. Mr. Comey is slated to testify Thursday after he was cleared by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, another former FBI director now overseeing the investigation into all things Russia.

But the New York Times quoted the president in the memo as saying he “hoped” Lt. Gen. Flynn wasn’t prosecuted because he was a “good man,” to which Comey replied he agreed he was a good man. Democrats cited the report as proof of obstruction of justice, something legal experts mocked.

“Those who don’t know the first thing about the law immediately began hurling words like ‘obstruction of justice’, ‘high crimes and misdemeanors’ and ‘impeachment’,” Gregg Jarrett, a former defense attorney who now works as a Fox News Anchor, wrote at the time in a piece entitled “Comey’s revenge is a gun without powder.”

Jarrett also said that Mr. Comey put himself in a box because, if he felt at the time the conversation rose to obstruction, he was obligated to report it. Further, Mr. Comey said on May 3 that neither President Trump nor anyone from the White House ever tried to hinder an FBI investigation.

“Under the law, Comey is required to immediately inform the Department of Justice of any attempt to obstruct justice by any person, even the President of the United States,” Jarret noted. “Failure to do so would result in criminal charges against Comey. (18 USC 4 and 28 USC 1361) He would also, upon sufficient proof, lose his license to practice law.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said that he worries the public hearing will turn into a “hit job” on the president, adding that a “one-sided” hearing would be the worst possible outcome for the country.

“Here’s what I worry about: that he’ll just focus on his conversations with the president and not answer any other questions because of the investigation,” he said during an interview on Thursday. “That would be a hit job on President Trump and I hope this hearing doesn’t become a hit job on President Trump.”

(UPDATE: ABC News was wrong. Comey, under the impression President Trump might have taped their conversation, did admit that he told the President he wasn’t under investigation on multiple occasions.)

The former FBI director will also dispute President Trump’s claim that he told him on three separate occasions that he was not the target of an investigation.

Sen. Graham also said, while he likes Mr. Comey, he believes he is just “probably upset” about getting firing by President Trump.

On the allegations of collusion, Sen. Graham said he has seen no evidence anyone from the Trump campaign worked with Russian officials to influence the election. He emphasized there was “zero evidence that Trump himself” took any such action and Mr. Comey should be honest with the American people.

“I don’t believe he is,” he said when asked if the president was the target of an investigation. “There’s a cloud over the presidency that needs to be removed if the facts justify it.”

Worth noting, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Ia., the powerful chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, also called on the FBI to end the “wild speculation” surrounding President Trump and criminal investigations. In public statements and tweets, Sen. Grassley has insinuated Mr. Comey also told him that the president was not the target of the FBI probe.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., the Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, backed the chairman up and has repeatedly stated that she has not seen any evidence of “collusion” between the Trump campaign or President Trump with Russia.

At the White House on Tuesday, while meeting with congressional leaders to move forward his legislative agenda for the remainder of the year, President Trump was asked about the hearing.

“I wish him luck,” the President said.

James Comey, the former director of the

Fake News

Screenshot of CNN International reporter Becky Anderson allegedly catching CNN staging a pro-Muslim narrative hours after the London terrorist attacks.

Screenshot of CNN International reporter Becky Anderson allegedly catching CNN staging a pro-Muslim narrative hours after the London terrorist attacks.

CNN is under fire for staging a pro-Muslim protest to shape an apologist narrative during a live segment only a few hours after the London terror attack.

In a YouTube video titled “CNN staging the narrative before making report, they are truly Fake News!” CNN International reporter Becky Anderson appears to be directing self-described “Muslim Mothers” to stand behind her and hold up signs in such a way to support an Islamist apologist segment.

The “Muslim Mothers” allegedly held a rally to support the London Police.

Let’s take a look at the video, then take a look at the segment that aired on CNN. H/T: Mark Antro:

[brid video=”144478″ player=”2077″ title=”CNN Staging ProMuslim Narrative After London Attacks”]

Now let’s take a look at the segment hosted by Becky Anderson that aired.

To be fair to CNN, they do not feel they did anything wrong because, while what took place may seem apparent to most consumers, it’s commonplace for hosts and producers on news production crews to direct protestors and others to achieve a certain background.

However, to be fair to our readers and the consumer–largely because we don’t insult your intelligence here–that’s what also makes this a valid criticism. Anderson, who is a veteran journalist based in the Abu Dhabi bureau of CNN International, knows the difference between reporting the news and directing the news.

What CNN, and most other news outlets do, isn’t just news-reporting anymore. It’s directed entertainment. Producers and hosts aren’t supposed to be directors, they’re producers. The lines have been blurred and seemingly innocent behavior can easily (and does) get turned into crafting a narrative rather than aiming to tell that narrative better.

As even Mediate conceded, this was “not just reporting the news.” Further, while they ignored the revelations in WikiLeaks showing they colluded with Hillary Clinton against Donald Trump in 2016, both journalists and consumers cannot.

Put simply, CNN has proven it no longer deserves the benefit of the doubt. They hired Democrat Party hacks to be pundits, who leaked debate questions to Mrs. Clinton. They only broke ties with Donna Brazile over it when the story got too big to contain.

Their flagship hard news anchors, Wolf Blitzer and Jake Tapper, took orders from the Clinton campaign and DNC before interviews with then-Republican nominee Trump in order to further their narrative.

Pundit’s Perspective: This is Fake News

This story must be taken with context. The segment was directed and lopsided. In the non-fake news world, where the rest of us live, the data show an extremely alarming reality. If true, it’s wonderful that those particular mothers support the police, but they aren’t the majority.

Recent polling found two-thirds of Muslims living in Britain wouldn’t even report a terror plot to the police if they had knowledge of one. That translates into more than 100,000 British Muslims who either sympathize with terrorists or do not have the courage to stand up against them.

Questions like these can often get to the core of peoples’ beliefs more accurately than more direct questions. Of those, 23% of Muslims in the U.K. want Sharia to replace British law, 39% thought that their wives should always obey their husbands and 31% thought it was acceptable to have more than one wife.

Five percent (5%) of Muslims flat-out admitted they sympathize with others who take part in stoning adulterers. Here’s what one of those–an honor killing by stoning–looks like in case you don’t know.

When Anderson “directs” or “stages” an apologist narrative, outrageously only hours after people (real people) lost their lives, she takes part in something much more offensive than spreading fake news. She disgraces their memory.

CNN is under fire for staging a

Politics

President Donald J. Trump hosts a lunch with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kty., (left) and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis., (right) at the White House in Washington, U.S. March 1, 2017. (Photo: Reuters)

President Donald J. Trump hosts a lunch with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kty., (left) and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis., (right) at the White House in Washington, U.S. March 1, 2017. (Photo: Reuters)

President Donald Trump is hosting congressional leaders at the White House Tuesday to discuss his legislative agenda for the remainder of the year. The President will put an emphasis on his desire to sign tax reform before the end of the year, and repealing ObamaCare and Dodd-Frank will also be discussed.

While the White House has taken unprecedented action to move President Trump’s agenda forward, the Republican-controlled Congress has struggled to find its governing footing. Under the leadership of House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kty., the upper and lower chambers have not only found themselves on different pages with the White House but also with each other.

The House passed the American Health Care Act (AHCA) on May 4 after weeks of negotiations and direct presidential involvement. Then, Leader McConnell established working committees to basically start all over. Meanwhile, individual insurance markets in Virginia, West Virginia, Iowa, Nebraska and other states have either collapsed or on the verge of collapsing under the weight of insolvency created by ObamaCare, the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

President Trump will make it very clear that he wants to sign tax reform by the fall, which is widely expected to significantly boost economic growth. While the jobs and labor market have gained steam, the U.S. economy, poised to explode, is being hindered by uncertainty caused by congressional inaction.

White House legislative affairs director Marc Short told reporters the administration is working together with House and Senate leaders to put together a single tax reform package that lawmakers would take up after Labor Day.

“We believe that the economy needs to get spurred quickly, and we want to make sure there are sufficient tax cuts,” Mr. Short said. “In order to jump-start the economy, we need to cut taxes for both businesses and individuals.”

Mr. Short added that the White House is pushing Speaker Ryan and Leader McConnell to repeal and replace ObamaCare by the end of July, which would provide a big buffer on deficit spending to offset static scoring methods used by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to derive cost. He also said the Trump Administration wants Congress to raise the nation’s debt ceiling before lawmakers leave for August recess.

But differences remain on tax reform, even though they aren’t as frequently cited as those surrounding healthcare reform.

President Trump wants cuts for both individuals and business, proposing to take the corporate tax rate down from about 35% to 15%. However, the House plan is looking at cutting the corporate rate to 20%, doesn’t put as much emphasis on individuals, and wants to offset cost through a Budget-Adjustable Tax (BAT).

Leader McConnell has said a BAT likely could not pass the Senate, and Mr. Trump will not accept a tax reform that ignores individuals. The Senate leader also put a “budget neutral” standard on tax reform, which the White House places secondary to achieving economic growth. The CBO has a terrible track-record on scoring the budgetary impact on tax cuts, including the Reagan tax cuts that resulted in more revenue to the U.S. Treasury.

When asked about budget neutrality, Mr. Short said “our greater priority is to provide growth.”

“Right now, we want it to be revenue neutral,” he said. “We are still supportive of tax reform, but I am also saying to you that what we believe is most important to get the economy going is a tax cut.”

President Donald Trump is hosting congressional leaders

World

London attackers were identified as Khuram Shazad Butt, left, Rachid Redouane and Youssef Zaghba.

London attackers were identified as Khuram Shazad Butt, left, Rachid Redouane and Youssef Zaghba.

Police have identified the third London Bridge terrorist attack suspect as 22-year-old Youssef Zaghba, a Moroccan-born Italian who was on the radar. According to officials, Zaghba was previously stopped by security forces on suspicion he was bound for Syria and reportedly notified U.K. authorities.

He and Khuram Shazad Butt and Rachid Redouane made up the trio of jihadis who killed seven people on Saturday night during a van and knife attack in London. Butt, a 27-year-old asylum-seeker, came to the United Kingdom (UK) from Pakistan as a refugee with his parents. Redouane, 30, claimed to be Moroccan and Libyan.

All three were shot dead by police minutes after the deadly terror assault began.

In March 2016, was stopped at Bologna Airport bound for Istanbul and Italian intelligence operatives notified British and Moroccan authorities to tell them they believed he intended to travel across the Turkish border to ISIS-controlled territory in Syria.

Yet, in a press release on Tuesday, British police said Zaghba “was not a police or MI5 subject of interest.” The same is not true of Butt.

“Khuram Shazad Butt was known to the police and MI5. However, there was no intelligence to suggest that this attack was being planned and the investigation had been prioritized accordingly,” British police said in a statement. “The other named man, Rachid Redouane, was not known.”

The Islamic State (ISIS) claimed responsibility for the London attacks on Saturday, the third to hit the United Kingdom in less than three months. The attacks come less than two weeks after the Manchester bombing at an Ariana Grande concert that killed 22 and roughly two months after another Islamic terror attack shook the U.K. Parliament.

Prime Minister Theresa May previously said police have identified all the London Bridge attackers and, while one person was released without charge, 11 people remain in custody in connection with the attack.

Great Britain, gearing up for snap parliamentary elections on Thursday, had just lowered its official terror threat from “critical.”

Police have identified the third London Bridge

Politics

NSA Surveillance

A federal contractor with the National Security Agency (NSA) was arrested over the weekend for leaking a “top secret level” report on Russia to the news media.

Reality Leigh Winner appeared in U.S. District Court in Augusta, Ga., to face one charge of removing classified material from a government facility and mailing it to a news outlet, the Justice Department confirmed Monday.

DOJ officials didn’t specify details of the information, but the arrest affidavit said that the report was dated “on or about” May 5. That date coincides with a report by the Intercept detailing how Russian hackers attempted to attack at least one U.S. voting software supplier and sent so-called “spear-phishing” emails to more than 100 local election officials at the end of October or beginning of November.

Former Defense Intelligence Chairman James R. Clapper, NSA chief Mike Rogers, and former FBI director James Comey have all testified before Congress that Russian interference did not change any actual votes.

Winner, who held a top-secret classified security clearance, had worked for Pluribus International Corporation since February before the leaker allegations. She was assigned to a U.S. government facility in Georgia. The affidavit sworn by FBI agent Justin Garrick said that she had previously served in the Air Force and held a top-secret security clearance. It also says that the government was made aware of the leak by the media outlet that received it.

Winner’s attorney, Titus Thomas Nichols, declined to confirm the report or to name the federal agency for which Winner worked.

“My client has no (criminal) history, so it’s not as if she has a pattern of having done anything like this before,” Nichols told the Associated Press in a phone interview Monday. “She is a very good person. All this craziness has happened all of a sudden.”

Mr. Garrick said in his affidavit that the originating agency determined only six employees had made physical copies of the report and Winner was one of them. Garrick said investigators found Winner had exchanged email with the news outlet using her work computer, and admitted to the crime during questioning at her home on Saturday.

The affidavit reads that she “admitted intentionally identifying and printing the classified intelligence reporting at issue” and mailing it to the news outlet.

A federal contractor with the NSA was

Politics

From L-R: Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Vice Chair of the Clinton Foundation Chelsea Clinton, discuss the Clinton Global Initiative University during the closing plenary session on the second day of the 2014 Meeting of Clinton Global Initiative University at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona March 22, 2014. (Photo: Reuters)

From L-R: Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Vice Chair of the Clinton Foundation Chelsea Clinton, discuss the Clinton Global Initiative University during the closing plenary session on the second day of the 2014 Meeting of Clinton Global Initiative University at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona March 22, 2014. (Photo: Reuters)

The Senate Judiciary Committee is investigating why Hillary Clinton personally pressured Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on behalf of a foundation donor. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Ia., the powerful chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to the State Department asking whether the matter was referred to the Justice Department (DOJ) or inspector general.

“As I wrote in my August 2016 letter to Department of Justice, federal law requires that executive branch employees be disqualified from matters that have a direct and predictable effect on the employee’s own financial interests or the financial interests of those persons or organizations with which the employee is affiliated, such as those of a spouse, unless the employee first obtains an individual waiver or a regulatory exemption applies,” Sen. Grassley wrote to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. “Once again, Secretary Clinton’s actions have raised reasonable suspicions that she violated these rules and undermined the public’s confidence in the integrity of the State Department.”

As People’s Pundit Daily previously reported, Clinton, while serving as secretary of state, called Prime Minister Hasina “insisting” that she rethink removing Dr. Muhammad Yunus as the Managing Director of Grameen Bank and to reinstate the scandal-plagued Clinton Foundation donor to his former position.

“Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton telephoned Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in March 2011 insisting her not to remove Dr. Muhammad Yunus from the post of Managing Director of Grameen Bank,” Deputy Press Secretary Md Nazrul Islam told Circa in an email. He also said they told Clinton “Dr. Yunus drew salaries and allowances illegally for 10 years.”

The bank’s nonprofit Grameen America, which Yunus chairs, donated $100,000 and $250,000 to the Clinton Global Initiative. Grameen Research, which is chaired by Yunus, has donated somewhere between $25,000 and $50,000, according to the Clinton Foundation website, which isn’t required by law to list specific donation amounts.

Sen. Grassley asked for un-redacted copies of emails he obtained, which People’s Pundit Daily also reported. He is interested in allegations Mrs. Clinton repeatedly threatened Sajeeb Wazed, the son of Prime Minister Hasina and a permanent U.S. resident, with an IRS audit if she didn’t comply.

He cited previous requests to former Attorney General Loretta Lynch, in which he demanded an explanation as to why the DOJ’s Public Integrity Unit refused to move forward with a “public corruption” case against Mrs. Clinton.

“At two instances during those conversations they brought up the fact that, ‘look, there could be many actions taken against your country, your mother, your family, who knows, you could get audited by the IRS, since you live in the U.S.,” Wazed said.

An email thread going all the way back to September 09, 2009 from Yunus, reads:

Please see if the issues of Grameen Bank can be raised in a friendly way. I sought an appointment with the Prime Minister to brief her on our problems, at the advice of the US ambassador in Dhaka. But it is now over six weeks, her office never responded,” he wrote to Verveer. “Thanks for your help. Give my regards to H. See you in CGI [Clinton Global Initiative] and Hilton event [fundraiser] soon. Best.”

Yunus was supposed to be loaning money to the poor, but instead was accused of “siphoning off” foreign aide that was meant for those loans. He has long denied wrongdoing, but that’s irrelevent to the attempt by Mrs. Clinton to pressure another leader on behalf of a donor to her family’s charity.

“If the Secretary of State used her position to intervene in an independent investigation by a sovereign government simply because of a personal and financial relationship stemming from the Clinton Foundation rather than the legitimate foreign policy interests of the United States, then that would be unacceptable,” Sen. Grassley added. “Co-mingling her official position as Secretary of State with her family foundation would be similarly inappropriate. It is vital to determine whether the State Department had any role in the threat of an IRS audit against the son of the Prime Minister in retaliation for this investigation.”

 

The Senate Judiciary Committee is probing why

World

People speak with police officers after an incident near London Bridge in London, Britain June 4, 2017. (Photo: Reuters)

People speak with police officers after an incident near London Bridge in London, Britain June 4, 2017. (Photo: Reuters)

Police confirmed the identity of two of the three London Bridge terror suspects as Khuram Shazad Butt and Rachid Redouane, both living in Barking east London. Butt, a 27-year-old asylum-seeker, came to the United Kingdom (UK) from Pakistan as a refugee with his parents.

He had a diploma in business administration and teaching English to adults, and was a husband and father of two children.

Khuram Shazad Butt, left, and Rachid Redouane.

Khuram Shazad Butt, left, and Rachid Redouane.

“Khuram Shazad Butt was known to the police and MI5. However, there was no intelligence to suggest that this attack was being planned and the investigation had been prioritized accordingly,” British police said in a statement. “The other named man, Rachid Redouane, was not known.”

The Islamic State (ISIS) claimed responsibility for the London attacks on Saturday, the third to hit the United Kingdom in less than three months. The attacks, which killed at least 7 and injured at least 49, come less than two weeks after the Manchester bombing at an Ariana Grande concert that killed 22.

Prime Minister Theresa May previously said police have identified all the London Bridge attackers and, while one person was released without charge, 11 people remain in custody in connection with the attack.

Great Britain, gearing up for snap parliamentary elections on Thursday, had just lowered its official terror threat from “critical.” Roughly two months ago, another Islamic terror attack shook the U.K. Parliament.

Police confirmed the identity of two of

Politics

President Donald J. Trump, left, flanked by Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao (R) and Vice President Mike Pence (L). Air traffic controllers talk with pilots inside the control tower at Los Angeles International Airport. (Photos: White House/Reuters)

President Donald J. Trump, left, flanked by Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao (R) and Vice President Mike Pence (L). Air traffic controllers talk with pilots inside the control tower at Los Angeles International Airport. (Photos: White House/Reuters)

President Donald Trump announced a plan to make major reforms to modernize America’s infrastructure, including to privatize air traffic control. Flanked by Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, the President spoke a future “where 20% of the ticket price doesn’t go to the government.”

“For too many years our air traffic control has tolerated unacceptable delays at the airport and the slowing of commerce and travel that has cost us billions of dollars in lost hours,” he said. “Today, we will take our infrastructure into the future. Our plan will get you where you need to go more quickly, more reliably and more affordably. We will launch this infrastructure revolution by announcing the modernization of air traffic control.”

The plan to modernize will consist of shifting funds for national infrastructure to states, cities and corporations, who will more efficiently shoulder most of the cost of rebuilding roads, bridges, railways and waterways. It marks a significant departure from how the government has previously tackled infrastructure programs in the past.

Historically, the government played a major role and devoted substantial resources to paying the cost of large-scale projects. They have been plagued by labor and cost inefficiencies.

“This new entity will not need taxpayer money,” President Trump said, adding that it’s non-profit and self-funding. “Dozens of countries have already made significant changes with results, and we’re going to top them.”

The nonprofit corporation would use digital satellite-based tracking systems, rather the the land-based radar used now to guide flights in the United States. The President scoffed at the disparity between the current system and modern technology.

“At a time when every passenger has GPS technology in our pockets, our air traffic control still relies on radio-based systems they don’t even make anymore,” he said. “We live in a modern age yet our a traffic control system is stuck in the past.”

Economists estimate that outdated air traffic control infrastructure cost the U.S. economy 25 billion a year in economic output, which was cited in the announcement. Other estimates vary. Certain elements to the proposal will require approval by Congress. President Trump intends to send the air-traffic control proposal to Congress on Monday for overhauling the nation’s air-traffic control system.

“Our nation will move faster, soar higher and fly proudly.”

The President’s proposal will be the subject of a major speech in the Midwest on Wednesday.

President Donald Trump announced a plan to

Economy

A waitress serves a steak and fried shrimp combo plate to a customer at Norms Diner on La Cienega Boulevard in Los Angeles, California May 20, 2015. (Photo: Reuters)

A waitress serves a steak and fried shrimp combo plate to a customer at Norms Diner on La Cienega Boulevard in Los Angeles, California May 20, 2015. (Photo: Reuters)

The Non-Manufacturing Index (NMI), the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) gauge of service sector activity, came in at an expected 56.9 in May. Seventeen of the 18 service sector industries reported growth, leaving only Educational Services in contraction.

“Although the non-manufacturing sector’s growth rate dipped in May, the sector continues to reflect strength, buoyed by the strong rate of growth in the Employment Index,” Anthony Nieves, the Chair of the Institute for ISM Non-Manufacturing Business Survey Committee said. “The majority of respondents’ comments continue to indicate optimism about business conditions and the overall economy.”

Backlogs, at 57.0, were very strong in the May Report on Business, which partly explain the boom in private-sector hiring for the month.

ISM® NON-MANUFACTURING SURVEY RESULTS AT A GLANCE
COMPARISON OF ISM® NON-MANUFACTURING AND ISM® MANUFACTURING SURVEYS*
MAY 2017
Non-Manufacturing Manufacturing
Index Series
Index
May		 Series
Index
Apr		 Percent
Point
Change		 Direction Rate
of
Change		 Trend**
(Months)		 Series
Index
May		 Series
Index
Apr		 Percent
Point
Change
NMI®/PMI® 56.9 57.5 -0.6 Growing Slower 89 54.9 54.8 +0.1
Business Activity/Production 60.7 62.4 -1.7 Growing Slower 94 57.1 58.6 -1.5
New Orders 57.7 63.2 -5.5 Growing Slower 94 59.5 57.5 +2.0
Employment 57.8 51.4 +6.4 Growing Faster 39 53.5 52.0 +1.5
Supplier Deliveries 51.5 53.0 -1.5 Slowing Slower 17 53.1 55.1 -2.0
Inventories 54.0 52.5 +1.5 Growing Faster 2 51.5 51.0 +0.5
Prices 49.2 57.6 -8.4 Decreasing From Increasing 1 60.5 68.5 -8.0
Backlog of Orders 57.0 53.5 +3.5 Growing Faster 4 55.0 57.0 -2.0
New Export Orders 54.5 65.5 -11.0 Growing Slower 4 57.5 59.5 -2.0
Imports 48.5 53.0 -4.5 Contracting From Growing 1 53.5 55.5 -2.0
Inventory Sentiment 63.0 60.0 +3.0 Too High Faster 240 N/A N/A N/A
Customers’ Inventories N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 49.5 45.5 +4.0
Overall Economy Growing Slower 94
Non-Manufacturing Sector Growing Slower 89

* Non-Manufacturing ISM® Report On Business® data is seasonally adjusted for Business Activity, New Orders, Prices and Employment Indexes. Manufacturing ISM® Report On Business® data is seasonally adjusted for New Orders, Production, Employment and Supplier Deliveries.

** Number of months moving in current direction.

The Non-Manufacturing Index (NMI), the Institute for

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