In other news, the National Archives is investigating Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross' use of a private email account for official government business.
But his emails!
Meanwhile, Kurdish forces say Turkey has been launching attacks outside the designating ethnic cleansing zone in northern Syria.
Finally, factory orders for durable goods declined the most since May last month -- a sign that business investment is slowing -- and the most significant weakness was in vehicles and transportation.
The Commerce Department said Thursday that orders for durable goods dropped 1.1% in September, the biggest setback since a 2.3% decline in May. Orders in a category that serves as a proxy for business investment spending dipped 0.5% following a 0.6% decline in July. [...]
The 1.1% decline in orders for durable goods, items expected to last at least three years, reflected weakness in a number of areas led by transportation, which dropped 2.7%.
Demand for commercial aircraft fell 11.8% in September after a 17.2% decline in August. This category has been hurt by the troubles at Boeing, which has suspended production of the 737 Max while two deadly crashes are being investigated.
Auto production fell 1.6% in September, the second monthly decline, with weakness in this area reflecting in part a strike at General Motors.
Automakers have felt the pinch from Trump's tariffs on metal more than most and demand for shipping is down because of tariffs on consumer goods.