United Kingdom Feb Markit Manufacturing PMI down to 47.9 vs 50.5 (Jan)

The spending cuts once deemed ‘intolerable’ or ‘draconian’ in nature seem to be coming to a reality Friday, as each side posters and braces for damage control as the March 1 date has finally arrived. Despite conflicting partisan sources, the automatic cuts threaten to eventually send poor children home from pre-school, heighten airport security wait times, reduce unemployment benefits and furlough defense workers were the way out of a standoff almost two years ago that put the US on the edge of a debt default.