The Market On Thursday

  Good morning. It is 25 degrees and mostly sunny here in the Upper Hudson Valley, the forecast predicts some sun and temperatures in the high 30s this afternoon. We are still up to our eyeballs in snow, the main roads are perfectly clear but some of the side roads still have a thin snow coating. I think after today, the side roads around here will be a lot more 'normal'.

  At 9:15 a.m. ET DOW futures are +35 and the price of oil per barrel is modestly up. The market is poised to open moderately higher.

  Looking over Trump's 2018 budget, I am astounded. This thing is the cruelest, ugliest mess, yet. The GOP has only two interests, eliminating taxes on the rich, and removing social programs. This budget is all about this and it is a disgrace. They want to cut out meal on wheels, because in GOP world that, is a compassionate act. They are so confused and misguided that it is beyond reason. I must say, more than ever I profoundly want to see a two state solution in the USA. Red States go your own miserable hateful way.

CNN: Trump meets Merkel; G20 kicks off; Consumers confident? by Ivana Kottasova

The University of Michigan's consumer confidence index comes out at 10 a.m. It has spiked since Trump was elected.