Making America Great Again -- Toyota, Mazda To Build $1.6 Billion Car Plant In Alabama -- January 10, 2018

Warren: market is not "rich." What has happened in the market is "very sensible." Apparently still bullish on the market. The tax bill is a "major [bullish] change." Becky Quick apparently is starting to get it, she admits. On CNBC interview this morning. Warren reminds Becky that shareholders own the business. 

Making America great again:  Toyota, Mazda choose Alabama for new $1.6 billion car plant. From The WSJ:

Toyota Motor Corp. and Mazda Motor Corp. will build a new $1.6 billion assembly plant in Huntsville, Alabama, according to people familiar with the companies’ decision, a move that boosts their production capacity in the U.S. and adds to large and growing foreign auto maker presence in the southern state.

Toyota and Mazda first announced plans in August for the new plant, which will create 4,000 jobs and make up to 300,000 vehicles a year by 2021. Toyota has said it would build 150,000 Corolla models and Mazda will use the rest of the capacity for an unspecified model.

Alabama is home to three other vehicle assembly plants operated by foreign auto makers: Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz unit, Honda Motor Co. and Hyundai Motor Co. In September, Daimler said it would invest $1 billion at its Alabama facilities on top of the $5.8 billion it has spent in the state since it began vehicle production there in 1997.

US crude oil drawdown: "massive" drawdown reported by API. We will see EIA figures later this morning. 

Pipeline problems, from Zacks:

Energy Transfer Partners’ ETP subsidiary Sunoco Pipeline LP’s Mariner East 2 pipeline recently hit a regulatory roadblock due to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) order to halt the construction of the project. The partnership has been ordered to suspend all construction activities on the project except the maintenance of erosion controls. The partnership has been also allowed to carry out limited maintenance of horizontal directional drilling equipment.

The 350-mile long pipeline is designed to transport natural gas liquids from Ohio and Western Pennsylvania to outside Philadelphia. The construction permits associated with the pipeline has been temporarily suspended since the partnership has failed to comply with the Clean Streams Law and the Dam Safety Act. The $2.5-billion pipeline has leaked several times over a year, leading to environment hazards. The leakages have contaminated Philadelphia’s groundwater, forcing residents to leave home. The locals allege that the project has polluted potable water.

ISO New England: how quickly things change. Oil now accounts for less than 1% of the energy source for electricity. Natural gas, 49%; nuclear, 25%; and renewables, down to 10%.

Trump opposition: if one has a speech defect -- such as slurred speech --  or I suppose, stuttering -- indicates mental deficiency. Wow.

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RBN Energy: midstreamers rush to avert Permian gas takeaway constraints.