More on the US data scenario

The debating team did very well with TTIP, questioning the value of entering a trade agreement with an economy that is showing signs of stress. What, the US, you ask? Surely the data is strong, there is talk of a rate hike and "normalisation" of monetary policy... Sometimes you have to go elsewhere for the macro view; here is a chart of macro indicators, with the indicators below. These paint a far less rosy picture: