In The News: Thanks this morning to ChrisM, my MP3Angel, for supplying the news and commentary audio files. » Things have NOT gone well over the weekend on the global financial markets. Congress thought it did the job with their dysfunctional debt limit bill but the REST of the world thought otherwise. Meanwhile, Standards and Poors and Moody's financial rating agencies lowered the credit rating of US debt.

“We have changed our assumption on this because the majority of Republicans in Congress continue to resist any measure that would raise revenues, a position we believe Congress reinforced by passing the act.” — Page 4, Standard & Poors Research Update, August 5, 2011

The reaction to all this is the price of gold went up fifty dollars over the weekend to about $1700 an ounce and S&P's/Moody's actions are still rolling across global trading floors with the Dow already down 200 points today. More in the commentary. And if THAT wasn't enough to knock the markets down... Breaking... more homeless people... soon:

S&P downgrades mortgage giants Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac By Peter Schroeder The fallout from the nation's credit downgrade continued Monday, as Standard & Poor's announced government-sponsored housing giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were also getting their top rating slashed. [In Full]

That means the cost to the holder or purchaser of the typical US mortgage is due to rise dramatically. In regard to the "Nuevo Homeless", 46 million Americans now live on food stamps, and homeless tent city camps are springing up nationwide. Let's check in on Lakewood New Jersey with a travelogue of the local homeless tent and shack city by the British newspaper Daily Mail.

The Tent City of New Jersey: Desperate victims of the economic slump forced to live in makeshift homes in forest 2nd August 2011 In scenes reminiscent of the Great Depression these are the ramshackle homes of the desperate and destitute U.S. families who have set up their own 'Tent City' only an hour from Manhattan. More than 50 homeless people have joined the community within New Jersey's forests as the economic crisis has wrecked their American dream. And as politicians in Washington trade blows over their country's £8.8 trillion debt, the prospect of more souls joining this rag tag group grows by the day. Building their own tarpaulin tents, Native American teepees and makeshift balsa wood homes, every one of the Tent City residents has lost their job. [In Full and Illustrated]

It's notably the local homeless census results were just released where I live. The population is up 22% with a sharp spike upward in the youth population. It's notable most of the people surveyed in follow up interviews were employed and housed HERE when they became homeless, NOT 'transient' as the city government likes to say. Remember that... The people you see homeless are likely to have been your neighbors.
» One of the "problems" with Afghanistan is you can't use the smaller attack helicopters for air cover because of the altitude. But you CAN use a larger, slower moving helicopter to cover and supply back up... Unfortunately, that has had tragic results... "SEAL Team 6 members among 38 killed in Afghanistan" when their helicopter was taken down by a rocket launched by... someone. » Iran is still announcing they will release the two UC Berkeley hikers and everyone waits with bated breath. » It is the 66th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima Japan and in light of the Fukushima disaster at least one of the Hiroshima survivors society members, who have traditionally not taken a stand, has made an anti-nuclear statement. » On the East coast thirty seven thousand or so Verizon landline workers are out on strike over medical and pension benefits. They say the company is trying to turn the 'benefits clock' back to the 1950s for them. In OTHER News: The Answer Is Unbelievable~ Why was Leonard Peltier, in his late sixties, put in Solitary confinement last month? You WILL NOT believe it. It looks like they shot the "wrong guy" in Tottenham England, an impoverished to working poor community on the outskirts of London... How long till it happens in YOUR town America?

"(Reuters) - Anger at high unemployment and cuts in public services, coupled with resentment of the police, contributed to an explosion of violence and looting..." (src) "Tottenham is an area of mostly poor minorities; a significant portion of the population is black. “How many black people have to die around here?” one of the youths, referring to Mr. Duggan. He would only give his name as Pablo. “I hate the police,” he said." (src)

Riots turn London into a war zone Sunday, August 07, 2011 LONDON (AP) -- Police deployed extra officers on London's streets to prevent a repeat of the rioting and looting in a deprived area amid community anger over a fatal police shooting, as new disturbances broke out in another district of the city late Sunday. A peaceful protest against the killing of the 29-year-old man in north London's Tottenham area degenerated into a Saturday night rampage, with rioters torching a double-decker bus, destroying patrol cars and trashing a shopping mall in the nearby Wood Green district. Disturbances broke out late Sunday in Enfield, about 5 miles (8 kilometers) north of Tottenham. TV footage showed riot and mounted police patrolling the streets, and there were also images of smashed shop windows, and police with dogs detaining at least one man. There were also reports that a police car was vandalized in Enfield. Sky News television reported that several hundred young people were on the streets causing trouble... o o o ...In Saturday's violence, several buildings were set ablaze. TV footage showed the double-decker bus in a fireball and mounted police charging through the streets trying to restore order. Police said 26 officers received injuries, most if not all apparently minor, and made 55 arrests, including four Sunday. The majority of arrests were for burglary; other offenses included violent disorder, robbery, theft and handling of stolen goods. London's fire department said it dealt with 49 "primary" fires in Tottenham... [More]

The police released a statement concerning the incident that left Mark Duggan 29-year-old local father of four dead, but it says nothing that sheds any light from their side on the incident The situation is still in flux. Wikipedia already has an entry and it's active. There's also been an interview with Tottenham activist Stafford Scott The Free, an online Anarchist blog based in Britain has continuing coverage.. This is Razer Raygun saying 'Happy Motoring America...' Enjoy it while you can. Remember... To fight back. (And PLEASE try to keep your government from killing all the dusky natives...) -30-
Creative Commons Copyright Courtesy of Cabale News Service, KPIG Radio, and KVMR Radio. Listen to KVMR Recorded & transcribed by Razer Raygun @ Razed By Wolves Postings Auntie Imperial and Razer Raygun Have Done Lately Are [Here] The Consolidated Items Listing in RSS format [Here] Travus T. Hipp Fan Page @ Facebook (unaffiliated) In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 and The Berne Convention on Literary and Artistic Works, Article 10, the news clippings, audio, and images used in this posting are made available without profit for research and educational purposes.

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