More US floods and other stories

Thousands flee US flash floods

ABC News

September 09, 2011 08:19:16

More than 100,000 people were forced to flee their homes as flash flooding linked to three deaths swamped areas of the US north-east.

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a flash flood warning for several counties in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maryland and Virginia, as raging flood waters invaded towns, closed busy state highways and blocked commuter lines.

The area has already been drenched by last week's Hurricane Irene.

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Japan's Economy Implodes Again: No Scapegoats This Time

Zero Hedge

7 September, 201

Japan's economy imploded, only this time for real. Unlike back in Q2 when every downtick in the economy was blamed on the Tsunami and on the Fukushima explosion, we just got, 6 months later, the report for Japanese machinery orders which collapsed 8.2% in the month of July, for the biggest drop in 10 months, over and above anything seen during the Fukushima days. This is exactly 100% worse than the 4.1% drop predicted.

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US OIL INVENTORIES: Crude Stockpiles Fall More Than Expected

Wall Street Journal,

8 September, 2011

NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--U.S. crude inventories fell more than analysts' expectations last week, according to data released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Commercial crude-oil stockpiles declined 4 million barrels to 353.1 million barrels, compared with an average survey estimate calling for a decline of 1.6 million barrels.

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China to Back London as Offshore Renminbi Center

CNBC

7 September, 2011

China is for the first time to give formal backing to moves by British banks to turn the City of London into an offshore trading center for the renminbi, UK government officials have told the Financial Times.

As George Osborne, the chancellor, prepares to hold talks in London with Wang Qishan, the Chinese vice-premier, on Thursday British officials say a joint statement by both countries backing the growth of renminbi trading in London is set to be the centerpiece of their meeting.

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Keystone XL pipeline project threatens Ogallala Aquifer (Part 3)

Infinite Growth has reached the point where it threatens the most basic of human and environmental needs. But until all environmental activists stop focusing on single issues like the pipeline and start focusing on what brings all of these issues out the results will always be the same. We all lose - Michael Ruppert

Digital Journal, 

7 September, 2011

With the installation of the Keystone XL pipeline, the huge Ogallala Aquifer that supplies fresh water to 82 percent of the people living within its boundary is at risk.

The consequences of any major oil leaks created by the Keystone XL pipeline will be alarming if it contaminates the Ogallala Aquifer. The Ogallala Aquifer stretches across the High Plains of the U.S. extending northward from western Texas to South Dakota. It is the most important geological formation in the High Plains that underlies 450,000 square kilometers or 174,000 square miles and covers eight states including: South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado, and Texas. The danger of a pipeline crossing this aquifer is that although vast, it is shallow, leaving the water open to contamination from pipeline leaks. About 30 percent of the nation’s groundwater is used for irrigation from this aquifer. Additionally, the aquifer system supplies drinking water to 82 percent of the people living within its boundary.

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Tel Aviv: Social protesters clash with police

Y-net

Social protest takes stormy turn as Tel Aviv activists clash with police forces for first time. Forty people arrested; protesters demand TA mayor's resignation

Wrapping up a turbulent day of protests, some 50 social activists gathered on Wednesday evening in front of Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai's home to protest against his decision to evict the city's protest encampments. Earlier, 40 people were arrested for rioting and clashing with the police in front of City Hall

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High streets struggle as shoppers curb spending or drive to out-of-town malls

Up to a third of shops boarded up in the worst-hit areas

the Guardian,

8 September, 2011

One in seven shops on the high street is now boarded up, the victims of a faltering economy and the long-term trends towards online and out-of-town shopping, according to a report published on Thursday.

In the most depressed locations, the vacancy rate is one in three shops, with the title of worst-hit small town going to Leigh Park in Havant, near Portsmouth.

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California Employment at Record Low 55.4 Percent as Fewer Women Find Jobs

Bloomberg,

4 September, 2011

The percentage of working-age Californians with jobs has fallen to a record low, and employment may not return to pre-recession levels until the second half of the decade, according to a research group.

Just 55.4 percent of working-age Californians, defined as those 16 or older, had a job in July, down from 56.2 percent a year earlier and the lowest level since 1976, the Sacramento- based California Budget Project said in a report released late yesterday.

California’s 12 percent unemployment rate in July, the nation’s second-highest after Nevada, compared with 9.1 percent nationwide. The most-populous state lost 1.4 million jobs during the recession that began three years ago, and has gained back only 226,800, or about 17 percent, according to the report.

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