THE HEADLINES

A housing inspector for Wayland Real Estate Group, an investment firm, examines an empty home in California (Photo: New York Times)

THE HOUSING RECOVERY: IT’S NOT FOR HOMEOWNERS.

Darwin Graham Bond gives a crash course in how real estate investment companies are snapping up mortgage-foreclosed properties and are helping to transition homeowners into house renters. The extremely low rates of the Federal Reserve are feeding this frenzy of investments that, as far as housing is concerned, is creating a situation in direct contradiction to the rhetoric of America as an “owner society.”

(Truth-Out)

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“FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA…

…we’re fracking… and cracking
the continental shelf;
we’re tracking our drones
with eyes in the sky,
killing long-distance—
no need for a sigh.”
Dramatist Gary Corseri composes an “ode” to the American Empire with the refrain of “come home America.”

(Dissident Voice)

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BALTIMORE COUNTY, MARYLAND: WHERE THE NEEDS OF PARKS AND SCHOOLS COLLIDE.

Residents of unincorporated town of Mays Chapel protest the county’s plan to build a 500-student elementary school on the 10 acres of 20-acre local park that are owned by the county. One opponent says the plan to build the school is like any other “bad deal” in that, once time and money are invested in it, it takes courage to admit that the “deal” is bad and to abandon it.

(Baltimore Sun)

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HEY, BUBBA CLEM, YOU CALLING MY WIFE A WHORE AND YOU SAY YOU WANT TO KICK MY ASS?

Two Tampa radio “shock jocks” take their feud from the airwaves to a court in a defamation suit. Clem admits using the epithet for Todd Schnitt’s wife, but claims that it was only in the figurative sense of whoredom that Schnitt “used” his wife to promote his show (just like any political candidate might do to advance his campaign). The court is left to sort out the intricacies of what is damaging and what is not in on-air speech.

(Tampa Tribune)

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Quote of the day…

With the Asia Pivot, the US wants to encircle China, and supplies old and new allies with missiles aimed at its main rival. An amped up arms race means cash flow for the world’s biggest death dealer. If all these Asian nations buy as many American fighter planes as Taiwan, US armament workers can knock down a few more Bud Lites, and take their wives and kiddies to Ruby Tuesday twice a week even.

Linh Dinh, on recent emphasis of U.S. furnishing armaments to rivals of China.

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