Budget Battles Ahead
Source: William Poole, Merk Investments  (8/9/11)
"Although the debt ceiling issue is out of the way, the country is only temporarily saved from bitter budget controversies." More >

Oil Prices Slump on Demand Fears
Source: AFP  (8/9/11)
"World oil prices hit multi-month lows as traders eyed the prospect of slowing energy demand." More >

Obama Backs More Alaska Oil Drilling
Source: Anchorage Daily News, Sean Cockerham  (8/9/11)
"President says, 'Let's take a look at what's up there and see what we can develop,' but any Arctic oil development must be done carefully." More >

The Elusive Abyss
Source: Neil Charnock, GoldOz  (8/9/11)
"All agencies are warning us that they are on 'negative' in their forward view of their respective U.S. ratings." More >

China July Metals Output Eases, Signaling Slowdown
Source: Wall Street Journal, Chuin-Wei Yap  (8/9/11)
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U.S. Mint Halts Sales of Gold Collector Coins
Source: Reuters, Jane Sutton  (8/9/11)
"A spike in gold prices prompted the U.S. Mint to suspend the online coin sales for the first time in recent memory." More >

Retail Reels Under Gold Price Hikes
Source: Telegraph, Poulomi Banerjee  (8/9/11)
"For brides-to-be in India, waiting for the price to dip is not an option, as further price increases are expected." More >

Gold Rush for Dealers, Investors
Source: Los Angeles Times  (8/9/11)
"Record prices for the precious metal are sending prospectors on the prowl for gold wristwatches, pens and even teeth." More >

Ill-Advised Downgrade Ushers in Buying Opportunities
Source: Kent Moors, Money Morning  (8/9/11)
"Stay the course and move as soon as trading stabilizes. This is a seriously oversold market." More >

JPM Sees Gold at $2,500 by Year-End
Source: Bob Kirtley, SK Options Trading   (8/9/11)
"Get your head out of your day job, draw up your very own acquisition plan and implement it as quickly as you possibly can."
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Korea to Spend 70 Billion Won to Develop Electric Car
Source: Bloomberg, Seonjin Cha  (8/9/11)
"A group led by Hyundai Motor Co. will lead the project." More >

David Morgan: $75 Silver Looming
Source: Sally Lowder of The Gold Report  (8/8/11)
The new normal could be $75/oz. silver. In this exclusive interview with The Gold Report, David Morgan, editor of The Morgan Report, maps out a path for silver that could sink by $5/ounce (oz.) during the summer pullback and then bounce up to $75/oz. to establish a new base level. A consistent Silver Institute Production Cost Standard could help investors make smarter decisions during the coming upswing. More >

The Crime Against Silver
Source: Rick Mills, Ahead of the Herd   (8/8/11)
"Silver-denominated notes, reminiscent of turn-of-the-century American silver certificates, are experiencing renewed popularity."
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Gold and Market Volatility
Source: Clif Droke   (8/8/11)
"Stock market volatility, including for the mining stocks, has waxed and waned throughout 2011 but has been recurrent more this year than in the previous two years." More >

Gold Climbs; ECB Is "Last Line" of Eurozone Defense
Source: Ben Traynor, BullionVault  (8/8/11)
"The gold prices soared past a record $1,700/oz. in Monday's trade following Sunday's announcement by the European Central Bank suggesting a new phase in the Eurozone crisis." More >

As Gold Prices Zoom, Indian Buyers Hold Back
Source: Reuters, Krittivas Mukherjee and Siddesh Mayenkar  (8/8/11)
"Global price disruptions will keep Indians away from jewelry stores for at least the next few weeks." More >

Recession 2011: Silver Futures Up on Firm Global Cues
Source: Economic Times  (8/8/11)
"Trading sentiments turned bullish after the prices in the overseas markets climbed." More >

Flooding Danger to Oil, Gas Pipelines?
Source: UPI  (8/8/11)
"Officials are warning pipeline operations along the Missouri River of scouring danger."

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Wind Energy Advancing Across Iowa
Source: The Messenger, Lindsay Mutchler  (8/8/11)
"The American Wind Energy Association announced Aug. 4 that Iowa generated 20% of its electricity from wind." More >

Obama May Seek to Reduce Truck Emissions 20%
Source: Bloomberg, Jeff Plungis  (8/8/11)
"The efficiency goals should help trucks improve fuel use to 7 or 7 1/2 miles per gallon by 2018." More >

Schools of Fish Help Squeeze More Power from Wind Farms
Source: BBC, Hamish Pritchard  (8/8/11)
"A new wind farm design mimics a school of fish to exploit wind turbulence." More >

HREEs in America: Crystal Balls and Brass Balls
Source: Resource Investor, Jack Lifton  (8/8/11)
"Now there are two potential domestic American HREE producers, which I think are viable and have high probabilities of commercial success." More >

Rhodium Helpful in Checking Food Adulteration
Source: IANS  (8/8/11)
"By changing its color in the presence of particular gases, Rhodium can warn consumers if packaged food has been tampered with." More >

On the Money: Reading Up on Green Investing
Source: McClatchy-Tribune News Service, Chuck Myers  (8/8/11)
"The green revolution has fueled a strong interest in potential investment opportunities, particularly in the renewable energy sector." More >

Michigan Town Creates Geothermal Utility
Source: ContractorMag, Steve Spaulding  (8/8/11)
"The plan, made possible in part through a $560,000 Neighborhood Stabilization Grant from the federal government, is an ambitious one." More >