Falling water tables put Chinese economy at risk; int'l day of protest supports Burma monks; CA electoral reform fails, still 'winner takes all'...

28 September :: Shijiazhuang, a city of 2 million on the North China Plain has seen 11% growth, construction boom, even as irreplaceable aquifers are drying up, water tables fast dropping; as IHT reports, "China is scouring the world for oil, natural gas and minerals to keep its economic machine humming. But trade deals cannot solve water problems. Water usage in China has quintupled since 1949, and leaders will increasingly face tough political choices as cities, industry and farming compete for a finite and unbalanced water supply"... CA ballot initiative designed to split Electoral College vote by Congressional districts folds, as backers resign from signature drive; CA gov. has twice rejected initiatives to sign on to National Popular Vote accord with other states, while GOP-backed initiative would have undermined Dems' dominance in most elector-rich state... Blackwater security firm said to be involved in twice as many violent incidents as other private contractors operating in Iraq; according to IHT, the firm "has gained a reputation among Iraqis and even among American military personnel serving in Iraq as a company that flaunts an aggressive, quick-draw image that leads its security personnel to take excessively violent actions to protect the people they are paid to guard"; Congress, the Pentagon and the Iraqi gov't are investigating... Burmese military junta reportedly cuts off internet across nation; demonstrators in Makati, Philippines shave heads, protest outside Burmese embassy; Indonesian Parliament ministers stand in moment of silence for demonstrators killed by Burmese regime; junta has closed monasteries, detained more Buddhist monks, declaring "no go" zones around targeted monasteries and shrines; Guardian reports "Yesterday, a Japanese photographer, Kenji Nagai, 50, was among those killed in fierce clashes", Burmese civilians continue gathering, cursing at and insulting military and police... Mychal Bell, the only youth convicted in Jena case free on bond after court vacated conviction; prosecutor may face investigation for abuse of office... LA Times reports "lesser-known Republican presidential candidates condemned their top rivals Thursday for skipping a debate on minority issues and said their absence hurt the party's image and amplified racial divisions", GOP contender Mike Huckabee said "I'm embarrassed for our party, and I'm embarrassed for those who did not come, because there's long been a divide in this country, and it doesn't get better when we don't show up", while Sen. Brownback (R-KS) called it "a disgrace for our country"...