It's Monday, November 13, 2023. Another government shutdown looms. How quickly we forget, and it's

time to smarten up, grow up, and choose well. Next on the AM update.

The U.S. credit rating outlook was lowered from stable to negative this week, my Moody's

Investors' Services as another government shutdown looms. Moody said in a statement, quote,

continued political polarization within U.S. Congress raises the risk that successive governments

will not be able to reach consensus on a fiscal plan to

slow the decline in debt affordability. The statement went on to say, in the context of higher

interest rates without effective fiscal policy measures to reduce government spending or increase

revenues, Moody's expects that the U.S.'s fiscal deficits will remain very large, significantly

weakening debt affordability.

Republicans in the House are expected to try to avoid a shutdown by releasing a temporary spending measure,

as newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson continues to negotiate with members before federal funding runs out next Friday.

While Moody's kept the United States AAA credit rating,

the two other major credit

rating agencies, S&P and Fitch, have lowered it to AA Plus, which Fitch did in August. S&P lowered

its rating in 2011. A mob of pro-Hamas supporters caused unrest in New York City on Friday night.

The throng of protesters attempted to storm Grand Central Station, splattered

fake blood on the New York Times building, and tore down American flags. Thousands of demonstrators

participated in the, quote, Flood Manhattan for Gaza protest Friday night. Protesters set fire

to an Israeli flag and destroyed copies of the Jewish Post newspaper. Vandals plastered the New York City

storefronts with anti-Israel messages such as Zionism is terrorism and resist colonial power

by any means necessary. Some protesters destroyed posters of Israeli hostages. Others demanded the

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