Friday morning links

TOP STORIES
U.S. Weighs Takeover of Two Mortgage Giants - New York Times
Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Tumble on Takeover Option - Bloomberg
Monetarists warn of crunch across Atlantic economies - Telegraph UK
World economy between recession and inflation-IMF - Reuters
Global oil stockpiles decline : IAEA - Commodity Online

MARKETS
Oil sets new record near $147 a barrel - AP
Gold futures surge on rising oil, Iran tensions - MarketWatch
For Short Sellers, It Doesn’t Get Much Better - NY Times
Don't blame speculators for oil price rise: Melamed - CommodityOnline

ECONOMY
U.S. Consumer Sentiment Stays Near Lowest Since 1980 - Bloomberg
Trade deficit ebbs as exports rise to record high - AP
U.S. Import Prices Rose 2.6% in June, Up 0.9% Excluding Oil - Bloomberg

HOUSING
U.S. Adopts Capitalism Lite for Housing Bailout - Bloomberg
Kiss of death for Fannie, Freddie? White House faith a contrary indicator - MarketWatch
Ottawa tightens mortgage rules to avoid 'bubble' - Globe & Mail

FED/TREASURY
Bernanke, Paulson call for more regulatory clout to protect economy - AP
Fed's Yellen: Inflation a worry, growth to pick up - Reuters

INTERNATIONAL
Japanese confidence at record low - BBC
Euro-Region Economy Probably Shrank for First Time - Bloomberg
Slide in house prices is the worst since the Great Depression - Telegraph UK
Japan's Lost Decade Threatens to Be Global Norm - Bloomberg
Rising tide of bad debts will flood over banks - Telegraph UK

INTERESTING
Toyota to build Prius in U.S. - Reuters
Dog meat off the menu during Beijing Olympics - AP