Wednesday morning links

TOP STORIES
Freddie Mac loses $821 million on housing, credit markets - MarketWatch
Commodities find gravity, TSX takes the fall - Globe & Mail
The woman who called Wall Street's meltdown - Fortune
Maestro won't face the music - Schiff, Asia Times
Banks face higher hurdles to physical oil trading - Reuters

MARKETS
Gold up on bargain hunting, platinum climbs - Reuters
Oil holds near $119 ahead of inventory data - AP
Dollar hits 7-month high vs yen, helped by Fed stance - Reuters
Mining industry stock mired in summer doldrums - AP

ECONOMY
Economists Plumb the Depths of the Downturn - NY Times
Retailers May Flunk Back-to-School as Costs Soar, Sales Stall - Bloomberg
Home Energy Prices Are Expected to Soar - NY Times

HOUSING
Morgan Stanley to freeze home-equity credit lines - Reuters
360 mortgage brokerages don't cut it with state - IndyStar
Metro new-home sales plummet - Denver Post
Morgan Stanley to Advise U.S. on Fannie and Freddie - NY Times

FED/TREASURY/BANKING
Wage/Price Fixation Is Spiraling Out of Control - Baum, Bloomberg
Gross: Fed Can't Raise Rates - CNBC
Fed Wisely Chose to Avoid Making Risky Choice - Bloomberg

INTERNATIONAL
Booming China Suddenly Worries That a Slowdown Is Taking Hold - NY Times
Food price inflation spirals to 9.5 per cent - Times Online
Japan's economy reported as 'deteriorating' - MarketWatch
China loosens controls on loans to smaller companies - LA Times
Interest rate rise 'possible' as Bank of England discusses economic slump - Guardian

INTERESTING
Obama pumped up over attack on his energy strategy - LA Times
Save gas: Learn from 'hypermilers' - MSN Money