Sunday morning links

TOP STORIES
Barclays mulls Lehman bid, Paulson begs banks to deliver a rescue - Telegraph
Wall St. Goliath Teeters Amid Fear of Wider Crisis - NY Times
Where's The Ref? - Ritholtz, Forbes
Lehman Races Clock; Crisis Spreads - Wall Street Journal
Wall Street privatises US government: be very afraid - Telegraph

MARKETS/INVESTING
Govts' moves can't halt commodity rally: Rogers - Business Standard
Far from Ike's path, an aftershock is felt: $5 gas - AP
John Embry: "When the gold's all gone, the market will go nuts" - The Gold Report
Gas Prices Rise as Industry Assesses Storm Damage - NY Times

ECONOMY
Prices Probably Decrease as Growth Slows: U.S. Economy Preview - Bloomberg
Economy to Entrepreneurs: Turn Back - NY Times
Ate a Whole Pint? Check Again - NY Times

HOUSING
Housing: Are We Near the Bottom? - Mauldin, Safehaven
How Washington Failed to Rein In Fannie, Freddie - Washington Post
Alt-A Mortgages Next Risk for Housing Market as Defaults Surge - Bloomberg

FED/TREASURY/BANKING
Regulators set to review Fannie, Freddie exit pay - Reuters
Too Few Regulations? No, Just Ineffective Ones - NY Times
Fed futures increase bets on rate cut in coming months - MarketWatch
Greenspan Says McCain Tax Plan Needs Corresponding Budget Cuts - Bloomberg

INTERNATIONAL
China May Loosen Lending Restrictions After Inflation Slows - Bloomberg
Italy scrambles to save bankrupt airline Alitalia - AP
Asia Stocks Fall for Second Week, Led by Commodities Producers - Bloomberg
China inspects dairy regions after tainted milk - AP

INTERESTING
WiFi Bathtubs and Other Stuff of Dreams - Washington Post
Case of the $5K designer umbrella ruled frivolity - AP