Wednesday morning links

TOP STORIES
Fed’s $85 Billion Loan Rescues Insurer - NY Times
Russian Emergency Funding Fails to Halt Stock Rout - Bloomberg
U.S. regulators try to find WaMu buyer: report - Reuters
At Least $87B of $138B JPM Advance to Lehman Repaid by Fed - Naked Capitalism
Black Swans Become Norm, Instead of Exception - Bloomberg
Let's Start by Finding Some People to Behead - Bloomberg

MARKETS/INVESTING
Gold up on commodities rally, AIG rescue - Reuters
Silver And Gold Ownership "Informally" Re-Illegalized - Implode-O-Meter
Yet another non-confirmation -MarketWatch
Money woes, other stresses bring unwanted physical response - USA Today

ECONOMY
Housing construction drops 6.2 percent in August - AP
The end of the Shopaholic Nation? - MSN Money
Home-builder confidence improves in September - MarketWatch

HOUSING
Property-tax appeals pass 9,000 - O.C. Register
FASB Pushes Ahead With “Securitization Killer” - Housing Wire
Pimco real estate fund tanks - O.C. Register

FED/TREASURY/BANKING
Bernanke Bets on Targeted Loans Over Rate Cut to Aid Wall St. - Bloomberg
Federal bank insurance fund dwindling - AP
Why the Fed can’t lower rates - iTulip
Fed Recreates the 1970s; Wait, It's the 1930s - Bloomberg
Bubbleonomics & Greenspan's 'magic piggy banks' - MarketWatch

INTERNATIONAL
Trading in Russian shares halted - BBC
Global Confidence Falls as Lehman, AIG Roil Financial Markets - Bloomberg
U.S. needs to learn from Japan's 'lost decade' - Globe & Mail
Sharp rise in unemployment claimants - Guardian UK
ECB's Bini Smaghi Says AIG Rescue `Essential' for Markets - Bloomberg

INTERESTING
N.Y. artist records public scorn on Wall Street - AP
Wall Street Crashes the 2008 Election - BusinessWeek