Monday morning links

TOP STORIES
• White House questions viability of GM, Chrysler - AP
• Stocks Fall Sharply in Asia and Europe - NY Times
• GM Chief to Resign at White House's Behest - Wash. Post
• IMF gold sales expected to be on G20 agenda - Mineweb
• The Steadfast Optimist Who Oversaw G.M.’s Long Decline - NY Times
• The Jewel Trade's Fading Luster - Wash. Post
• Rising Powers Challenge U.S. on Role in I.M.F. - NY Times
• U.S. Lays Down Terms for Auto Bailout - NY Times

MARKETS/INVESTING
• Stocks Fall on Concern GM, Chrysler May Fail - Bloomberg
• Hard times mean new opportunities for Big Oil - AP
• Gold may rebound on demand for alternative assets - The Age
• Wall Street rally rests on data due this week - AP
• The method behind gold bulls' prediction madness - Globe & Mail
• OPEC head Angola eyes oil prices at $75 in 2009 - Reuters

ECONOMY
• Recession Bites Into Social Security’s Surplus - Bloomberg
• Holiday airfares plunge, even for popular destinations - USA Today
• Economic Data Will Bring a Reality Check - Wash. Post
• In a Down Time Everywhere Else, K Street Bustles - Wash. Post
• How to get a job - CNN/Money

INTERNATIONAL
• Russia backs return to Gold Standard - Telegraph
• On eve of G20 summit, new blow to Gordon Brown - Guardian
• EU, euro economic confidence drops again - AP
• Merkel Is Ready to Greet, and Then Resist, Obama - IHT
• Russian Economy Will Shrink 4.5%, World Bank Says - Bloomberg
• Double-digit unemployment looms, OECD tells G8 - Reuters
• European Retail Sales Fall for 10th Month - Bloomberg
• Why Berlin Says U.S. "Bad Bank" Plan is Bad - Time

HOUSING
• Some Real Estate Markets Are Warming Up - Seeking Alpha
• California AG promises to tackle homeowner scams - LA Times
• Overhaul Targets Money Market - Wash. Post
• Bargain home prices attract investors, novices - SF Gate

FED/TREASURY/BANKING
• Bernanke Seeks to Avert Pressures on Fed After Crisis - Bloomberg
• On the Urgency of Abandoning Toxic Asset Purchases - Hussman Funds
• Bank Watchdogs Snooze Before the Biggest Heists - Bloomberg
• Geithner won't say if more bailout money needed - Reuters

INTERESTING
• He’s Mad, Apocalyptic, Tearful, and a Rising Star on Fox News - NY Times
• Subprime is dead, but not this lender’s program - O.C. Register
• The 9 wackiest tax deductions - MSN Money

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