Tuesday morning links

TOP STORIES
• Default Rate Surges to Highest Since Depression, Moody’s Says - Bloomberg
• IMF gold sale may push down prices below $800 - Commodity Online
• China's economy to bottom out in mid 2009; World Bank - CHINADaily
• Toxic debts could reach $4 trillion, IMF to warn - Times Online
• FDIC’s Insurance Commitments 34% Higher Than Reported - Option Armageddon
• Exclusive: Tearful Allen Stanford Expects Indictment in Two Weeks - ABC News
• Larry Summers, Tim Geithner and Wall Street's ownership of government - Salon
• Turning Japanese - Foreign Affairs

MARKETS/INVESTING
• Oil falls below $51 as rally loses steam - AP
• Goldman: IMF Gold Sales to Have ‘Limited Impact’ - Bloomberg
• SEC to mull 4 short-selling rules - CNN/Money
• High-tech layoffs climb in first quarter - MarketWatch
• “Getting, Keeping, Losing!” - Saut, Raymond James
• Resisting the Temptation to Buy Gold - Inner Workings

ECONOMY
• Optimism on U.S. economy up: poll - Reuters
• Soros says U.S. faces "lasting slowdown" - Reuters
• Recovery hopes begin to blossom - CNN/Money
• Economy Falling Years Behind Full Speed - NY Times
• Pensioners 'cannot afford to survive' - Telegraph

INTERNATIONAL
• Japan and Australia Take Steps to Revive Economy - NY Times
• U.K. Manufacturing Drops Most Since at Least 1968 - Bloomberg
• China to improve yuan cross-border payment system - CHINADaily
• Is the Almighty Dollar Doomed? - Time
• Strength or weakness? China’s dollar reserves - Setser, CFR
• Japan set for second economic bail-out - Telegraph
• Eurozone retail sales slump by 4% - BBC
• Russian Economy Contracts at Record Pace - Bloomberg

HOUSING
• Can she buy now and resell for a gain in five years? - Boston.com
• Are FHA loans the next housing time bomb? - CNN/Money
• Panic tears at the heart of the system, Warsh says - MarketWatch
• Loan modification subject to growing fraud - Signs on San Diego

FED/TREASURY/BANKING
• Key Libor Rates Ease; Central Bank Action Key - WSJ
• Mayo Gives Banks ‘Underweight’ Rating on Loan Losses - Bloomberg
• Fighting Recklessness with Recklessness - Hussman, Hussman Funds
• 5 central banks swap currencies - CNN/Money

INTERESTING
• Stanford: 'Clients lost no money' - BBC
• GM and Segway plan electric two-wheeler - AFP
• Gravity satellite feels the force - BBC

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