Wednesday morning links

TOP STORIES
• California voters kill budget measures - LA Times
• Is California Too Big to Fail? - The Atlantic
• Japan’s economy shrinks record 4% - Financial Times
• Obama's new rules will transform US auto fleet - AP
• BofA raises over $13 billion in ATM program - MarketWatch
• Swiss Gold ETF: Paranoia premium or plain expensive? - trustnet
• Lehman Wants Probe of Alleged Barclays Windfall - Bloomberg
• Has Gold Been Manipulated? - Green Faucet

MARKETS/INVESTING
• Oil hovers above $60 as investors watch inventories - AP
• Gold demand jumps on higher investment demand - Reuters
• Rosenberg: Here Comes The Leg Down - ClusterStock
• Stockpiles put oil price's recent rally in question - MarketWatch
• Where the big money is betting big - StockHouse
• Another Bottom for Stocks Coming: Rogers - CNBC

ECONOMY
• Obama economic panel moves into the spotlight - Reuters
• Economists Stuck in 1930s Need a Decade Update - Bloomberg
• Food marketers turn to value with dollar-per-meal strategy - USA Today
• Credit card reform an opportunity to hammer good customers - LA Times
• New Orleans asks: 'What recession?' - CSM

INTERNATIONAL
• China tightening controls on bank lending - AP
• Canada to match U.S. car fuel rules - Globe & Mail
• Japan economy shrinks at record pace - MarketWatch
• BOE signals it may pump billions more into the economy - Telegraph
• Alistair Darling: Recession will be over by Christmas - Guardian
• Toronto stocks advance, with energy fronting gains - MarketWatch
• Cheaper energy keeps inflation in check - Globe & Mail
• In Japan, Secure Jobs Have a Cost - NY Times

HOUSING
• Southern California home price falls to $247,000 - LA Times
• John Paulson bets on property recovery with new fund - Telegraph
• US mortgage applications up as interest rates drop - Reuters
• House approves broad housing bill - MarketWatch

FED/TREASURY/BANKING
• Feds weigh panel to regulate financial products - AP
• U.S. Said to Consider Shifting SEC Power to Fed - Bloomberg
• Feds to inject $7.5B more into GMAC - Detroit News
• Jobs for Bankers Go Begging at Off-Limits Club - Bloomberg

INTERESTING
• Prophet Motive - New Republic
• Ancient Human Ancestor 'Ida' Discovered - LiveScience
• Could President Obama ban citizens from holding gold? - Mineweb
• Police: Pittsburgh student used snake as jump rope - AP

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