Thursday morning links

TOP STORIES
• Fed Shielded Facts Of Merrill Sale, Republicans Say - Wash. Post
• AIG moves to spin off 2 units, reduce gov't debt - AP
• Wall St. Begins Campaign to Thwart ‘Populist Overreaction’ - Bloomberg
• Millionaires' club shrank at record rate in 2008, Merrill says - LA Times
• Volcker Gets Less Than He Wants in Curbing Excesses - Bloomberg
• Fed Douses Speculation on Asset Purchases - Bloomberg
• Citi Boosting Salaries to Offset Lower Bonuses - Time
• BBC says it will publish top executives' salaries - AP

MARKETS/INVESTING
• Oil Rises Above $69 After Pipeline Attacks - Bloomberg
• Gold price to rise on ETF investment demand - Commodity Online
• Companies rethink 401(k) plan contributions - USA Today
• Treasuries Fall as Asian Stocks Rally - Bloomberg
• Oil falls as demand stagnates - MarketWatch
• Is it safe to buy stocks again? - MSN Money

ECONOMY
• Jobless claims deflate labor rebound hopes - Reuters
• Economy dips at slightly lower 5.5 percent pace - AP
• Hedge-Fund Guy Points Toward Z-Shaped Recovery - Bloomberg
• Is inflation our next big worry? - MSN Money
• Inflation or Hyperinflation? - Merk, Safehaven

INTERNATIONAL
• Toyota's new boss warns of two more tough years - Reuters
• Russia Facing Long Recession, World Bank Says - NY Times
• Britain facing biggest deficit in Western world, warns OECD - Telegraph
• Lenders try to repossess homes for credit card debt - Guardian
• Mervyn King left in dark by Treasury on bank reforms - Telegraph
• China’s Dealmakers Look Abroad Again - NY Times
• Gordon Brown's 10 worst financial gaffes - Guardian
• World wants "major reserve currencies" stable: China - Reuters

HOUSING
• What the Fed's Decision Means for Mortgage Rates - US News
• 4 of America's nastiest housing busts - MSN Money
• Realtors say new appraisals `problem" - Mercury News
• Meltdown 101: Where do home prices really stand? - AP

FED/TREASURY/BANKING
• Fed Board Maintains the Status Quo - NY Times
• The Fed Holds Steady: Mixed Signals on the Economy - Time
• AIG to Cut Debt to Federal Reserve by $25 Billion - Bloomberg
• Short View: Fed's poker game - AP

INTERESTING
• How Twitter Will Change the Way We Live - Time
• Indicted billionaire to appear in court in Texas - AP
• Study: Saturn moon has liquid water below surface - AP
• Most People Prefer Right Ear for Listening - LiveScience

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