Friday morning links

TOP STORIES
Senate approves broad healthcare overhaul - Reuters
Can the U.S. escape a fiscal death spiral? - Washington Times
How Harry Reid shepherded healthcare reform through the Senate - LA Times
Arizona's Coming Government Collapse - from Governor Jan Brewer - Resist.net
Gold Bubble: Jim Rogers lambasts Nouriel Roubini - Commodity Online
Bottom 10 (OK, 11) letters of 2009 - MarketWatch
Congress raises debt ceiling to $12.4 trillion - AP
Is it all just a Ponzi scheme? (.pdf) - Sprott

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MARKETS/INVESTING
Oil rises above $77 after US crude supply drop - AP
Gold Gains as Dollar’s Drop May Spur Investor Demand - Bloomberg
Companies cut dividends in '09 at a level not seen since 1930s - USA Today
Sentiment picture for gold is rapidly improving - MarketWatch
Top hedge funds bet on big rise in yields - FT
Bug Juice On The Gold Bugs - Forbes

ECONOMY
Jobless claims fall in latest week - Reuters
Durable goods posts small November gain - AP
For 2010, little improvement seen in job market - MarketWatch
U.S. consumer sentiment improves in December - MarketWatch
New home sales fall 11.3% in November - LA Times
Fixing the Economy - The Big Picture

INTERNATIONAL
China shares rise on renewed pledge of easy credit - AP
London greets holiday with 15-month highs - MarketWatch
Greece Approves Budget, Deficit-Reduction Measures - Bloomberg
Bank of Japan saw deflation easing at November meeting - MarketWatch
Can China beat US in gold reserves in 10 years? - Commodity Online
Miners rise on talk of Chinese 'strategic' metal buying - Telegraph
Vietnam’s Inflation Accelerates to Eight-Month High - Bloomberg
Britain’s Cost of Borrowing Rises - WSJ

REAL ESTATE
Everyone's Defaulting, Why Don't You? - Gross, Slate
Homeowners Get More Time for Home-Loan Modifications - Bloomberg
California housing market rebound a leading indicator for nation - Examiner.com
Cities Where Homes Are Losing Most Value - Forbes

FED/TREASURY/BANKING
U.S. probes banks on sale of risky securities - Reuters
Treasury Gives Misleading Account of TARP Results - Naked Capitalism
Banks Bundled Bad Debt, Bet Against It and Won - NY Times
Why the Fed Will Be Sidelined in 2010 - Pento, greenfaucet
Bernanke's Life in Photos - Time

INTERESTING
Eighteen People You're Scared Of on Facebook - GQ
Parents in 'balloon boy' hoax get jail time - LA Times
Don't mess with Texas: More Americans moving in - CNN/Money
Woman arrested in Hawaii for threat to first lady - Reuters

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