Thursday morning links

TOP STORIES
Goldman's Profit Blows Past Forecasts - CNBC
Obama to Propose Limits on Risks Taken by Banks - NY Times
China economy soars, sets stage for policy tightening - Reuters
Cautious about the economy, big banks report slow lending - Washington Post
Joseph Stiglitz: 'We're More Strict With Our Poor Than With Our Banks' - HuffPost
Massachusetts Poll: Voters Think Obama Sides With the Banks - The Peoples Voice
Grading Obama’s economic policy after one year - Credit Writedowns
Mr. Change Needs a Reboot - Spiegel Online
Paul Volcker Prevails - HuffPost

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MARKETS/INVESTING
Oil slips toward $77 on China growth worries - Reuters
Gold Declines as Stronger Dollar Curbs Demand - Bloomberg
Behind Stock Market Selloff: China, Politics and Earnings - CNBC
Crash of 2008 winner says bear market is back - MarketWatch
ETFs help push platinum to 17 month high - Mineweb
How Obama is failing investors - MSN Money

ECONOMY
Initial jobless claims unexpectedly rise - AP
Senate Proposes Increasing U.S. Debt Limit to $14.3 Trillion - Bloomberg
The Truth About Unemployment -- And Why It May Get Worse - HuffPost
A recession divorce: No one wants the house - MSN Money
Who needs consumer spending? - CNN/Money

INTERNATIONAL
China tells banks to halt lending - FT
China's GDP grows 8.7% in 2009 - China Daily
China Statement’s Missing Words Fuel Policy-Shift Speculation - Bloomberg
Why the Bank must drop its inflation target for all our sakes - Telegraph
Greek Bonds Recover as Papaconstantinou Says No Rescue Needed - Bloomberg
China's central bank calls for balanced lending - China Daily
Japan Loan Demand Falls Most in Five Years, BOJ Says - Bloomberg
UK Borrowing Hits December Record - BBC

REAL ESTATE
Why Mortgage Modification Isn't Working - WSJ
Manager guards against housing double-dip - MarketWatch
Backlog of foreclosed homes overshadows market recovery - DMN
Impact of tighter FHA mortgage rules on home loans debated - USA Today

FED/TREASURY/BANKING
What's next for Bernanke's confirmation to Fed? - Reuters
Obama to Propose New Rules on Banks’ Size, Trading - Bloomberg
AIG, New York Fed Pay Banks in Full, Limit Disclosure - BusinessWeek
FDIC geared up for busy year of bank failures - Reuters

INTERESTING
Running Dry: Belgium's Looming Beer Crisis - Time
Is Cash4Gold paying the right price for gold? - Commodity Online
UN Climate Experts Under Fire for Glacier Melt Error - Spiegel Online
The New York Times to Gingerly Charge for Website - Time

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