Monday morning links

TOP STORIES
Citigroup to buy Wachovia banking operations - AP
Sweeping Bailout Bill Unveiled - Washington Post
Sold to US taxpayers for $700B: banks' bad assets - AP
Nouriel Roubini on the $700 billion bailout - RGE Monito
Behind Insurer’s Crisis, Blind Eye to a Web of Risk - NY Times
European central banks cut sales of gold - Financial Times

MARKETS/INVESTING
Oil, Metals, Crops Fall on Concern U.S. Bailout Plan May Fail - Bloomberg
Dollar Intervention Risk `Meaningful' on Volatility - Bloomberg
Gold and silver dealer reports an ‘unprecedented’ shortage of metals - The Post

ECONOMY
Consumer spending weakens as stimulus fades - AP
Rescue May Not Revive Economy - WSJ
Sour economy tied to psychology that fed gas panic - AP

HOUSING
A simple fix to the housing mess - MSN Money
Wall Street's Woes Hit Highest End - WSJ
O.C. homeowners associations in cash crunch - OC Register

FED/TREASURY/BANKING
Broad Powers, Lots of Money And Uncertainty - Washington Post
Fed Would Gain More Power Over Short-Term Rates in Rescue Bill - Bloomberg
Treasury Would Emerge With Vast New Power - NY Times
What's next, a ban on stock sales? - MSN Money

INTERNATIONAL
Bradford & Bingley Set for Nationalization, Takeover - Bloomberg
Bradford & Bingley: The men standing way too close to the credit bomb - Telegraph
Southeast Asia, India Growth Forecasts Cut by Morgan Stanley - Bloomberg
Chinese banker predicts weakened US dollar in long term - China View
Fortis Gets EU11.2 Billion Rescue From Governments - Bloomberg

INTERESTING
China, Following Astronauts' Return, Plans Space Lab for 2011 - Bloomberg
Does Hot Water Freeze Faster Than Cold Water? - LiveScience