Thursday morning links

TOP STORIES
Senate Passes Bailout Plan; House May Vote by Friday - NY Times
SEC extends short sale ban to give Congress time - Reuters
House girds for second try on financial rescue - AP
Libor Rises a Fourth Day as Banks Hoard Cash After Bill Passed - Bloomberg
Top Five Reasons Interventions Are Making Things Worse - Implode-O-Meter
Financial crisis: Deflation is now public enemy number one - Telegraph
Credit crunch puts California governments in a corner - LA Times

MARKETS/INVESTING
Gold Rush intensifies even as commodities crash - Commodity Online
Oil falls, focuses on demand - Reuters
CFTC to co-chair taskforce on oversight of comexes - Commodity Online

ECONOMY
U.S. Aug. factory orders drop 4%, most in 2 years - MarketWatch
Jobless claims remain at 7-year high - AP
Recession now certain, economists say - MarketWatch
Credit freeze puts businesses on thin ice - LA Times
Manufacturing sector shrinks again in September: ISM - Reuters
U.S. auto sales slump in September - LA Times

HOUSING
Bid of $1.75 on eBay gets abandoned Saginaw home - AP
House Prices Decline, Talk of Credit Crisis Spins Out of Control - TruthOut
Down Payment Assistance Officially Dead, For Now - HousingWire
In Option-ARM World, Only Two Large Lenders Remain - CNN/Money

FED/TREASURY/BANKING
Look to the Nordic bubble, not the Great Depression - Globe & Mail
Fed officials considering further rate cuts - Reuters
Fed's Plosser opens door a crack to backing rate cut - MarketWatch

INTERNATIONAL
European Central Bank holds rates steady - AP
House prices fall further in September - Guardian
EU talking over Ireland bank move - BBC
Asian automaker shares tumble on US sales slump - AP
So much for tirades against American greed - Telegraph
Latin America Economic Boom Threatened as Credit Freeze Deepens - Bloomberg

INTERESTING
Las Vegas' Losing Streak - BusinessWeek
DeFazio Introduces the No BAILOUTS Act - Congressman Peter Defazio