Thursday morning links

TOP STORIES
Schwarzenegger, legislative leaders settle on budget framework - LA Times
Deal Reached in Congress on $789 Billion Stimulus Plan - NY Times
Pioneer plans 10,000 job cuts, closing TV business - MarketWatch
Lawmakers Challenge Bankers on Bailout - NY Times
To End This Financial Crisis, Americans Are Going to Have to Get Angry - Alternet.org
12 Reasons to Short Gold - Seeking Alpha
Nearly 700 at Merrill in Million-Dollar Club - NY Times
Chinalco Said to Invest $19.5 Billion in Rio Tinto - Bloomberg

MARKETS/INVESTING
Gold Trades at Almost Six-Month High in London on Haven Demand - Bloomberg
Oil steady below $36 - CNN/Money
Commentary: Redefining “peak oil” for the USA - Energy Bulletin
Asset allocation by funds fuels gold rally - Reuters
IMF confirms plan to sell 403 tonnes gold - NineMSN
Deciphering meaning of gold's rally is not easy - MarketWatch

ECONOMY
Retail sales jump 1%, first increase in 7 months - MarketWatch
U.S. Jobless-Benefit Rolls at 4.81 Million; Weekly Claims Fall - Bloomberg
Why saving is killing the economy - CNN/Money
5 Points on the Critical State of the Economy - Huffington Post
Fourth Quarter Looking Worse Every Day - WSJ Economics Blog
Put the puritans in charge of the punchbowl - Financial Times
Some Econ Grad Students Are in High Demand - WSJ Economics Blog

INTERNATIONAL
Foreign trade plummets 29% in January - ChinaDaily
Ireland finalizes $9 billion bank-rescue package - MarketWatch
Bank of Korea Cuts Rate to 2%, Sees Room for Further Reduction - Bloomberg
Banks report record loan growth in Jan - ChinaDaily
Euro-zone industrial output slumps - MarketWatch
Vancouver Olympic organizers face cold economic realities - LA Times
Australia Senate Rejects A$42 Billion Stimulus Plan - Bloomberg
‘Dead’ Russian Bond Market’s 80% Yields Squeeze Firms - Bloomberg

HOUSING
U.S. January foreclosures fall: RealtyTrac - Reuters
Start the Recovery: End Foreclosures! - Alternet.org
Moratoriums responsible for slowdown in January foreclosure numbers - LA Land
Homeowner Confidence by Region - ZillowBlog
Looks like home buyers may have to wave goodbye to $15,000 - LA Land

FED/TREASURY/BANKING
Fed in Talks to Add Primary Dealers as Sales Rise to Record - Bloomberg
Fed Looking Unlikely to Buy Treasurys - WSJ Economics Blog
Fed’s Evans Says ‘Protracted’ Economic Slump Likely - Bloomberg
Geithner Defends Lack of Details in Financial Plan - Bloomberg

INTERESTING
Phoenix, kidnap-for-ransom capital - LA Times
Strip-Club Chief Is What Banks Afford With Obama Cap - Bloomberg
Wife Withdrew Millions Before Madoff’s Arrest - NY Times
GM’s Hummer Said to Draw Interest From China, Private Equity - Bloomberg