Wednesday morning links

TOP STORIES
Congress, White House seek final deal on stimulus - Reuters
Geithner Leaves Questions, Markets Make Him Pay - Bloomberg
Geithner Plan Smackdown Wrap - Naked Captilism
China Needs U.S. Guarantees for Treasuries, Yu Says - Bloomberg
About Bailout Nation . . . - The Big Pcture
$3 trillion! — Senate, Fed, Treasury attack crisis - Bloomberg
GM Slashing 10,000 Jobs - Washington Post
The Financial Crisis Blame Game - Time

MARKETS/INVESTING
Gold up 1 pct as investors seek haven from risk - Reuters
Crude Oil Rises on Speculation OPEC Cuts Are Curbing Oversupply - Bloomberg
Three US banks 'own' gold futures at Comex! - Commodity Online
Global oil demand to sink - CNN/Money
Buyback halts may spell more trouble for Wall St. - Reuters
Three forces causing price swings, Saudi oil minister says - DMN
Ten-Year U.S. Treasuries Advance; Yield Falls to 2.79 Percent - Bloomberg

ECONOMY
Trade deficit drops to $39.9B; lowest in 6 years - AP
The truth about stimulus and the Depression - CNN/Money
Deflation or disinflation? - VOX
Tidbits about stimulus, recovery, and the Great Depression - Credit Writedowns
Gas, sales tax hikes on tap to erase state deficit - LA Times

INTERNATIONAL
Pimco Says World Economic Crisis Faces ‘Second Wave’ - Bloomberg
Morgan Stanley chief: Asia will be less affected by crisis - The Star
China’s January Exports Fall 17.5%, Most in Almost 13 Years - Bloomberg
Bank of England prepared to boost money supply - MarketWatch
Sweden Cuts Key Rate to 1%; Won’t Rule Out Zero Rates - Bloomberg
Bank of England: UK inflation to hit 0.5% - CNN/Money
Canadians more willing than ever to throw in the towel financially - Globe & Mail
Central Banks Require More Support, New Methods, Governors Say - Bloomberg

HOUSING
Homeowners emerge from denial on falling values - SF Gate
Multifamily and Commercial Loan Originations Plunge 80% - HousingWire
Week-to-week mortgage applications down 24.5% - MarketWatch
Housing Price Bubble: Learning from California - newgeography
Housing Market May Bottom Out This Year - Mortgage 101
Mystery pair moves into upscale Sacramento neighborhood - Sacramento Bee

FED/TREASURY/BANKING
Bailout Plan: $2.5 Trillion and a Strong U.S. Hand - NY Timew
Geithner Can’t Find Gun, Let Alone Silver Bullet - Bloomberg
Justin Fox Reviews Tim Geithner's Big Day - Time
Geithner Says Bank-Rescue Plans May Reach $2 Trillion - Bloomberg
Bernanke Begins ‘Thorough Review’ of Fed Disclosure - Bloomberg

INTERESTING
Thomas Jefferson's Top 10 Quotes on Money and Banking - The Daily Bail
Obesity in US military doubled since 2003 - AFP
Transcript of Conversation between Geithner and Volker 2/9 - Bruce Krasting