Top Picks ~ Week of March 31, 2008

Money & Markets

Credit Crunch Fallout Could Drag on for Years, Lawyers Warn
Times Online (31 Mar 2008)

Overdue Consumer Debts Highest Since 1992, ABA Says
by Hugh Son, Bloomberg (03 Apr 2008)

The Federal Reserve is a Private Financial Institution
Global Research (02 Apr 2008)

UBS to Write Down Another $19 Billion
by Nelson D. Schwartz and Julia Werdigier, NY Times (02 Apr 2008)

Central Bank Currency Riggers Buy Dollars Sold by Central Bank Investment Arms
by Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss, Reuters (31 Mar 2008)

Small Business Owners’ Economic Confidence Took a Sharp Drop in March
by rasmussenreports.com (31 Mar 2008)

USA 2008: The Great Depression
by David Usborne, The Independent (1 Apr 2008)

Modest Proposal: A ‘Master of the Universe’ Shows How to Shut it Down
by John Sakowicz, bohemian.com (28 Feb 2008)

Bush Administration Proposes Sweeping Overhaul of Financial Regulation, With New Powers to Fed
by Martin Crutsinger, Associated Press (28 Mar 2008)

Fed Eyes Nordic-Style Nationalization of U.S. Banks
by Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, The Telegraph (31 Mar 2008)

Stocks Most Heavily Held by Institutions Performing Best
SeekingAlpha.com (27 Mar 2008)

What Wall Street’s CEOs Don’t Know Can Kill You
by Michael Lewis, Bloomberg (26 Mar 2008)

Moody’s Takes Axe to CDO Ratings
by Paul J Davies, Financial Times
(26 Mar 2008)

MZM Growing at Annualized Rate of 36.8%
St. Louis Fed Report
MZM is an acronym for “Money Zero Maturity” ~ A measure of the liquid money supply within an economy. MZM represents all money in time deposits, plus all money market funds. From investopedia.com.

Waiting for Armageddon
The Economist (27 Mar 2008)

Auction-Rate Crisis Hits Stadiums for Saints, Giants
by Aaron Kuriloff and Michael McDonald, Bloomberg (27 Mar 2008)

Guyanese Rainforest Proposed for British Carbon Credits Deal
by Daniel Howden, commondreams.org

Lehman May Be Victim of Fraud
by Andrew Morse (28 Mar 2008)

More on Lehman Brothers:

Maher Brothers Make $1.1 Billion Claim Against Lehman
American Shipper
Lehman Clients Demand $1.1 Billion in Auction Dispute (Update2)
Bloomberg (18 Jan 08)
Lehman Brothers Recent Stock Price
Yahoo Finance

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Precious Metals

Another Look at the Bull Market in Commodities
James Turk, goldmoney.com (1 Apr 2008)

Indians Buying Up Gold?
by Peter Brimelow, MarketWatch (31 Mar 2008)

Fed May Not Want Its Cash Loans Back Any More than Governments Want their Gold Loans Back
by Chris Powell, gata.org (29 Mar 2008)

German Finance Ministry Denies Wanting to Sell Gold
by Iain Rogers, Reuters (29 Mar 2008)

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Geopolitical

China Buys 1.6% Stake in Total
by Richard McGregor, Peggy Hollinger,and Henny Sender, Financial Times (03 Apr 2008)

Diebold Rejects United Tech Takeover Offer As Too Low
by Reuters (03 Mar 2008)

Russians, Saudis Expect U.S. Attack On Iran
by Paul Craig Roberts, vdare.com (30 Mar 2008)

Bush and Brown in Push to Deal with Crisis
by James Blitz and George Parker, FT.com (30 Mar 2008)

Russian Oil Output May Fall for First Time in Decade in 2008
by Greg Walters, Bloomberg (27 Mar 2008)

Hud Chief Resigns Amid Criminal Probe
by Pete Yost, Associated Press

Katrina Victims May Have to Repay Money
by John Moreno Gonzales , Associated Press (30 Mar 2008)

Offer of a Murder Surfaces at Wiretap Trial
by David Halbfinger, NY Times (02 Apr 2008)

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Food & Health

Groundfishing’s Future Looks ‘Scary’
by Tom Bell, Portland Press Herald (02 Apr 2008)

Which Giant Corporation Owns Your Favorite Organic Food Brand?

Jump in Rice Price Fuels Fears of Unrest
by Javier Blas and Daniel Ten Kate, Financial Times (28 Mar 2008)

Prices Climb as Fertiliser Famine Looms
by Dan Buglass, The Scotsman (26 Mar 2008)

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Life

Civilians Handle Minor Duties for Strapped Police
by Alan Gomez, USA Today

Blogging Philanthropy in the Context of What?
by gifthub.org (29 Mar 2008)

Youth ATV Safety Still Controversial with Consumers, Industry
by April Vitello, Associated Press (31 Mar 2008)

Leontyne Price Farewell “O patria mia” AIDA

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