Money & Markets – Week of 5.19.08

World Bank ‘Destroyed Basic Grains’ in Hondouras
By Alison Fitzgerald, et al – Bloomberg.com (22 May 2008)

House Passes Bill to Sue OPEC Over Oil Prices
By Tom Doggett – Reuters (20 May 2008)

Oil’s Perfect Storm Set to Blow Over
By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard – London Telegraph (22 May 2008)

Banks Back in Court Over Charges
By Jennifer Hill – Reuters.UK (22 May 2008)

Five Tips To Prepare For Disaster
By Marshall Loeb – MarketWatch.com (18 May 2008)

Yeah, Right! Moody’s Blames Computer Error for A Ratings on Junk
By Sam Jones, et al – Financial Times, London (20 May 2008)

July Fireworks: Inflation Rate Will Reflect Gas Costs
By John Crudele – New York Post (20 May 2008)

Barnes & Noble Eyeing Borders Bid
By Michael Erman – Reuters (21 May 2008)

World Bank Burns Credibility
Carbon-Based Blog (14 Apr 2008)

Schwarzenegger Considers Lottery Bonds to Fix Deficit
By Michael B. Marois – Bloomberg.com (14 May 2008)

Californians Leading the Way To Consumer Bust
By James Saft – Reuters (15 May 2008)

Bush to Arab Nations: You’re Running Out Of Oil
By Tristan Stewart-Robertson & Mike Theodoulou – The Scotsman (19 May 2008)

A Single Currency for the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council)
By Ivo Cerckel – Honest Money (13 May 2008)

The Year of the Vulture
By Allan SLoan & Katie Benner – CNN Fortune (15 May 2008)
“The private equity firms that will thrive in the year ahead are those that know how to profit from others’ misfortunes.”

The 35 Largest U.S. Private Companies
CNNMoney.com

ECB Affects Surprise That Banks Dump Their Junk On It
By Paul J. Davies, et al – Financial Times, London (15 May 2008)

Paulson Should Act to Stop Dollar Slump, Americans Say in Poll
By John Brinsley – Bloomberg.com (18 May 2008
“Americans want Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson to act to stop the dollar’s decline, which has stoked the inflation eroding their household incomes.

A Bloomberg/Los Angeles Times poll found that 76 percent of Americans think the government should do something to halt the falling dollar. Among those with incomes of $100,000 or more, seven in 10 favored aiding the currency, putting pressure on Paulson, who’s charged with setting the policy, to match his “strong dollar” rhetoric with action.

The U.S. currency has slumped 41 percent against the euro since 2002 and 13 percent in the past 12 months alone. That has contributed to a surge in energy and commodity prices to record levels, and prompted central banks to reduce their share of foreign exchange reserves in dollars.”

MZM Down to 12.1%
St. Louis Federal Reserve Report

~ Previous blog posts on MZM: (1) (2) (3) (4)

Shareholders File New Legal Claims in Yahoo Case
By Martha Graybow – Reuters.UK (16 Ma7 2008)

U.S. Rice Growers Forsee Bonanza As Prices Soar
By Juliana Barbassa – Associated Press (12 May 2008)

Not-So-Safe-Deposit Boxes: States Seize Citizens’ Property to Balance Their Budgets
By Elisabeth Leamy – ABC News (12 May 2008)