Opening Bell: 06.16.09
Will Someone PLEASE Take Freddie Chief John Koskinen's Job Off His Hands? (WSJ)
"Now, approaching his 70th birthday June 30, Mr. Koskinen has what may be his most thankless assignment: chairman as well as interim chief executive and finance chief of Freddie Mac, a big mortgage company on Treasury Department life support. Near the top of his to-do list is finding a new CEO and finance chief."
Cigarette Ban Being Implemented in Va. State Prisons (Washington Post)
Something to consider before doing anything illegal-ish, if living without your fix is out of the question.
Credit Issuers Slashing Card Balances (NYT)
"Now it's the card company calling you and saying, 'Let's talk turkey,' " said David Robertson, publisher of the credit industry journal The Nilson Report.
US Likely To Lose AAA Rating (Reuters)
According to Robert Prechter.
Obama's Bank Revamp May Stall as Congress Tackles Rival Issues (Bloomberg)
"It seems like some of the fire in the discussions has gone out of it," said Alex Pollock, a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington and former president of the Chicago Federal Home Loan Bank. "Regulatory reform is always a popular topic in the wake of a bubble and bust."
FAA Chief to Draft Tougher Rules to Alleviate Commuter Pilot Fatigue (WSJ)
That seems like a good idea.
Looking for the Little Guy in the Shotgun Union of Two Wall Street Giants (NYT)
In a preview for Frontline's documentary on the Bank of America, Merrill Lynch deal, "Breaking The Bank," Ken Lewis is described as "the most competitive person in the history of the United States, including the Union Army." We also learn that he had to practice smiling and started wearing glasses to "soften" his image. According to Andrew Ross Sorkin, Lewis "wants to give the middle finger to Wall Street."
Brown set to hire PR man who aided Palace (FT)
"Gordon Brown is poised to hire Simon Lewis, the public relations man who helped revive the Queen's image after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, to try to restore his own battered reputation."
Judge Lays Out Rules For AIG/Starr Trial (WSJ)
Rule number one: no bitching. "This is a case about an alleged trust and an alleged conversion of valuable share. It's not a forum for airing all the innumerable other issues -- many of which are unresolved -- about Mr. Greenberg, Starr, AIG bonuses, investigations and what have you," the judge said.