I have a ton of links today, so I have broken then out into sections. See the news feed for other stories.

Finance

• Inside Obama’s bank CEOs meeting – Eamon Javers – POLITICO.com “My administration,” the president added, “is the only thing between you and the pitchforks.”
• Lehman Brothers’ Dick Fuld Has a New Gig – Deal Journal – WSJ
• Summers’s $2.7 Million in Speech Fees Included Banks – Bloomberg.com
• Texas Rangers Owner Hicks Defaults on $525 Million in Loans – Bloomberg.com
• Mark-to-Market Rule Gives More Clarity, Not Less: John M. Berry – Bloomberg.com his quote, not mine: Mark-to-market accounting rules are being brought a little closer to economic reality — accompanied by misplaced howls of outrage.
• Irish economy to shrink 12pc by 2010 says central bank – Independent.ie
• Re-default data shows Obama housing plan potential More than 58 percent of U.S. home loans modified in 2008 did not result in a decreased monthly payment, and those modifications often did not produce sustainable mortgages
• Wall Street Swaps Zegna for Denim, Tool Belts: Caroline Baum – Bloomberg.com
• Libor Caps Third Weekly Drop on Signs of Credit Thaw – Boomberg
• New York Times threatens to shut Boston Globe – Reuters
• Dow ends above 8,000 in best 4-week run since 1933 -Reuters
• Who’s Most Indebted? Banks, Not Consumers – DealBook
• Economists React: No Signs of Recovery in Jobs Report – Real Time Economics
• Shareholders vote against RBS pay – BBC News

Economics

• Decline and Fall of Western Civilization: second presentation by richard koo there are significant and important updates in data and outlook, and koo is only further convinced by events in the intervening five months that we are in fact facing a globalized balance sheet recession spanning several developed economies more serious than the isolated example of japan 1990-2005.
• Obama Jumps on the Elephant, Speaks Out About The Giant Pool – Swampland It seems like Obama is part of the cult of zero imbalances
• Tim Duy’s Fed Watch: Johnson and Kwak vs. Bernanke
• Is America repeating Japanese history? | Free exchange | Economist.com Hat tip Mark Thoma
• Did the Oil Price Boom of 2008 Cause Crisis? – Real Time Econmics

Politics

• Obama to abolish limits on U.S.-Cuba family ties – ReutersAlaska Politics Blog : Todd Palin’s half-sister arrested for burglary | adn.com
• Erdogan Auditions as Obama Broker With Mideast Ties – BloombergNetanyahu to Obama: Stop Iran—Or I Will – The Atlantic (March 31, 2009)

Spanish-language

• Un pueblo italiano pone un autobús sólo para inmigrantes
• Solbes admite que la crisis “no ha tocado fondo” y augura menos gasto
• Los fantasmas del pasado vuelven a América Latina

German-language

• Discounter: Umsätze von Aldi und Lidl brechen ein – Spiegel
• Möglicher Investor: Abu Dhabi prüft angeblich Einstieg bei Opel – Spiegel
• Hypo Real Estate: Bundesrat billigt Enteignungsgesetz Spiegel

Technology

• Skype’s iPhone application raises protests – FT.com Skype’s application for the Apple iPhone is igniting network neutrality disputes around the globe after less than a week on the market.
• T-Mobile Germany bans Skype for iPhone and Blackberry – The Next Web This is pure abuse of power and must be stoppedFirefox 3 the Most Popular Browser in Europe [Browser Wars] – Lifehacker

Odds & Ends

• Binghamton – Hlzoy, Political Animal
• Scientists reveal how eating chocolate can help improve your maths – Telegraph
• Capello has unleashed a dangerous beast – The Guardian The Italian evokes spirit of Ramsey as he raises expectations of England fans with five consecutive wins