Market call: Futures set to slip at open. European stocks are mixed and Asia ended the session higher. Gold futures backed off a new intraday record at $1,398.50. Even so, there’s nothing on the horizon to upset markets, and tech stocks are stars again.
Regulation watch: Regulators and banks go head-to-head over the Volcker rule and whistleblower protections may be modified.
Economic debates: Friedman casts a shadow as economists debate QE2. Forget the New Normal. The Federal Reserve’s Kevin Warsh has some ideas about how to end the New Malaise. Robert Zoellick explains what a “modified gold standard” might look like. It’s not Buffett’s 67-foot cube of metal. .
Presidential confessions: Obama discusses leadership problems and the economy on 60 Minutes. Transcripts here and here. (via Politico)
Wall Street: The good news: Citigroup defeats Guy Hands, thanks to this lawyer. The bad news: Citi is under investigation for funds pushed by its wealth management group.
In other news, banks are going to fight the mortgage mess, and it’s not going to be cheap. A handy bonus breakdown. AIG stages a bond market comeback. And taxpayers don’t want to fund ballpark construction
Hedge funds oppose self-regulation in favor of no regulation. Maybe now we’ll finally know who plays for Stanley Druckenmiller’s fantasy football league.
Corporate America: Massey gets a takeover bid, and AOL is weighing its options… like maybe doing something with Yahoo!. Comcast draws on NBCU to fill its new board.
Green energy shrinks from view as cost of conventional power falls.
How Apple’s stock could hit $500, Marissa Mayer discusses Google’s 3 biggest mistakes, and the New New Andreeson is here.
Finally… A Chilean miner finishes the NYC Marathon in 5 hours and 40 minutes.