Wednesday Morning Links

MUST READS
Oil up despite Saudi’s pledge to boost supply - BBC
Early Spring Boosts Economy, but Benefit May Not Last - CNBC
In stress tests, Fed may have inflated grades for TARP banks - Fortune
Professor Bernanke rails against gold standard - CNN/Money
Bernanke: Gold Standard A ‘Waste Of Resources’ - Forbes
Ben Bernanke Just Murdered The Gold Standard - Business Insider
Main Street’s Case Against Wall Street Landlords - WSJ
Wall Street Sees Big Profits In Renting Out Foreclosed Homes - HuffPost
Of Muppets and Manhattan: Goldman Sachs’ woes are Gotham’s - City Journal
Goldman Sachs traitor enrages Bloomberg - MarketWatch
What Would Graham Say About Goldman? - WSJ
How Housing Prices Burden the Economy - NY Times
America Underwater - O.C. Housing News

MARKETS/INVESTING
Oil rises to near $107 after US crude supply drop - AP
Gold steady as slow demand cancels euro boost - Reuters
Buffett Seizes Lead in Bet on Stocks Beating Hedge Funds - Bloomberg
Speculators are driving up gas prices - Opinion - CNN/Money
IMF sees $160 oil risk despite Libyan boost - Telegraph
Why are Gold Miners Performing So Poorly? - Cambridge House
Gold price unlikely to break 2011 peak: CPM - Commodity Online
Economic recovery is not the same as a bear market for gold - Mineweb
BNP: Gold to hit $1850, silver at $37.50 - Commodity Online
India gold strike enters fifth day - BullionStreet
Peak Imbalances Are Falling - aucontrarian

ECONOMY/WORLD/HOUSING/BANKING
Inequality Undermines Democracy - NY Times
Potential output: Risking permanent damage - Economist
Expecting Growth… And Inflation? - Capital Spectator
Rising gas prices aren’t as bad as you think - CNN/Money
Rising fuel prices drive worries over living costs, inflation - China Daily
Millions of workers lose pension battle with U.K. government - Telegraph
Iceland Central Bank Raises Benchmark Rate to Cap Inflation - Bloomberg
Greece’s Disgraceful Debt Default - and Calls to “Euthanize” Bondholders - Forbes
Greek Hospital Workers Strike To Protest Of Austerity, Pay Delays - HuffPost
30-Year Fixed Mortgage Rate Rises to 3.97% For the First Time in Five Months - ZillowBlog
First and second mortgage default rates fall again in February 2012 - S&P Housing Views
A history of the Fed — with 50 slides — by Professor Bernanke - Washington Post
Bernanke, as Professor, Tries to Buff Fed’s Image - NY Times