STOCKS SINK IN SEPTEMBER SELL-OFF (NY Post)

Ominous quote: ""September's usually a bad month, but this time it came much too early in just a single day."

Financials suffer amid profit concerns (FT)

Biggest fall since late June for big U.S. banks. Bank of America's talks with government to repay TARP money is not looked upon favorably. Ordinary bank customers beset by new or increasing fees might be amused, however, to learn that BofA is being told it will have to pay a $500 million fee to withdraw from the TARP arrangement.

Bomb Explodes Outside Athens Stock Exchange; One Hurt (Bloomberg)

A few months ago, the same radicals tried to blow up Citigroup's Greek offices, but the bomb fizzled.

News Corp. in Talks for Stake in Saudi Firm (WSJ)

Rupert Murdoch huddles with Prince Alwaleed to buy a 20 percent interest in Rotana Media, which already hosts Fox channels in Saudi Arabia. The prince's Kingdom Holding already holds a 5.7 percent stake in News Corp., so there's a strong business link.

The FTC's hammer comes down on robocalls (Salon, Andrew Leonard)

Good news: Telemarketers have to get your written permission before bombarding you with pre-recorded calls. Bad news: Not covered are calls from "politicians, banks, telephone carriers, and most charitable organizations," says the FTC. And there's nothing to stop debt collectors from dunning you with pre-recorded messages, as long as they're not trying to sell you anything.

After you: Consumers are paying for lenders' past excesses (Economist)

Banks are full of mortgages that make no money, so to compensate they're not doing new buyers any favors.

Redskins Fans Waited While Brokers Got Tickets (WashPost)

They used to call this scalping.

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LEHMAN LEFTOVERS LIFT ON WAVE OF SPECULATION (NY Post)

Doesn't matter that it's bankrupt. Market pros "scratching their heads" about the fact that the trading volume is 50 times higher than in recent days. Bank still has billions in "soured mortgage assets and esoteric derivatives," and is indeed finding buyers for some of the dreck.

Madoff Sons May Pay for His Sins (CBS)

Maybe it wasn't only Bernie's sins. Civil suits coming against Mark and Andy should pry open their books. Mark supposedly bought a $6.5 million Nantucket manse with money transferred in June 2008 from Bernie Madoff's Ponzi company. Question: Were the boys clueless about the scam until the moment when Pop supposedly confessed to them last December? These expected lawsuits could answer that by revealing money movements among the three.

New Form of Familial Betrayal: Siblings (Compliance Week)

Bruce Carton unveils a juicy tale of a brother betraying a sister in an insider-trader case. Also see Carton's "The Five Levels of Familial Betrayal, SEC Edition."

For the long-term unemployed, recovery talk rings hollow (McClatchy)

Human-interest piece on inhuman times.

Global economic slump 'may be over' as industry booms again (Telegraph U.K.)

Madoff Details, and Property, on Tap (WSJ)

No, the massive SEC report isn't public yet, but reporters are champing at the bit.

Economy Sheds 298,000 Private-Sector Jobs, ADP Says (WSJ)

Payroll data shows far greater drop than economists had predicted.

Trial of Accused 'Rogue' Trader Delayed Pending Appeal (CNBC)

Criminal trial of Societe Generale trader Jerome Kerviel for causing $7 billion in losses is suspended by a procedural matter.

Antioch College alumni plan to save their school (L.A. Times)

Grads have scraped together $6 million to try to revive the iconic liberal-arts college that closed last year.

NOW WHAT DO WE DO FOR CARS? (NY Post)

Ford did well, but cash for clunkers didn't do all that much for GM and Chrysler, according to August sales figures. Looks like the program could be nothing more than a dead-car bounce for the U.S. auto industry.

Dubai to become a key medical tourism destination (Dubai Weekly Newsletter)

Dubai government hopes so. Somebody has to fill all those new hotel rooms. Suggested slogan: "Run for your life! Come to Dubai!" In related news, predictions are that tourism in Arab countries will rise. Dubai's Saeed Ahmad Mohammad Bin Butti, chairman of Al Dhiafa Holding and Jinan Hotels and Resorts, offers this cogent analysis: "The tourism industry heavily relies on attracting tourists."

Paris presses G20 heads on bank bonuses (FT)

Amassing political capital by hammering at bankers, Sarkozy's leading the charge to tighten rules on bankers' bonuses, putting pressure on the Obama Administration, which is markedly reluctant to follow suit. WSJ: "EU Bonus Bashing Ramps Up."

Rio Tinto case raises fears of crackdown (FT)

Crackdown on foreign companies by Beijing? Western investors worry that China's not so welcoming anymore.

Back-to-School Sales Augur Retail Woes (WSJ)

Piddling sales may have everyone trying to sell pencils on the street just to survive.

Call to Jury Duty Strikes Fear of Financial Ruin (NYT)

Finally, a legitimate excuse to get out of jury duty.

Taking Risk for Profit, Industry Seeks Cancer Drugs (NYT)

With its tongue accidentally in its cheek, the Times notes that "Virtually every large pharmaceutical company seems to have discovered cancer."

The Social Network That Wasn't: Skype's new owners might make it the platform it always should have been. (The Big Money)

Skype could have been bigger than Facebook, but eBay wasn't up to the task.

Ben & Jerry's Gay Ice Cream (The Big Money)

Chubby Hubby becomes Hubby Hubby and gets dished out in Vermont.