Public Faces Long Wait to Get New Flu Vaccine (WSJ)

State and local budget cuts, stemming from the Wall Street meltdown, the problem. Meanwhile, Wall Street firms get healthier and healthier.

Once Rich, Swindler Marc Dreier Now Sells Piss Poor Excuses (Gawker)

Last night on TV, 60 minutes (well, not the full hour) of self-serving bullshit. Commenter OrneryBabe on Gawker provides the best review of the post-game show: "The only explanation I can think of for his exploits is that he probably has a very small penis."

On the Internet, Everyone's a Critic -- But They're Not Very Critical (WSJ)

Smart, shrewd story: "The Web can be a mean-spirited place. But when it comes to online reviews, the Internet is a village where the books are strong, YouTube clips are good-looking and the dog food is above average."

Wall Street's Near-Death Experience (Vanity Fair, Andrew Ross Sorkin)

Long excerpt from promising new book on meltdown.

Wal-Mart Sharpens Its Pricing Pincers (WSJ)

Doing well during recession, giant chain goes for the kill against its rivals by cutting prices.

Roubini Says Stocks Have Risen 'Too Soon, Too Fast' (Bloomberg)

NYU economist who predicted meltdown says consumers "overdebted" and banking system "basically bankrupt" and U.S. "has a long way to go."

Inside the Crisis: Larry Summers and the White House economic team (New Yorker, Ryan Lizza)

Good piece, once you get past a typical New Yorker lede sentence: "In early August, Lawrence H. Summers, President Barack Obama's top economic adviser, accompanied Vice-President Joseph Biden aboard Air Force Two on a trip to Detroit."

MORE HEADLINES FOLLOW

Gang of nine tales: Banks' health doubted (NY Post)

Official watchdog Neil Barofsky tells us something we already knew: The top banks were unsound, contrary to what Hank Paulson said about their being "healthy institutions."

Greenspan Opposes New Stimulus Even With 10% Unemployed Likely (Bloomberg)

Indian Tech Outsourcers Aim to Widen Contracts (WSJ)

They want to become U.S. companies' tech departments, instead of just serving them.

Techies suffer as US unemployment inches up: More job cuts than expected — again (Register U.K.)

U.S. Stock-Index Futures Gain; Alcoa, Microsoft, JPMorgan, Brocade Advance (Bloomberg)

Maybe a rebound from past two weeks of market sluggishness.

Oil Ignores Iran Nuclear Tensions (WSJ)

Much easier now to call Iran's bluff on its threat to cut its oil exports, because recession has cut demand and inventories of other producers are full.

Goldman owed $1 billion if CIT fails (Reuters)

Employer Retaliation Claims Rise: EEOC Says 23% More Such Charges Were Filed by Workers in Fiscal 2008 (WSJ)

No big shock during a recession that employers, trying desperately to get rid of workers, are being slapped with more and more cases of alleged retaliation against employees.

Life in Prison for Minors -- Cruel and Unusual? (WSJ)

Maybe not so unusual.

Google CEO Eric Schmidt On Newspapers & Journalism (searchengineland)

Google feels a "moral responsibility" to help newspapers. He's not talking about a handout.

Incomprehensible, misleading headline on story noting that Ken Lewis's Merrill deal "may end up saving" Bank of America. "Shares of Bank of America have risen 16 percent this year, compared with those of Citigroup, which have fallen 33 percent."

A Window Into Ticket Scalping: Lawsuit Claims Ticketmaster Sold Tickets at Markups to Face Value (WSJ)

If stocks drop, corporate bonds may feel the heat (Reuters)

The Market Finally Questions Justifiability of High Stock Prices (Seeking Alpha, Jason Kelly)

Lehman Creditors to Get Payout Plan (WSJ)

Hedge-fund creditors in London are owed $16 billion. "Hedge-fund trade groups have intensified efforts to gain support from U.S. lawmakers and regulators to free their marooned assets. Their pitch: Investors in the hedge funds include pension funds and college endowments." High-end blackmail, considering that, before the bank's collapse, the hedge funds were excessively greedy because Lehman was excessively reckless.

PPIP to Get $1.94 Billion From Blackrock, Others (WSJ)

Taxpayers will match that dollar-for-dollar and will finance the firms' debt.

New Court Term Hints at Views on Regulating Business (NYT)

Supreme court term has major gun rights, business cases (Reuters)

Vegas Casinos Fold on Expansion Plans (WSJ)

Buyout Firms Profited as a Company's Debt Soared (NYT)

Example of LBO sharks flipping with joy as debt-ridden Simmons mattress factory lies on its back and spreads its legs for them. Plus a video explaining what NYT politely calls "Dealmaking 101."

O Canada! (Part I): Investing in the World's Soundest Banking System (Seeking Alpha, Joseph L. Shaefer)