News from around the web: 2009-09-21

"Here we’ll break down 5 awesome Bing-specific features that are really growing on us. From insightful information to help us better plan our trips to cashback on purchases, and a visually stimulating or Twitter (Twitter)-enhanced search experience, we’re starting to think Bing has some zing."

Why is Apple lying about this?

"International investors are increasing purchases of Treasuries on a bet U.S. inflation will remain subdued, even as the dollar falls to the lowest levels of the year and the budget deficit tops $1 trillion."

"The country is in the “critical phase” of ensuring economic growth, China National Radio reported Sept. 18, citing the Fourth Plenary Session of the 17th Communist Party of China Central Committee. Ensuring stable growth is government’s top priority as the global economic recovery is expected to be slow, the radio reported."

"Australia’s four big retail banks and Macquarie, the investment bank, have raised a combined $82bn of government-guaranteed debt since October, helped by their position as among the most highly-rated banks in the world."

"Property prices in Estonia’s Hanseatic capital of Tallinn have fallen by 59pc from their peak in the Baltic boom, a remarkable state of affairs for an EU country nestled against Russia on the most dangerous fault line in Europe. "

I may have a post up on this as well: "European commercial property owners face a wave of complex debt refinancings and restructurings that pose a threat to the sector, according to bankers and industry groups."

That’s over 20k per day. Somethinggs seriously wrong here.

Hilariously black humor on the economy.

"After reaching some fairly discouraging conclusions on the scope for further conventional expansionary fiscal policy now, unless there are significant political realignments in fiscally challenged nations that support coalitions in favour of significant future fiscal tightening through tax increases or public spending cuts, I briefly outline some unconventional fiscal/financial policies that may be effective in their own right and may help to enhance the effectiveness of conventional expansionary fiscal policy. Collectively, they can be characterised as the equitization of debt – household mortgage debt, bank debt and public debt."

All of this facilitates a short-term recovery, of course, and is the cornerstone of Mr. Bernanke’s strategy. But it also feeds a new financial frenzy — making it harder to sustain real growth, and also making it less likely that a broad cross section of society will benefit.

Merge four bank regulators and give Fed less of a role.

"President Obama has sent a request to Gov. David A. Paterson that he withdraw from the New York governor’s race, fearing that Mr. Paterson cannot recover from his dismal political standing, according to two senior administration officials and a New York Democratic operative with direct knowledge of the situation."

"The U.S. government plans to propose broad new rules Monday that would force Internet providers to treat all Web traffic equally, seeking to give consumers greater freedom to use their computers or cellphones to enjoy videos, music and other legal services that hog bandwidth."

"Barenbrug says the company is quite strict about not giving the prams away to celebrities. Madonna paid for hers, he says, as do members of the Dutch royal family, although he did give one to his favourite Dutch actress, Kim van Kooten."

"Congress has a long and storied culture of apology, to go along with its long and storied culture of insult — and that the two traditions are inextricably bound together."

"Health insurers have issued guidelines saying they could deny coverage to people suffering from such conditions as acne, hemorrhoids and bunions."

Distraction of the day: Melting Ice in Greenland