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Reuters - A rout in Asia pushed world stocks to their lowest in 5- years on Thursday, while oil fell to below $53 a barrel and safe havens such as the yen gained as economic data indicated a global recession could get even uglier.

Reuters - U.S. auto executives went to Capitol Hill on Wednesday for a second day to plead for $25 billion in government aid, but legislators tried to fashion a last-minute compromise bailout bill that could pass both Congressional and White House muster.

Moody’s Investors Service has cut the corporate family rating of United Site Services Inc. to B1 from Ba3, downgraded its first lien revolving credit facility to B1 from Ba3 and downgraded its second lien term loan to Caa1 from B3. USS is a Westborough, Mass.-based renter of on-site event services like portable restrooms, temporary fencing. It has been owned by DLJ Merchant Banking Partners since 2006.
PRESS RELEASE

On the face of it, recent activity in Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) makes little sense. Credit default swaps on the triple-A company were trading at 388bp yesterday, and are somewhere over 450bp today, possibly having risen as far as 560bp this morning. As Bloomberg says,

And it's Citi, tonight. Kidding, though how deliciously rich would that be? Prettay, prettay, prettay rich. Anyway, no, it's Piper Jaffray, and it's not even in New York, but out in Minneapolis (PJ HQs). Revolution Rock Bar, December 18th, 4:30. Don't even act like you're not going to try and make it.