Japan was hit by an 8.9 magnitude earthquake. (Reuters)
Chinese insurance regulators passed on details of the AIG (NYSE: AIG) disaster to local insurance companies, according to WikiLeaks. (Reuters)
Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) will release its iPad 2 today. (Reuters)
Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) will increase its YouTube staff 30% this year as it pushes toward greater profits. (Reuters)
US families cut debt to the lowest level in 6 years. (WSJ)
Blockbuster got legal approval to sell the company. (WSJ)
Banks are rejecting a plan to settle mortgage-foreclosure fraud claims. They say penalties are too high. (WSJ)
Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) cut off Illinois affiliates as the state forced it to collect sales tax. (WSJ)
Moody’s and Spain fought over the cost of bailing out the nation’s banks. (WSJ)
The FDA will oversee some Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) plants. (WSJ)
China is now the top trading partner of six G-20 nations. (WSJ)
The US trade gap rose on an increase in imports (WSJ)
Congress will extend financing for the federal government for another three weeks. (WSJ)
China consumer prices rose 4.9% last month. (WSJ)
The GM (NYSE: GM) CFO left (WSJ)
Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) is building scores of small stores. (WSJ)
Valero (NYSE: VLO) is close to a transaction to buy a Chevron (NYSE: CVX) refinery. (WSJ)
Cumulus Media will buy rival Citadel. (WSJ)
Aol (NYSE: AOL) cut 20% of its workforce. (WSJ)
LinkedIn has added a news service for users. (WSJ)
Time Warner’s (NYSE: TWX) HBO must prove it is not losing subscribers. (WSJ)
AIG has offered to buy back some of its subprime bonds. (WSJ)
The USDA increased it estimate for global crop yields but not those in the US.
Contributions to most state pension funds are too low. (NYT)
New companies will try to bring chat rooms to smartphones. (NYT)
The Consumer Product Safety Commission will launch Saferproducts.gov which will allow consumers to find product complaints. (NYT)
Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) will allow customers to order online and pick up purchases at stores a few hours later. (NYT)
Some investors do not believe QE2 will push up rates. (FT)
Spanish banks will try to find investors for a $21 billion shortfall in funding. (Bloomberg)
Saudi Arabia will distribute $36 billion to quell unrest. (Bloomberg)
Merkel will support improved conditions for loans to Ireland and Greece. (Bloomberg)
Douglas A. McIntyre
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