DealZone

An initial public offering of AIA is likely, sources say. AIA, seen as AIG’s Asian crown jewel, is a key cog in the bailed-out insurer’s plans to repay U.S. taxpayers, who now own nearly 80 percent of the company. View article

The Wall Street reform bill appeared to gain the support it needed for final congressional approval as three key Republicans said they would support the measure. Analysts — and opponents of the bill — expect the bill to ultimately reach President Barack Obama’s desk for approval. View article

Former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson says if the authority given in the Wall Street reform bill currently before Congress was available during his tenure, the impact of the financial crisis would have been significantly reduced. View NYT article

With apologies to Harper’s Index, some collected statistics on the collapse of Lehman and the roller-coaster year that followed.

Add your own significant digits in the comments section.

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Number of siblings who made up the original Lehman Brothers, founded as a dry-goods store in 1844: 3

Age of Bavarian immigrant Henry Lehman when he founded the business: 23

Percentage difference between the DNA of former Lehman CEO Dick “The Gorilla” Fuld and an actual gorilla:

If Frankenstein isn’t scary enough for you, the enterprising folks at benandhank.com have Hank Paulson and Ben Bernanke masks ready just in time for Halloween!

That’s right — for the low, low price of $79.90 and you can get a latex mask of “Evil Hank” and “Evil Ben“. If you’re looking for a Halloween costume, though, move fast — Bernanke masks are sold out and only a handful of Paulson masks remain.

For the more thrifty consumer, Forbes has posted printable masks for its list of the scariest people of 2008. The magazine has included the Presidential candidates on this year’s list, as well as Paulson, Bernanke, Dick Fuld and Jimmy Cayne.

Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, did you enjoy the play?

Congress dropped a daisy cutter on the market yesterday, rejecting the $700 billion financial rescue plan and sending the stock market spiraling to its biggest one-day loss in history. But stock futures were up more than 2 percent in premarket trading.

Pundits overnight and market watchers today were laboring under the assumption that a package will ultimately reach President Bush’s desk. The process could move to the senate floor, where Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson’s plan has more support. But since House Republicans torpedoed the bill, it could face a tougher process.

In other news, Pfizer plans to drop efforts to develop medicines for heart disease, obesity and bone health as part of its plan to focus on cancer.