Morning Smoke: Did a Thrift Regulator Protect WaMu from Other Government Agencies?

Thrift Regulator Shielded WaMu From FDIC Oversight, Report Says by Lorraine Woellert [Bloomberg]

GE’s Own Safety Team Urged Company to Restrict MRI Drug by Jeff Gerth [ProPublica]

Geithner Letter Could Steer Derivatives Debate Away From Ban on Banks by Damian Paletta [The Wall Street Journal]

Senate panel backs review of gov't FOIA delays by Sharon Theimer [Associated Press]

Support Voiced for Plan to Increase S.E.C. Budget by Cyrus Sanati [Dealbook]

Fed Shouldn't Reveal Crisis Loans, Banks Vow to Tell High Court by Bob Ivry [Bloomberg]

Some financial reforms missing from U.S. bills by Kevin Drawbaugh [Reuters]

Afghan Police Training: "An Unbelievably Incompetent Story" by Daniel Schulman [Mother Jones]

Afghan Osprey Crash: Speculating On a Hypothesis by Greg Grant [Defense Tech]

New contractor picked to supply coalition troops in Mideast by Walter Pincus [The Washington Post]

Lobbyists and Lawmakers Bond During Springsteen Concerts by Marcus Stern and Sebastian Jones [ProPublica]

Hearing: Wall Street and the Financial Crisis: The Role of Bank Regulators [Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee]