peHUB First Read

* Will the next big bailout go to public pension funds?

* Charlie Gasparino: Sandy Weill fumes.

* Morning Call: U.S. futures point to higher open, London up early, European shares rise, the Nikkei jumps 0.9% while Hong Kong closes up 2.5% on Chinese policy pledge.

* Carlyle Group writes down Fund 4 in Q4, but not by as much as many of its peers.

* Poor Deuce McAllister. First he gets cut by the Saints. Now an auto dealership bearing his name files for Chapter 11 (and he personally owes nearly $7m).

* Loyalty to pets trumps the recession.

* Trio of MySpace execs leave to form a startup.

* Merrill’s $10 million+ men. So much for the notion that all those bonus recipients were strong performers caught in a larger storm.

* Steven Malanga: How many entrepreneurs can government create.

* Is Blackstone Group stock poised for a comeback? Pete Najarian thinks so, based on the options market: