Dollar rallies on N. Korea warning…  Emerging Markets decouple…  A debt upgrade for New Zealand…  Swiss francs rise despite SNB warnings… And Now… Today’s Pfennig!

The Russian ruble fell yesterday (Monday) to levels not seen since the 1998 banking crisis, as the nation’s central bank devalued the currency for the sixth time in seven days. The devaluation is seen as a sign of further deterioration in the Russian economy and comes despite government efforts to orchestrate an orderly retreat.

Profit in 2009:  Think like a Fed governor… A “mere” 25 banks failed in 2008… proof that the FDIC expects many more next year… Retail on the brink… preliminary reports suggest holiday consumption even lower than anticipated… So who will thrive in 2009? An unsavory list of stocks prime to benefit from a lousy economy… Middle East moving markets… why news from Kuwait and Gaza is affecting your portfolio today… Byron King on the $200 billion consumer bailout Congress never passed

Plunging crude oil prices and currency weakness are creating a crisis in Russia that makes the US look like a boomtown. Financial turmoil is mounting pressure on the Kremlin, says Andrew Snyder. And the resulting desperation could lead to some interesting profit plays.