peHUB First Read

* Hazem al-Braikan, a Kuwaiti accused of making a bogus takeover bid for Harman International, has died in an apparent suicide.

* Would-be entrepreneur spoofs the identities of three well-known venture capitalists, in a (very) misguided attempt to get attention/funding.

* Blackrock plans to offer up a distressed asset fund to public investors.

* Morning Call: U.S. futures signal gains ahead of housing data, London rises early, European shares climb on banks, the Nikkei continues its winning streak and Hong Kong gains.

* The best time to invest in social networks is when the corporates sell.

* Bloody socker Curt Schilling is still trying to raise venture capital for his gaming studio. We first reported on the quest two years ago, which means most everyone has said “no” at least once.

* Ten ways Google is trying to kill Microsoft.

* Is Palm Springs a canary in the canary mine?

* Roger Ehrenberg on redesigning the trader compensation model.