PRESS DIGEST - Wall Street Journal - Feb 9

Feb 9 (Reuters) - The following were the top stories in The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

* Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey urged the Federal Reserve last July to approve an acquisition to save a struggling bank in his state. He didn't mention that the bank's chairman and vice chairman were big contributors to his political campaign.

* With no blueprints for the future and no clear exit strategy for the government, Fannie Mae FNM.N and Freddie Mac FRE.N are focusing for now on the U.S. loan-modification program.

* Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) says it is recalling its new Prius in Japan because of braking problems.

* Japan Airlines Corp 9205.T is planning to announce Tuesday afternoon in Tokyo that it will maintain and expand its alliance with AMR Corp's AMR.N American Airlines, according to a person familiar with the matter, dealing a blow to rival Delta Air Lines Inc (DAL.N).

* The massive national China Investment Corp provided the closest look yet at its politically sensitive holdings, in an SEC filing that revealed that it has accumulated small stakes in more than 60 U.S. companies but is making big bets outside the U.S.

* The sinking newsstand sales that have magnified the magazine industry's recent pain continued in the second half of 2009, though the declines eased slightly, according to the latest figures from the Audit Bureau of Circulations.

* The government of Ghana blocked the estimated $4 billion sale of a stake in a huge oil field, foiling months of talks between potential buyer Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N) and the stake's owner, Kosmos Energy LLC.

* Google Inc (GOOG.O) is taking a swipe at Facebook Inc and Twitter Inc with a new feature that makes it easier for users of Gmail to view media and status updates shared online by their friends.

* Boeing Co's (BA.N) revamped 747 took off on its maiden flight Monday. But the new jetliner still has been slow to attract orders as the company again redesigns a successor to a plane that has been flying for 40 years.

* A record number of viewers tuned in to watch the New Orleans Saints win their first Super Bowl Sunday, as live sports and award shows continue to buck long-term declines in broadcast-network viewership.