July 7 (Reuters) - The following were the top stories in The Wall Street Journal on Monday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

* General Motors Corp GM.N is preparing to cut thousands more white-collar jobs and is considering whether it should sell or shutter more of its brands. Both moves are part of a broader re-evaluation of GM's strategy and of its ability to meet an internal projection of returning to profitability in 2010.

* Sen. Barack Obama, the presumed Democratic presidential nominee, faces dissent from dozens of top fund-raisers and other supporters of former rival Sen. Hillary Clinton, who are angry over how she was treated during their bruising primary battle and are hesitating to back Sen. Obama.

* Oil's rapid rise is lending weight to predictions that prices could hit $200 a barrel this year, a price that would wreak deeper havoc on the world's airlines and automobile industries.

* Merrill Lynch & Co Inc MER.N is moving closer to selling stakes in financial firm BlackRock Inc (BLK.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and information provider Bloomberg LP, as the Wall Street firm scrambles to raise cash to make up for $6 billion in coming write-downs, say people familiar with the matter.

* The House Agriculture Committee will host hearings examining whether the Commodity Futures Trading Commission has a strong-enough grip on the fast-growing, $5 trillion futures market for oil and other commodities or needs other tools. It also will examine how that market is affected by the $9 trillion "over-the-counter" market that has mushroomed outside CFTC regulation.

* The faltering economy took a toll on malls and shopping centers in the second quarter, but the rental-apartment market fared better. Retail vacancies rose to multiyear highs as retailers closed stores and curtailed expansion plans.

* Fresenius SE (FREG_p.DE: Quote, Profile, Research) said it will buy APP Pharmaceuticals Inc APPX.O for $3.7 billion plus the assumption of $940 million in outstanding debt in a deal that highlights international interest in the U.S. pharmaceutical industry.

* A key financial-industry investment group said U.S. regulatory proposals to improve the credibility of bond ratings may not go far enough.