Helpers or Hucksters? A Look at ‘Mortgage Mod’ Firms
It seems like a gruesome business: A homeowner is floundering, in real danger of foreclosure. The mortgage mod salesman swoops in and offers salvation -- for a fee (typically thousands of dollars) -- by helping renegotiate loans. Whether that salvation ever comes is another matter.
Such offers, as the Washington Post reported over the long weekend, is a growing business and one worrying federal and state regulators because homeowners should be able to get loan modification help from nonprofits, which charge nothing or next to … more…
GOP VP Pick Palin Rose With Reformer Brand
As the media struggles with its collective whiplash over the dark horse pick of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as John McCain's vice … more…
Military Has Program Similar to Rendition
Rendition has long been one of the most controversial aspects of the U.S.'s counterterrorism fight. At least four dozen terror suspects … more…
After Acquittal, U.S. Resident Now Faces Deportation
Remember the alleged plot two summers ago to blow up the Sears Tower? Seven men from an obscure religious sect in Miami, the Seas of … more…
After White House Pressure, Agency Scales Back Whales Protection Rule
The Bush administration has not been shy in questioning the conclusions of government scientists. Years-long rulemaking processes have … more…
Biden’s Cozy Relations With Bank Industry
With Sen. Joe Biden joining the Democratic ticket, there's renewed scrutiny of Biden's connections to the credit card industry. Biden has … more…
Terror Watch List Technologically Troubled
The U.S.'s terror watch list has long been criticized for being too broad. (List luminaries have included Sen. Ted Kennedy and a … more…
Iraq Fibs on Reconstruction Spending
It seems the U.S. and Iraq are nearing a deal for American forces in Iraq. Whether the GIs are staying or going home ($) in the next few … more…
Gov. Discloses Border Crossing Database
Last month the Department of Homeland Security disclosed a new database, called the Border Crossing Information (BCI) system, on page … more…
How Do You Boot a Mayor?
For seven months, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick (D) has managed to hold on in office. In January, the Detroit Free Press published text … more…
States Still Struggling With Voting Machines
After the 2000 election, the nation that first sent a man to the moon set for itself what seemed an attainable technological goal: … more…
