Carol Sikler has spent years repaying a debt. Her husband needed blood during treatment before he died in 2003. Since then, she has donated more than 140 units. Now she gets a reward. The Indiana Blood Center gave her tickets to the Super Bowl in Indianapolis.
Director Martin Scorsese got 11 Oscar nods for his film Hugo. He's requesting in the Los Angeles Times for a write-in campaign for an actor who's been snubbed. Blackie, the vicious doberman wasn't nominated for a Golden Collar — awarded by Dog News Daily.
Freddie Mac has invested billions of dollars betting that U.S. homeowners won't be able to refinance their mortgages at today's lower rates, according to an investigation by NPR and ProPublica, an independent, nonprofit newsroom.
In December, Freddie Mac CEO Charles Haldeman (left), FHFA Acting Director Edward DeMarco (center) and Fannie Mae CEO Michael Williams testified about the FHFA's performance to the House Financial Services subcommittee.
In the summer of 2010, long lines of hopeful homeowners waited for help from the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America's "Save the Dream" tour. The tour made stops around the U.S., offering assistance from hundreds of mortgage counselors from various mortgage companies.
"I'm sending this Congress a plan that gives every responsible homeowner the chance to save about $3,000 a year on their mortgage, by refinancing at historically low rates," Obama said during his State of the Union speech last week. "No more red tape. No more runaround from the banks."
The Silversteins had trouble selling this house after they moved out, forcing them to carry two mortgages for more than two years. "It just drained us," says Jay Silverstein.
Freddie Mac, a taxpayer-owned mortgage company, is supposed to make homeownership easier. One thing that makes owning a home more affordable is getting a cheaper mortgage.
But Freddie Mac has invested billions of dollars betting that U.S. homeowners won't be able to refinance their mortgages at today's lower rates, according to an investigation by NPR and ProPublica, an independent, nonprofit newsroom.
Greek officials have been working with private lenders to try to reduce their debt-load. Meanwhile European Union officials are in Brussels today to deal with the debt crisis. Steve Inskeep talks to Zanny Minton Beddoes, an editor at "The Economist" magazine, for an update on how solving the problem is going.
Ron Sowder has driven delivery trucks and tractor trailers for UPS for 50 years. Last week, UPS honored Sowder for driving all that time without an accident.
The Republican Party holds its fourth presidential nominating contest tomorrow in Florida. Renee Montagne talks to NPR News Analyst Cokie Roberts about the week in politics.
Facebook will file the paperwork on Wednesday for what's widely expected to be one of the biggest initial public stock offering debuts, according to The Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times. Facebook could raise as much as $10 billion. A Facebook IPO was rumored for much of last year, but the company's been tight-lipped.
