Pat Dollard

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(Reuters) – Two U.S. Democratic lawmakers want Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to relax recently tightened standards for mortgages on new condominiums, saying they could threaten the viability of some developments and slow the housing-market recovery, the Wall Street Journal said. In March, Fannie Mae (FNM.N)(FNM.P) said it would no longer guarantee mortgages on condos [...]

POLITICO: A couple of surprising words were missing from President Barack Obama’s 55-minute news conference on Wednesday: “Iraq” — and “Afghanistan.” Also MIA: “Korea,” “Pakistan,” “soldiers,” “surge” and “war” — as well as the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. The omissions were partly a result of the short attention span of the press, which [...]

MacLeans: No? That’s because comics are giving the new Prez an easy ride. Soon after Barack Obama’s victory last November, late-night TV host Jimmy Kimmel stopped by Legends, a barbershop in L.A. He was there for a trim but also to test out, “on behalf of the comedy community,” what type of jokes about the [...]

Digg: Sen. John McCain continued to rap President Barack Obama for his measured reaction to the crisis in Iran, which McCain said was inadequate in its support for the protestors of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s contested re-election. Appearing on C-Span’s Washington Journal on Tuesday morning, the Arizona Republican said that when it came to Iran, Obama response [...]

“I HATE MY LIFE!”

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – An American destroyer tailed a North Korean ship Tuesday as it sailed along China’s coast, U.S. officials said, amid concerns the vessel is carrying illicit arms destined for Myanmar. The sailing sets up the first test of a new U.N. Security Council resolution that authorizes member states to inspect North [...]

CAIRO (AP) – Overwhelmed by police and left with limited alternatives, Iranian demonstrators resorted Tuesday to more subtle ways of challenging the outcome of the presidential election: holding up posters, shouting from rooftops and turning on car headlights. But the restrained expressions of discontent appeared to be scattered as Iran’s ruling clerics dealt the opposition [...]

FOX News: Relatives and friends of Neda Soltan, the 26-year-old protester who’s become an international symbol of Iranian resistance, wanted her to be remembered for her love of music and passion for travel. “She was a person full of joy,” the Los Angeles Times quotes her music teacher and close friend Hamid Panahi, who was [...]

His mask is starting to slip. He is starting to get angry that people are questioning him and his place as your new God. Keep up the pressure, the questions, the doubt. Keep up the good work, your efforts may be starting to pay off. WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama on Tuesday declared the [...]

POLITICO: Back last fall, when Barack Obama sprang his surprise about naming former rival Hillary Clinton as his secretary of state, many people assumed she would be the Cabinet’s brightest star — a celebrity at large on the world stage, the face of American foreign policy while the president was consumed back home by domestic [...]

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Before After ISLAMABAD (AP) – A Taliban faction leader who was seen as the chief rival to the militant group’s Pakistani head was fatally shot Tuesday, reportedly by one of his own guards. The attack on Qari Zainuddin appeared to be a sign that divisions within the Taliban have broken into the open as they [...]