| Housing starts fall 24 percent
In Florida and across the nation, home builders are selling land, cutting jobs, slashing prices and offering substantial incentives to buyers to survive a downturn that analysts say will worsen in 2008. But even drastic measures aren't helping some of the harder-hit companies.
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Home equity loans are becoming tougher to find
Since buying her home in the Village seven years ago, Leslie Spears has been itching to update her late '70s kitchen, with its laminated counters and inefficient cabinets. Some $20,000 later and one summer of inconvenience, she has a new kitchen — minus a backsplash that's expected to arrive any day. .
E-mails detail student loan firm's drive for profits
No new agreements can be made, but existing ones can continue as long as colleges invest the profits in need-based financial aid.
It was McCullough who suggested about four years ago that Des Moines University consider such an arrangement, university President Terry Branstad said last week. But the school picked Wells Fargo's bid instead of Iowa Student Loan's. That prompted McCullough to send an e-mail to select Iowa Student Loan employees in January 2004: "We need to consolidate the heck out of DMU loans."
Meanwhile, Wells Fargo, in the wake of criticism about school-as-lender deals, has decided to no longer enter into such arrangements.
Branstad said his school's deal with Wells Fargo will end in February.
But he defended such deals, saying if the university does not lend graduate students money, they will borrow money elsewhere.
Paper backs Clinton and McCain
Some pundits noted that the criticism could boost the campaign of Mr Giuliani, who has failed to finish higher than fourth in any primary election or caucus so far. For Mr Giuliani, Florida is everything. Despite spending more than 30 million dollars to date, and campaigning for in excess of 50 days in the state, he trails the frontrunners by 10 points in third place. But the man who led New York in the aftermath of the September 11 terror attacks insisted his campaign strategy, of effectively ignoring the first six states to vote and concentrating on the larger states such as Florida, was not a mistake. He said: "I think that it was politically correct to focus on Florida." Mr Giuliani said that the attack was "because I probably never did anything The New York Times suggested I do in eight years as mayor of New York City.
Toyota still No. 2 in race for world auto sales leader
Toyota still No. 2 in race for world auto sales leader Web Posted: 01/23/2008 09:53 PM CST
San Antonio Express-News TOKYO — Toyota said Thursday it sold 9.366 million vehicles around the world last year, about 3,000 fewer than the tally from General Motors — the world's No. 1 automaker for 77 years. Earlier, Toyota Motor Corp. said it had sold about 9.37 million vehicles worldwide last year, making for an extremely tight race with U.S. automaker General Motors Corp., which said it sold 9,369,524 vehicles. But Toyota spokesman Paul Nolasco confirmed the extra digit today. Both companies have denied they are too concerned about the numbers games. Toyota executives even have expressed worries about a possible backlash if they dethrone GM, an American icon.
Grand Blanc Twp. man in immigration limbo
His alien status and a criminal record that includes drug offenses and assaulting a police officer were enough to convince an immigration judge to order him removed from the country in October 2006. An appeals board upheld the order in March 2007 but Israel hasn't approved paperwork to take him. A legal challenge filed by his attorney claims that ICE can only detain aliens for 90 days after a removal order and argues that Nassar should be released from jail if there is "no significant likelihood of removal in the foreseeable future." In court records, however, federal officials claim that Nassar is a convicted felon who should be detained for public safety. The government has objected to the request to release Nassar on grounds that he will be sent back to Israel in the "reasonably foreseeable future." As they await the judge's decision, Luceille Nassar said she and her husband are scared by what may come next.
Apple CEO Takes $1 Salary in 2007
Jobs did not pocket the profit from the 120,000 stock options he exercised in 2007, Apple said in the regulatory documents. The options _ granted to Jobs for his service on Apple's board of directors _ were set to expire in August 2007 so he exercised them and held on to all of the shares. .
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