The Federal Housing Administration is supposed to support low-income housing without costing taxpayers a dime. Today, the FHA is subsidizing middle and upper-middle income homes - and setting itself up for a huge taxpayer bailout. 

Congress should be grappling with the pressing issue of how to put a brake on the present downward spiral of the housing market.

Most people know virtually no financial history, so when we have a financial crisis, it seems like it has never happened before. But it has, again and again. As Paul Volcker, former chairman of the Federal Reserve, remarked: "About every ten years, we have the biggest crisis in 50 years." 

New York Times natural-gas reporter Ian Urbina last week launched another salvo in his crusade against the shale-gas industry, and demonstrated once more why there is little trust of him at USDA.

Government policies promoted a systematic loosening of underwriting standards in an effort to promote affordable housing, which then contributed mightily to the housing bubble, mortgage meltdown and resulting financial crisis.  

Recognizing that the land is a gift, Duvall’s characters embrace redemption and service to self, to community, and (even when misguided) to God.

Weather change and its consequences are inevitable.  Governments and rating agencies around the world have tools  to “motivate” short-term-focused insurers to broaden their risk perspectives, with their executives facing personal liabilities if their coverage reserves fall short. Without more aggressive moves, the rest of the world could end up like Grenada and Jamaica, circa 2004.

The CLASS Act was a failure, but the need for something like it remains and will grow. In fact, without a replacement policy, we could end up with the bigger nightmare