Home sales are positive but higher rates slowing demand
The Bank of England has maintained interest rates at 3.75% for the fifth consecutive meeting, as policymakers warned that inflation could rise again later this year due to ongoing geopolitical tensions. Governor Andrew Bailey acknowledged that inflation has fallen faster than anticipated but cautioned that the conflict in the Middle East continues to drive high…
It was revealed on Thursday that the European Union has hit Google with a €890 million ($1 billion) fine, marking the first time the tech giant has been penalized under the bloc’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). The decision highlights Europe’s determination to curb the influence of Big Tech, even as US President Donald Trump has…
The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) published research Friday in support of phasing out tri-merge requirements in mortgage underwriting for applicants boasting credit scores over certain thresholds. The Federal Housing Finance Agency, regulator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, announced in mid-April that the government-sponsored enterprises would begin accepting home loans underwritten using VantageScore 4.0 on…
A coalition of industry trade groups representing lenders, brokers and community associations is asking the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to revisit policy changes made by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that they claim will negatively impact homebuyer affordability, accessibility and housing supply. In a joint letter sent Wednesday to FHFA Director…
A monster wildfire engulfing parts of France’s Bordeaux region has claimed hundreds and thousands of acres of land and forced one of the largest evacuations in the country. The fire began in the Southwest of France in Gironde last Wednesday and has burned nearly 104,000 acres in France, and around 190,000 acres in the Avila…
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Dr. Stephen Chang, a gastroenterologist and the interim endoscopy director at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and an assistant professor of medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. The following has been edited for length and clarity. Since the cyclospora outbreak, my family hasn’t changed what we’re…