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Haas: Lawmakers fighting back against mortgage changes

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:44 GMT

Changes to fees for loans backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac continue to be a hot topic as Republicans push to repeal them.The changes to the loan-level price adjustment matrix by officials at the Federal Housing Finance Agency went into effect May 1, and critics are opposed to the notion that homebuyers with good credit scores and substantial down payments will pay more so fees for borrowers limited by income or wealth can be reduced.Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, who introduced the Middle Class Borrower Protection Act, again attacked the policy. He refers to it as “a socialist redistribution of wealth.”While speaking before the House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday, Davidson said officials at the FHFA have an extraordinary level of authority in the housing landscape, including over the cost of mortgages. He said his legislation would bring independent oversight to the process of setting the government-sponsored enterprises’ upfront fees.“It would put in place a one-year...

Phoning the afterlife? The goofy ideas of Thomas Edison and others

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:44 GMT

BOOK REVIEW“Edison’s Ghosts: The Untold Weirdness of History’s Greatest Geniuses”By Katie SpaldingLittle, Brown, $29Grade: AThe idea behind the informative and entertaining “Edison’s Ghosts” is simple: “The flip side of ‘everyone is brilliant in their own way’ is the equally true ‘everyone is an idiot,’ and that seems to be particularly true when we talk about the people traditionally held up as geniuses.”Author Katie Spalding’s geniuses are mainly scientists, but others, as well. While they are largely known to average readers — Leonardo da Vinci, Marie Curie and Maya Angelou — she includes such obscure phenoms as Évariste Galois, who, while a teen, solved a 350-year-old math problem that laid the foundation for group theory.No, I don’t know what that is. But Spalding describes his and others’ achievements with a light touch and sense of humor, making what could have been dry recitations...

TV Q&A: Why are shows allowed to end unresolved?

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:44 GMT

You have questions. I have some answers.Q: Shouldn’t television producers be required to resolve major questions before a series is removed from viewing? Not alone, but probably most annoying was “Colony,” which created an entire set of circumstances and never resolved ANYTHING.A: Networks and television producers make deals for a specific number of episodes in a TV season, although the number varies from one show to the next. Still, the people making the show do not always know if they are going to be canceled as they make their allotted number of episodes. I also remember one producer claiming he put a huge cliffhanger in his season-ending show to pressure the network to renew it.But we see plenty of occasions when cliffhangers do not prevent cancellation. Some shows anticipating cancellation do offer a wrapping-up moment in their season finale; both “The Resident” and “East New York” did that this season. And “How I Met Your Mother” shot some wrap-up scenes in its second season, ...

When to make the switch from crib to ‘big kid’ bed

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:44 GMT

Once your toddler can climb out of their crib, it may be time to transition to a “big kid” bed. Your child may have a heady sense of freedom the first few nights after moving permanently to a bed. Luckily, most kids are happy to “graduate” and stay in their beds more willingly than they did in their cribs. However, for a few, the transition has to be managed closely.After the switch, try to continue with the same bedtime routine you have used since your child first joined the family. Follow these steps:1. When you end a routine, tell your child to stay in bed until you come for them.2. If they get out of bed, calmly and quietly lead them back and tell them they must stay in bed.3. When they get back into bed, reward them by briefly telling them what a good sleeper they are being for being there, then leave the room.4. Tell them you will come and check on them during the night. For some children, this provides reassurance.But don’t kid yourself that the strugg...

Editorial: One answer to migration crisis? Jobs

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:44 GMT

The Biden administration’s sensible new policy for asylum seekers — requiring them to submit applications in Latin American countries before arriving — seems to have preempted a wave of migration to the border, at least for now. But what about those the US has already legally admitted into the country, who are being blocked from doing what the American economy needs them to do: work?Take, for example, migrants admitted under humanitarian parole. Under current policy, they can’t work until they go through a backlogged authorization process that can last a year or more. With few other options, migrants barred from working legally may turn to under-the-table work or government relief programs, costing taxpayers money, straining local and state budgets, and fostering dependencies that run counter to the history of US immigration. Meanwhile, US companies are struggling to find workers, with 1.6 open jobs per available unemployed worker.President Biden can solve this problem by taking exe...

‘V is for Victory’ explores FDR’s bid for support during WWII

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:44 GMT

BOOK REVIEW“V Is For Victory: Franklin Roosevelt’s American Revolution and the Triumph of World War II”By Craig NelsonScribner, $32Grade:  AThere are plenty of battles that were crucial to the Allies’ victory in World War II, and even more books chronicling them. But the key fight didn’t occur on any battlefield — the battle to win over the public and industry’s support for the war effort.That’s the focus of Craig Nelson’s “V Is For Victory,” a solid history of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s success in fighting back against isolationist tendencies brewing in the country to rally the public’s support and marshal the supplies needed to win the war.Nelson chronicles what went into efforts to ramp up production of needed supplies such as tanks and bombers, reviving a moribund military supply and making the oft-quoted Roosevelt line about the “arsenal of democracy” come alive for readers.He also shows the figures that played a key role in the fight, including familiar characters s...

Francisco Alvarez, Pete Alonso homer but Mets can’t complete comeback against Rockies

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:44 GMT

DENVER — Just when it looked like the Mets would finally have their two dominant aces to lead the rotation, the Colorado Rockies rocked Justin Verlander. One night after Max Scherzer gave the Mets seven strong innings, Verlander gave up five in the second inning alone.The Mets clawed back from a 6-0 deficit and Verlander was rewarded when Francisco Alvarez launched an absolute moonshot of a home run in the sixth to tie the game at 6-6 and the Mets took a lead in the seventh. But the rally fell short and the Mets lost 10-7 in the second game of a three-game series on Saturday at Coors Field.A two-run homer by Ryan McMahon in the bottom of the seventh and two insurance runs in the eighth by the Rockies (23-30) secured the win.Verlander gave up six runs over three innings, with five coming in the second alone. But Pete Alonso hit his league-leading 20th home run in the fourth off Rockies’ starter Chase Anderson in the fourth and Jeff McNeil started a rally with a leadoff si...

Dad needs to soul-search before sons meet

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:44 GMT

Q. My ex and I married really young, I was 19 he was 20. We had a child soon after, but my ex was not ready to be a father and left us. He moved back in with his parents in another state and went to college, but we rarely saw him. I stayed in touch with his parents by email. About two years later I met a wonderful man. We also married, and he became very close to my son. My son knows he is not his biological father, but he calls him DAD. Last week I got a call from my ex’s mother saying that her son had remarried and has another child. He would like our son to meet his sibling. I am at a loss for how to handle this. My son is 8 years old. What’s good ex-etiquette?A.  My experience suggests that it would be approached as a step plan. The most common procedure would be to slowly introduce your ex to his son, starting with supervised visits, progressing to hourly visits, then day visits, then overnights. It takes a while, if done correctly, so as not to traumatize the child.It is ironi...

It’s the little things that make a Nantucket escape enchanting

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:44 GMT

Ahh Nantucket: A small island with a big impact. It’s a destination recognized worldwide, drawing huge crowds all summer long. It’s at once a movie backdrop and celebrity escape, and yet holds tight to it’s quaint ambiance.A recent visit there, before Memorial Day but after the cold passed, helped me realize that it’s the little things that make Nantucket a big adventure.And while you may find these suggestions busier in the summer months, seeking them out will still make your visit extra special.Time to savor the doughnutsA friend had told me I simply had to grab breakfast at The Downyflake on Sparks Avenue (https://www.thedownyflake.com) a family-owned diner that’s been a local fave for nearly 90 years.It’s lovely and comfy, and the service and menu are great – but oh, those doughnuts.Cooked fresh all day, they’re crusty and buttery on the outside, flaky on the inside and come in amazing flavors. You can choose to have one instead of toast, or add one (we proclaimed th...

Absentee ex resurfaces to spend time with daughter

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:10:44 GMT

Q. I have sole custody of my daughter who is just finishing kindergarten.  Her father has been out of the picture since she was born.  We never went to court for anything and I have always done everything for her.  My two older kids are in college in Connecticut and I want to be closer to them.  I have been looking for housing and a job there.  I found a place to live as of July 1 and gave my landlord notice.  I have some good leads for a job.Last week my mom saw my ex’s mother and mentioned that my daughter and I are moving. Out of nowhere, my ex started calling saying he wants to start taking our daughter for the weekend.  He has a long history of drug addiction but says he has been clean for three months.  I am scared he is going to try to mess up my move.  What should I do?A.  First and foremost, three months is not long enough for him to have unsupervised time with your daughter – especially where he has no relationship with her at this point.  If there is a relationship betwee...