Here’s a primer on Fannie and Freddie’s role in the housing market, why their actions often go against the interests of homeowners and are even at odds with their own mission, and what to expect from here on.
US Economy Adds 243,000 Jobs in January, Unemployment Rate Falls to 8.3%
The economy’s recovery continued to solidify as employers added 243,000 jobs in January, the third-best total in three years, and the unemployment rate fell to 8.3 percent.
Details Emerge in Strathmore Deli Collapse as Landlord and Lender Sue
The reality of the closure of the popular Palm Coast deli is more complicated than its owners let on as a lender just sued the owners over a loan default and the landlord sued them in December over $20,000 in back rent.
Sheriff on the Look-Out for Assailant in Brutal European Village Attack on 60-Year-Old Man
A 60-year-old man has been in the hospital for the past two days, recovering from a brutal attack at European Village Tuesday afternoon that left him needing 50 staples and more stitches to his head and face.
Florida Senate Approves School Prayer Bill, 31-8
The school prayer bill’s approval overrides objections of senators who said the measure will lead to prayers at school events that students can’t get out of, including possibly in classes, and that some students will have to listen to prayers or risk being ostracized because they come from a different religious tradition.
Enthusiasm Curbed as GOP Primary Turnout In Flagler and Florida Plummets From 2008
Just 10,825 Flagler Republicans turned out to vote in Tuesday’s primary, for a 43 percent turnout, compared to a 53 percent turnout in 2008. The drop across the state was steeper, adding to Republican anxieties about having the numbers to take back the White House in November.
Shifting More Burden To Students, Lawmakers OK 15% Tuition Hike at Florida Universities
The Florida House approved an 8 percent increase and each state university is allowed to add an additional 7 percent, as universities have for the past several years. Gov. Rick Scott is opposed to the tuition hike.
Sparing RVs, Palm Coast Takes On Truckers Making Rest Stops of Box Store Parking Lots
Truckers like using box stores’ parking lots as rest stops. Store managers haven’t objected and nearby restaurants love it. But Palm Coast is cracking down on the practice at council member Bill Lewis’s urging, though another council member says it’s not been an issue.
Bunnell Takes Tallahassee; Bill to Ban Internet Cafes Clears Florida House Committee: The Live Wire
4:35 p.m.Bunnell’s Daisy Henry turns ambassador at League of Cities; the proposed ban on internet cafes cleared the House Economic Affairs Committee 12-6 Wednesday. Opponents of the bill call it a job killer, but proponents look to curb a proliferation of low-stakes gambling halls. Also, Fox Business takes on the Muppets, and they snark back; St. Johns County schools, best in the state, face a $9 million deficit, when adolescent girls need exorcism, and the bogus supremacy of Stradivarius violins.
U.S. Citizen, Floridian, But Denied In-State Tuition Over Parents’ Status: Senate Kills Fix
A measure that would grant in-state tuition to Florida high school students who are U.S. citizens but whose parents are in the country illegally was voted down Tuesday by a Senate committee.