The Michigan Messenger

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The Michigan Messenger going forward

By Staff Report | 11.16.11

I am writing today to announce the closure of the Michigan Messenger. After four years of operation in Michigan, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news into a single site, The American Independent at Americanindependent.com. This is part of a shift in strategy, towards new forms [...]

Colorado-based abstinence program provided false and misleading information to Michigan students

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By Todd A. Heywood | 11.16.11

An abstinence-only presentation provided to numerous school districts in Calhoun and Eaton Counties in October of this year provided false and misleading information to students about HIV, experts allege.

Class action lawsuit filed against MERS over unpaid taxes

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By Todd A. Heywood | 11.15.11

Two county registers of deeds filed a class action lawsuit Monday on behalf of Michigan’s 83 counties alleging that the Mortgage Electronic Registration Services owes millions of dollars in property title transfer taxes.

Schuette fights important mercury regulations

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By Eartha Jane Melzer | 11.14.11

Despite evidence of the impact of mercury on children and public health, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette last month joined with 24 other state attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to scuttle new EPA regulations that would reduce mercury emissions from power plants.

Posts Tagged Freddie Mac

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Feds sue banks over toxic mortgage securities

By Todd A. Heywood | 09.06.11 | 8:51 am

The Federal Housing Finance Agency filed suit Friday against 17 national and international banking giants for their roles in the toxic mortgage securities scandal that led to the current housing crisis.

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Obama administration wants to keep feds in mortgage business

By Todd A. Heywood | 08.16.11 | 9:56 am

The Obama administration believes that in order to right the ship of the housing market, the federal government is going to have to stay actively involved.

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Michigan counties file unprecedented foreclosure fraud suits

By Todd A. Heywood | 06.23.11 | 8:05 am

Two Michigan counties, Oakland and Ingham, are suing some of the biggest players in the mortgage industry for what one official called a “fraudulent conspiracy” to avoid paying state and county property transfer taxes.

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Hertel sues banks, foreclosure firms over transfer taxes

By Todd A. Heywood | 06.22.11 | 11:58 am

Ingham County Register of Deeds Curtis Hertel, Jr. filed suit in Ingham County Circuit Court Wednesday against at least eight financial institutions and foreclosure firms alleging that they have fraudulently avoided paying millions of dollars in property transfer taxes.

Fannie, Freddie quietly lift moratorium on foreclosures

By Mary Kane | 04.02.09 | 5:03 pm

WASHINGTON — A ban on foreclosure sales and evictions from houses owned by mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which began as a high-profile effort just before the holidays to keep people in their homes as the government tried to come up with homeowner rescue plans, is over. Spokesmen for Fannie Mae and Freddie [...]

Financial Crisis 101: How we got here

By LoRayne Apo-Joynt | 09.22.08 | 8:57 am

How did we get here? Here’s your road map to our shared economic hell

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac takeover is, well, … MASSIVE

By LoRayne Apo-Joynt | 09.07.08 | 2:13 pm

The Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”, NYSE: FNM) and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”, NYSE: FRE) are being put under conservatorship announced by the U.S. Treasury Department today. Here are links to a number of early reports on the takeover: