Top World News
| Trump wades into NY Islamic center controversy | In an effort to end the controversy surrounding a proposed Islamic center in lower Manhattan, real estate mogul Donald Trump has offered to buy the property at a 25% premium. | | Allergan's Botox fine: good marketing? | Allergan launched a marketing campaign to promote Botox for treating migraines, despite the fact that the FDA never gave it the green light. As punishment, the company received a bill for $600 million -- in the form of a fine and settlment -- from the Department of Justice. | | Reducing obesity won't lower health costs | A new government report quantifies the rise in health care spending due to the nation's growing obesity problem, but says that costs would rise even if America lost weight. |
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Business News
| Homebuyer tax credit: 950,000 must repay | Nearly half of all Americans who claimed the first-time homebuyer tax credit on their 2009 tax returns will have to repay the government. | | Housing quagmire: Is it time to remove relief? | For the growing number of struggling homeowners in this country, more help is on the way. Additional aid from the federal government will begin making its way to them next month -- one program would help qualified homeowners refinance their mortgages after seeing their property values fall below the amount they owe, and the other includes another round of funding to help the unemployed or underemployed with their payments. | | A reward for responsible homeowners | The government has bailed out Wall Street firms, giant banks, creditors of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac -- and is trying to bail out people who've defaulted or are about to default on their mortgages. But let's say you're a hardworking family that has done nothing wrong except buy a home when the housing bubble was at its peak a few years ago. Your mortgage is now way underwater, but you're still making payments because you want to stay in your home -- and you're actually honorable. You're paying for everyone else's bailout, but because you have no equity in your house, you can't refinance to take advantage of the ultra-low mortgage rates that Uncle Sam's bailout strategy has produced. To use the technical term, you're being screwed. | | Home prices gain 3.6% in past year | Despite a recent spate of bad news coming out of the housing industry, home prices show signs of stabilizing. | | America's most overvalued cities | Don't say we didn't warn you. |
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