Let housing heal by itself

As confirmed by your story, "Home is where the hurt is [Aug. 25]," this week's home sales numbers show the new homeowner stimulus did not work.

Everyone knows that real estate prices have skyrocketed over the past 20 years, and now there is an …

Bits & Bites

insight, news + reports at a glance

Canadian tax system in top 15%

Canada ranks 28th in the world for its ease of paying taxes, according to a report by the World Bank Group and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

The report, Paying Taxes 2010, measures how easy it is to pay taxes in 183 countries by assessing the administrative burden for companies to comply with tax regulations and also by calculating a company's total tax liability as a percentage of pretax profits. Specifically, the study used three indicators: the total tax rate (the cost of all taxes borne by the company); the time it takes to comply with the major types of taxes and the number of tax payments. Canada …

Thai worker in Israel wounded by Palestinian rocket attack from Gaza: army

At least one Thai farmworker was wounded by a rocket fired from Gaza, Saturday, the Israeli military and rescue officials said.

The man was hit by shrapnel as he worked at a chicken coop in an Israeli communal farm near Gaza and taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, the army said. Israeli rescue services described his injuries as "moderate" and later reported a second man lightly injured in the …

PLUMBING Clogged aerators hint at problem

Q. I'm getting a buildup of particles and debris in all thefaucets in my home. I have to remove the aerators weekly and cleanthem out. Is there anyway to stop this and prevent it from happeningin the future?

A. The aerators are located at the very end of most faucets andare the control that allows water and air to mix into a soft streamto prevent splashing from the faucet. They simply unscrew from thefaucet spout, and in most cases you'll find a small screen on theinside.

This screen actually works like a rough filter and traps particlesjust like you've been finding in your faucets. The aerators aretelling you that debris is floating around in your plumbing …

State should stop predatory lending now

State should stop predatory lending now

The city's residential real estate boom is adding big dollars to the personal wealth of thousands of homeowners as they cash in on their homes' increased value through loans that refinance their mortgages.

Many borrowers are getting cheated, too.

Foreclosures on loans by subprime lenders are skyrocketing as a result of deals "loan sharks" are making in unprecedented numbers with unsuspecting homeowners who are led to believe that interest rates and other charges on their refinanced mortgages are fair.

In 1993, there were 69 foreclosures on subprime non-FHA or VA loans in Chicago. Last year, the number rose to 2,382, …

Dodgers 7, Rockies 5

Colorado			Los Angeles
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Fowler cf	3 0 0 0		Paul lf	3 0 0 0
E.Young cf	2 0 0 0		Kapler lf	2 1 1 2
Herrera ss	4 1 2 1		I.De Jesus 2b	5 1 3 1
Stults p	0 0 0 …

EUROPE NEWS AT 1200GMT

TOP STORIES:

EUROPE-FINANCIAL CRISIS

BERLIN _ Germany's top economist calls Greece's debt woes a "bottomless pit" while a major newspaper grouses about coughing up cash so Greeks can retire early. Europe's biggest economy is growing increasingly cranky about bailing out Greece. While Angela Merkel may ultimately proceed with the bailout, an imporant local election requires her to play hardball. There's a price: the foot-dragging is fueling panic in financial markets as the May 19 deadline for Greece to pay its debt approaches. By David Rising and Juergen Baetz.

Also:

_ GREECE-FINANCIAL CRISIS: Greece must surprise markets by …