Housing Starts

The Washington Post: "We'll have a pretty good idea whether the legislative train has run off the tracks tomorrow when the Senate Banking Committee is scheduled to report its version of the legislation. If Republicans unite in voting against the bill, the chances of getting any legislation out of the closely divided Senate will be slim."

The Huffington Post: "The first battle in what is shaping up to be a general-election war over the mortgage crisis occurred last week."

The Wall Street Journal: "Disgruntled investors at Qwest Communications International Inc. vow to air a litany of complaints at the annual meeting next week. Among them: the $1.8 million that Qwest lost on the former Tiburon, Calif., home of Chief Executive Edward Mueller."

Bloomberg: "Freddie Mac, the second-largest U.S. mortgage-finance company, posted a loss that was narrower than analysts estimated and said it will raise $5.5 billion in capital to help overcome rising credit costs."

Reuters: "Mortgage applications rose for a second consecutive week, fueled by a jump in demand for home refinancing loans as interest rates dropped, an industry group said on Wednesday."