Housing Starts

The Washington Post: "Senate negotiators broke off talks last night without striking a deal to rescue hundreds of thousands of homeowners at risk of foreclosure, but they said they were close to an agreement."

The Wall Street Journal: "In the national debate about a housing rescue, there is a surprising wild card: the lame-duck White House."

Bloomberg: "Fannie Mae, the largest U.S. mortgage-finance provider, will stop requiring bigger down payments in regions where home prices are dropping, responding to criticism from consumer groups who said the company was exacerbating the housing slump."

USA Today, via Calculated Risk: "The escalating pace of foreclosures and rising fears among some homeowners about keeping up with their mortgages are creating a range of emotional problems, mental-health specialists say. Those include anxiety disorders, depression and addictive behaviors such as alcoholism and gambling. And, in a few cases, suicide."

CNNMoney.com: "Homebuilders' confidence fell once again in May and their view of the state of the battered market hit a record low."