Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America
CEO of the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America, a nonprofit housing counseling agency
PROFILE
Bruce Marks
Guest
FROM Bruce Marks
Which Way, L.A.?
Mortgage Settlement: Homeowner Relief or Break for the Banks? Forty-nine of 50 state attorneys general signed on to a $26 billion deal with five big banks accused of deceptive lending and abusive foreclosures. The banks will have three years to make good on their promise. Even President Obama says, "It's just a start." Others call it "a drop in the ocean," "a paltry down-payment" and "public relations." Will the settlement for abuse and deception come in time to help the economy? We hear from experts and homeowners on the front lines of America's mortgage crisis and find out how it applies here in Southern California.
To the Point
Mortgage Settlement: Homeowner Relief or a Break for Banks? Five major banks have agreed to a deal that was good enough for 49 of the 50 state attorney's general, but millions of homeowners aren't so sure. Even President Obama says, "It's just a start." Others call it "a drop in the ocean," "a paltry down-payment" and "public relations." It covers only about two million of the 11 million who are under water. Cash settlements for improper foreclosures will be less than $2,000. Banks can still be sued for abuse and deception, and they've agreed to pay $26 billion up front. But negative equity totals $700 billion. Many questions remain about administration and enforcement. We get a range of answers from advocates, bankers and homeowners in distress. (This story was informed in part from sources in the Public Insight Network .)
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To the Point
Trump's new look at civil rights and global warming President Trump is reportedly ready to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We look at the possible consequences. On the second half of the program, we hear about cuts in Obama-Era civil rights programs called for by the Trump Administration's first budget plan.
To the Point
Is the threat from Russia missing from the Russia meddling probe? There's much being made about the Trump administration's possible ties with Russia. But the bottom line is Russia's effort to influence American democracy. Do the President and his aides care enough to take action before voters go back to the polls?
To the Point
What happens when America retreats from the world? Is President Trump taking his "America First" agenda to extremes, withdrawing the country from the international stage on trade and climate change, distancing America from its traditional allies across the Atlantic and even threatening to physically isolate the country through the building of a wall along its southern border? León Krauze guest hosts.