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Fannie Shuffles Its Top Leaders Struggling mortgage giant Fannie Mae shook up its senior management yesterday, announcing the departure of its chief financial officer and two other top executives. Color of Money Book Club Personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary will host an online discussion with Carolyn Warren, author of "Mortgage Rip-Offs and Money Savers" (John Wiley and Sons), on Thursday, Aug. 28 at Noon ET. A Wake-Up Call on Home Equity Loans An increase in consumer complaints over the cancellation or reduction of home equity lines of credit has prompted one federal banking regulator to remind financial institutions about the laws governing this type of loan. Businesses Cite a Catch-22 After Miss. Immigration Raid The arrests this week of nearly 600 immigrant workers at a manufacturing plant in Laurel, Miss., is fueling a national debate over a federal system to check new hires' work documents, a program whose expansion the Bush administration has made a cornerstone of its fight against illegal immigration. Small Banks, Tight Credit Late loan payments and defaults by commercial and residential developers have soared to the highest levels since the early 1990s, threatening the health of some small banks, regulators said yesterday. Obama Team Works With Hill Democrats Eager to avoid the missteps that plagued the first months of the Clinton administration, aides to Barack Obama have begun working in concert with top Democrats in Congress to craft a preliminary legislative agenda that would guide the senator from Illinois should he capture the White House in... Finding Use for the Airwaves' 'White Spaces' The Federal Communications Commission has spent nearly a year testing devices designed to use empty television channels, known as white spaces, for high-speed Internet service. As those tests near conclusion, the agency is evaluating yet another proposal about the best use of the airwaves. University's Plans for Milton Friedman Institute Spark Outcry CHICAGO -- Plans by the University of Chicago to establish a research institute named after legendary free-market economist Milton Friedman have caused an uproar at the school on the city's South Side. Contractors Augment Intelligence Agencies About a quarter of the nation's core intelligence workers are contractors, perhaps as many as 37,000 private employees who work side-by-side with civil servants as analysts, technology specialists and mission managers, according to a report about government outsourcing by the Office of the Director... Power-Sector Emissions Of China To Top U.S. The carbon emissions of China's electric power sector will jump by about a third this year and surpass the total emissions of the U.S. electric power industry for the first time, according to a report by the Center for Global Development, a Washington-based think tank. Pearlstein: The Growing Income Gap Washington Post columnist Steven Pearlstein was online to discuss how the presidential campaign is addressing growing income inequality and the stagnation of middle class income. Recruiting, With Unintended Consequences CHICAGO Tucked away amid a huge array of media organizations at a journalists' convention last month was a nondescript stall that easily could have been missed among the many booths with more inviting presentations. Flight Delays Caused by Computer Failure, FAA Says The Federal Aviation Administration blamed a computer breakdown for delaying hundreds of flights yesterday throughout the country, including Baltimore and Washington. Obama's Response Ad Reflects Lessons of 2004 DENVER, Aug. 26 -- Sen. Barack Obama's campaign and its allies, mindful of the lessons of the Swift boat attacks of 2004, have begun an aggressive, multi-pronged attack on an advertisement running in swing states that seeks to link the Democratic presidential candidate to former domestic terrorist... Obama, Biden's Son Linked by Earmarks Sen. Barack Obama sought more than $3.4 million in congressional earmarks for clients of the lobbyist son of his Democratic running mate, Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware, records show. Obama succeeded in getting $192,000 for one of the clients, St. Xavier University in suburban Chicago. Our Inequality of Outcomes Hey, good news on the income front: The Census Bureau reported yesterday that median earnings for full-time male workers rose by $1,653 last year, to $45,113, after adjusting for inflation. A New Breed Of Hackers Tracks Online Acts of War TORONTO -- Here in the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto, a new breed of hackers is conducting digital espionage. Poverty Rate Held Steady Last Year, Census Says The nation's poverty rate held steady as median household income edged upward last year, according to annual census data released yesterday. The Census Bureau also reported that the number of people without health insurance decreased by more than 1 million people in 2007. Ready or Not, Crawford May Soon Resume Normalcy CRAWFORD, Tex. -- These days, even protesters rarely visit this tiny town made famous as President Bush's favorite vacation spot. Comstock's Defaults Darken Its Future Comstock Homebuilding of Reston has defaulted on several development loans the company used to finance its projects during the years of the housing boom.