| Brad Pitt interested in purchasing Neverland Ranch
Brad Pitt is interested in purchasing Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch. The actor and his lover Angelina Jolie are said to be convinced the sprawling California estate would be the perfect place to raise their four children. A source said, "Brad and Angelina are very interested in the property and will be closely following any developments involving the Neverland Ranch." .
Deal has rebates coming your way
We're looking at tax rebate checks of up to $600 for individuals and up to $1,200 for couples, plus an extra $300 per child. But don't plan to splurge if you're living in a higher-income household. The rebates would phase out gradually for individuals whose income exceeds $75,000 and couples with incomes above $150,000. Individuals with incomes up to $87,000 and couples up to $174,000 would get partial rebates. The caps are higher for those with children. Individuals must earn at least $3,000 to get a $300 rebate. It means that even some low-income workers who aren't required to pay federal income taxes would get rebate checks if they earned at least $3,000 in 2007. Nationwide, about 116 million households would get checks beginning as early as June.
Bank stocks: Are they safe yet?
In the savings and loan crisis, where mortgage lenders had made large numbers of irresponsible loans, financial stocks dropped almost 50 percent over a period of 12 months. That compares with a drop of only 20 percent for the S&P 500. The second decline has its roots in the 1997 East Asian financial crisis. Long- Term Capital Management, a hedge fund that used computers to profit from small price discrepancies between U.S. and foreign bonds, collapsed when the debt crisis disrupted bond-price patterns. The stock market turmoil that resulted lasted for seven months. During that time financial stocks dropped 34 percent; other major market sectors lost 20 percent to 30 percent. .
Nation/World briefs
In the latest violence, a missile strike near the Afghan border destroyed a suspected militant hideout and killed 12 people inside. Mexico orders arrest of missing Marine MEXICO CITY -- Mexican officials have ordered police to arrest a U.S. Marine suspected of killing his pregnant colleague and fleeing to Mexico, a U.S. Embassy official said Tuesday. That could lead to his extradition or deportation to the United States. The Embassy official said Mexican officials issued a provisional arrest warrant for Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean, which means authorities can take him into custody, on Monday at the request of U.S. officials. Venezuelan gunmen arrested after standoff ALTAGRACIA DE ORITUCO, Venezuela -- Gunmen who held more than 30 hostages inside a Venezuelan bank for over 24 hours fled in an ambulance and were caught Tuesday along a roadside, where they surrendered and freed their last five captives.
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