The numbers reported by the Mortgage Bankers Association show clearly that rising job losses are worsening the nation's housing troubles and threaten the Obama administration's efforts to keep owners from losing their homes.

Smith and City Manager Chris Brady dismissed the argument that the illegitimate parlors are "victimless" operations.

Regardless of the morality of what goes on in their back rooms, Smith said, "The way they are operating destroys other people's businesses. That has nothing to do with the morality in play. As a city we have the responsibility to protect people's rights, and when businesses are being destroyed by the way someone else operates, we have a real problem."

The fate of a 17-year-old girl who ran away from her Ohio home because she says she feared punishment for converting from Islam to Christianity could be decided in an Orlando courtroom today.

An Orlando judge was scheduled to hear arguments about whether Rifqa Bary should stay in state custody in Florida or be returned to her family in Columbus, Ohio.

CIA operative Gary Schroen said Cofer Black sent him to Afghanistan with orders to "Capture bin Laden, kill him, and bring his head back in a box on dry ice." As for other al Qaeda leaders, Black reportedly said, "I want their heads up on pikes."

Schroen had been stunned that, for the first time in 30 years of service, he had received orders to kill targets rather than to capture them.  Black would not confirm the exact words of the order to Schroen, but did not dispute Schroen’s account.