The Lede

Washington Post, Jan. 10, 2019--Kathy Orton (MBA mention)The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rate tumbled to 4.45 percent with an average 0.5 point, Freddie Mac reported.

Scotsman Guide, Jan. 10, 2019--Victor WhitmanThe Milken Institute, in a new paper, recommended that the Trump Administration clear a path for the government to end its 10-year control of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but not release control over the government-sponsored enterprises until Congress addresses their "flawed charters." (MBA mention)

National Mortgage Professional, Jan. 10, 2019--Phil HallThe Mortgage Bankers Association reported that its Mortgage Credit Availability Index fell by 7.3 percent to 175 in December, its lowest level since February 2017.

Wall Street Journal, Jan. 10, 2019--Eric Morath (subscription)The Labor Department sent its proposed overtime rule to the White House for review, which could allow the regulation determining how many Americans are entitled to extra pay when working more than 40 hours to be finished by late this year.

National Mortgage News, Jan. 10, 2019--Brad Finkelstein (subscription)The government shutdown could affect mortgage origination credit quality as lenders miss some red flags normally found using data that is not currently available, according to a report from Moody's.

HousingWire, Jan. 10, 2019--Ben LaneHouseCanary is one big step closer to collecting one of the largest and most unlikely legal awards in the history of the housing industry after a Texas judge denied Amrock's request for a new trial in the two companies' battle over the alleged theft of trade secrets.

The Mortgage Leader, Jan. 10, 2019Michael Bright, executive vice president and COO of Ginnie Mae, has accepted a position in the private sector and will resign from his position on January 16. Bright will serve as CEO of the Structured Finance Industry Group, a trade group.

The Hill, Jan. 10, 2019--Juliegrace BrufkeThe Democratic-led House passed a standalone spending measure Thursday to provide funding for the Departments of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and other agencies.

American Banker, Jan. 10, 2019--Kate Berry (subscription)The industry's worst fears about higher costs and less available credit stemming from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's mortgage rules have not materialized in the years since those regulations were written, the bureau said Thursday.

Orange County Register, Jan. 10, 2019--Jeff LazersonRefreshing is the word that comes to mind as the lending industry prepares for a possible wave of unpaid and furloughed federal workers in need of mortgage payment forbearance, late charge waivers and a pass on reporting mortgage late payments to the credit bureaus.

The Mortgage Bankers Association and MBA Insights are accepting nominations for the MBA Insights 2019 Tech All-Star Awards. Nominations will be accepted through today, Jan. 11.

MBA Education presents a webinar, Ten Things Your Mortgage Company Must Do in 2019, on Wednesday, Jan. 17 from 2:00-3:30 p.m. ET.