The Lede

Politico, May 23, 2019--Marianne Levine, Burgess EverettThe multi-billion dollar disaster aid bill, which will assist states devastated by wildfires, hurricanes and flooding, comes after months of roadblocks.

Washington Post, May 23, 2019--Kathy OrtonFixed mortgage rates didn't go down much, but they did go down for the fourth week in a row. According to the latest data released Thursday by Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate average slipped to 4.06 percent with an average 0.5 point. (MBA mention)

Wall Street Journal, May 23, 2019--Nicole Hong (subscription)Stephen M. Calk, who ran Federal Savings Bank in Chicago and served as a former campaign adviser to President Trump, was indicted Thursday for allegedly giving $16 million in loans to former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort in exchange for Manafort's help in soliciting a high-level position within the Trump administration.

National Mortgage Professional, May 23, 2019--Phil HallThe House voted along party lines 231 to 191 to approve the Consumers First Act, a bill authored by Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., Chair of the House Financial Services Committee, designed to reverse structural changes made to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau while Mick Mulvaney was the agency's Acting Director.

National Mortgage News, May 23, 2019--Bonnie Sinnock (subscription)The 114-count superseding indictment alleges three people associated with real estate investor Morgan Management--CEO Robert Morgan, Project Manager Todd Morgan and Director of Finance Michael Tremiti--along with loan brokerage Aurora Capital Advisors' owner Frank Giacobbe all engaged in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud against Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

The Hill, May 23, 2019--Jordan FabianHousing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson on Thursday sought to clarify his testimony to a House committee about the Trump administration's plans to alter protections for homeless transgender people.

Orange County Register, May 23, 2019--Jeff LazersonConsumers pay for home appraisals when taking out a mortgage, but the nation's two biggest mortgage giants keep their database of valuations secret. (MBA mention)

HousingWire, May 23, 2019--Jessica GuerinThe Congressional Budget Office released a report Thursday exploring four proposed solutions for lessening the cost and risk of the reverse mortgage program to the federal government. Reverse mortgages are insured by the Federal Housing Administration.

American Banker, May 23, 2019--Victoria Finkle (subscription)One of the bigger questions is whether the GSEs should be considered systemically important. Although this is a topic that has largely flown under the radar up to now, it may take on new significance under a Trump-guided Federal Housing Finance Agency.

The Mortgage Action Alliance Quarterly Advocacy Update takes place Tuesday, May 28 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET.