HOME PRICES IN MAJOR CITIES HAVE REACHED THEIR LOWEST LEVEL SINCE THE HOUSING BUBBLE BURST IN 2006. PRICES ARE BEING DRIVEN DOWN BY FORECLOSURES AND A GLUT OF UNSOLD HOMES. PRICES IN A DOZEN MARKETS HAVE REACHED THEIR LOWEST POINTS SINCE THE HOUSING CRISIS BEGAN WITH PRICES RISING ONLY IN SEATTLE AND WASHINGTON DC.

THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE STILL MISSING FROM LAST WEEK’S TORNADO IN MISSOURI HAS DROPPED TO 29. BUT OFFICIALS SAY IT WOULD BE A MIRACLE TO FIND ANY OF THEM ALIVE 8 DAYS LATER. THE MASSIVE MAY 22ND TORNADO KILLED 142 PEOPLE IN JOPLIN. SEARCH AND RESCUE EFFORTS CONTINUED ON MEMORIAL DAY.

4 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED AFTER A COMMERCIAL TOUR BUS OVERTURNED TODAY ON I-95 IN CENTRAL VIRGINIA. THE BUS RAN OFF THE HIGHWAY BEFORE DAWN AND TURNED ONTO ITS ROOF. FEDERAL AUTHORITIES SAY 2800 SPOT CHECKS OF PASSENGER BUSES ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE RESULTED IN ABOUT 10 PERCENT OF THE VEHICLES OR DRIVERS BEING TAKEN OFF THE ROAD.

AND AN OIL SPILL AND A SMALL EXPLOSION HAVE CAUSED LIMITED DAMAGE AT THE CRIPPLED NUCLEAR POWER PLANT IN JAPAN. THE EXPLOSION HEARD AT REACTOR 4 WAS LIKELY FROM A GAS TANK AND DID NOT CAUSE ANY ADDITIONAL RADIATION LEAKS. THE CAUSE IS UNDER INVESTIGATION.

PRESIDENT OBAMA AND ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU WILL MEET IN THE OVAL OFFICE TODAY. THERE’S ALREADY CONFLICT AFTER OBAMA SAID IN A SPEECH YESTERDAY THAT TERRITORIAL LINES IN PLACE BEFORE THE 1967 ARABA-ISRAELI WAR SHOULD BE THE BASIS FOR A PEACE DEAL. NETENYAHU HAS LONG OPPOSED SUCH AN IDEA.

DOMINIQUE STRAUSS-KAHN IS SET TO BE RELEASED ON BAIL TODAY. THE ONCE POWERFUL IMF CHIEF WAS ARRESTED ON SEX ASSAULT CHARGES LAST WEEKEND IN NEW YORK. THE FRENCH POLITICIAN HAS TO PUT UP 1 MILLION DOLLARS BAIL AND A 5 MILLION DOLLAR BOND, WEAR AN ELECTRONIC ANKLE BRACELET AND LIVE UNDER 24 HOUR HOUSE ARREST.

TODAY’S SPACEWALK BY 2 ENDEAVOUR ASTRONAUTS WAS CUT SHORT TODAY WHEN ONE OF THEIR CARBON DIOXIDE SENSORS STOPPED WORKING. THE ASTRONAUTS WERE ALMOST 5 HOURS INTO A PLANNED 6 AND A HALF HOUR SPACEWALK AT THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION WHEN MISSION CONTROLLERS NOTICED THE SENSOR WASN’T WORKING.

THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE APPLYING FOR UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS FELL SHARPLY FOR THE 2^ND STRAIGHT WEEK. APPLICATIONS FOR BENEFITS DROPPED 29,000 LAST WEEK. THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE HAS DROPPED ALMOST A FULL POINT IN THE PAST 5 MONTHS THOUGH IT STILL REMAINS VERY HIGH AT 9 PERCENT.

DOMINIQUE STRAUSS-KAHN HAS RESIGNED AS MANAGER OF THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND. NOW HE’LL TRY TO GET OUT OF NEW YORK’S RIKERS ISLAND. SRAUSS-KAHN IS HEADED TO A MANHATTAN COURT ROOM TODAY TO AGAIN ASK FOR BAIL ON CHARGES HE SEXUALLY ASSAULTED A HOTEL MAID. HIS ATTORNEYS WILL PROPOSE A BAIL OF 1 MILLION DOLLARS AND CONFINING HIM TO HIS DAUGHTER’S HOME.

JEFF CONWAY, THE FORMER STAR OF TAXI AND GREASE, IS IN A COMA FOLLOWING A DRUG OVERDOSE, POSSIBLY FROM PAIN PILLS. THE 60 YEAR OLD ACTOR WAS FOUND UNCONSCIOUS A WEEK AGO. AS PART OF THE REALITY SHOW “CELEBRITY REHAB”, CONWAY DISCUSSED HIS ADDICTION TO DRUGS AND ALCOHOL.

AND UNITED AIRLINES HAS APOLOGIZED FOR BRIEFLY RESTARTING USE OF FLIGHT NUMBERS OF 2 PLANES THAT CRASHED ON 9/11. UNITED BLAMED THE REUSE OF FLIGHT NUMBERS 93 AND 175 ON A TECHNICAL ERROR. THE AIRLINE HAS TAKEN STEPS TO HAVE THE NUMBERS REMOVED FROM ITS COMPUTERS.

CARGO IS SLOWLY MOVING AGAIN ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AFTER THE COAST GUARD CLOSED A 15 MILE STRETCH YESTERDAY AT NATCHEZ, MISSISSIPPI. BARGES THAT HAUL COAL, TIMBER, IRON, STEEL AND GRAIN ARE BEING ALLOWED TO PASS BUT AT A VERY SLOW SPEED. THOSE INTERRUPTIONS COULD COST THE ECONOMY HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR EACH DAY THE BARGES ARE IDLED.

PRESIDENT OBAMA IS DELIVERING HIS FINAL COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS OF THE SEASON AT THE U.S. COAST GUARD ACADEMY. OBAMA WILL BE IN NEW LONDON CONNECTICUT TO WATCH 229 CADETS RECEIVE THEIR DEGREES. THE PRESIDENT WILL THEN HEAD TO BOSTON FOR A COUPLE OF FUNDRAISERS.

DOMINIQUE STRAUSS-KAHN IS UNDER GROWING PRESSURE TO QUIT AS HEAD OF THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND. THE FRENCH POLITICIAN IS UNDER SUICIDE WATCH AT A NEW YORK JAIL ON ATTEMPTED RAPE CHARGES. TREASURY SECRETARY TIMOTHY GEITHNER SAYS STRAUSS-KAHN IS NOT IN A POSITION TO RUN THE IMF.

SAN FRANCISCO WILL SOON HAVE THE HIGHEST TAXI CAB FARE IN THE NATION. THE MUNICIPAL TRANSPORTATION AGENCY’S BOARD HAS APPROVED RAISING METER RATES BY 50 CENTS A MILE. THE STARTING RATE WAS ALSO RAISED BY 40 CENTS TO 3.50. WHEN THE INCREASES GO INTO EFFECT THIS SUMMER, ONLY BOSTON AND SAN DIEGO WILL HAVE HIGHER CAB FARES.

NOW THAT THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS HAS OPENED 2 MORE GATES AT THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER’S MORGANZA SPILLWAY, LOUISIANA RESIDENTS ARE BRACING FOR A WALL OF WATER THAT WILL LIKELY SWALLOW UP THEIR HOMES AND BUSINESSES. WATER IS NOW FLOWING INTO THE SPILLWAY AT A RATE GREATER THAN THAT OF NIAGARA FALLS. THE ACTION IS INTENDED TO SPARE CITIES LIKE NEW ORLEANS AND BATON ROGUE.

FORMER GOVERNOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER ADMITS THAT HE FATHERED A CHILD WITH A MEMBER OF HIS HOUSEHOLD STAFF 10 YEARS AGO. SCHWARZENEGGER AND HIS WIFE MARIA SHRIVER ANNOUNCED THEIR SEPARATION LAST WEEK. SCHWARZENEGGER SAYS HE TOLD HIS WIFE ABOUT THE EVENT AFTER HE LEFT THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE. THE CHILD WAS BORN BEFORE SCHWARZENEGGER BEGAN HIS 7 YEAR STINT IN PUBLIC OFFICE.

PRESSURE IS BUILDING FOR DOMINIQUE STRAUSS-KAHN TO RESIGN AS CHIEF OF THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND AFTER HE WAS CHARGED WITH TRYING TO RAPE A MAID AT A NEW YORK CITY HOTEL. STRAUSS-KAHN WAS DENIED BAIL YESTERDAY WITH PROSECUTORS WARNING HE MIGHT FLEE TO FRANCE. THE IMF PROVIDES EMERGENCY LOANS TO COUNTRIES IN SEVERE DISTRESS.

QUEEN ELIZABETH HAS ARRIVED IN DUBLIN IRELAND SURROUNDED BY SECURITY AFTER A MAKESHIFT BOMB WAS FOUND IN THE LUGGAGE COMPARTMENT OF A BUS. THE VISIT IS THE FIRST BY A BRITISH MONARCH SINCE IRELAND WON INDEPENDENCE FROM LONDON IN 1921. PRESIDENT OBAMA WILL VISIT IRELAND NEXT WEEK.

SPACE SHUTTLE ENDEAVOUR HAS BLASTED OFF ON ITS 25^TH AND FINAL VOYAGE. THE 6 MAN CREW WILL DELIVER A POTENTIALLY REVOLUTIONARY PHYSICS EXPERIMENT TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION. THE ENDEAVOUR MISSION IS LED BY COMMANDER MARK KELLY. HIS WIFE, U.S. REPRSENTATIVE GABRILLE GIFFORDS, WHO IS STILL RECOVERING FROM GUN SHOT WOUNDS, WAS AT KENNEDY SPACE CENTER TO WATCH THE LAUNCH.

THE HEAD OF THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND IS FACING ARRAIGNMENT TODAY ON CHARGES OF SEXUALLY ASSAULTING A MAID WHO WENT INTO HIS PENTHOUSE SUITE AT A HOTEL NEAR TIMES SQUARE. DOMINIQUE STRAUSS-KAHN WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY AT JFK ON SATURDAY LESS THAN 4 HOURS AFTER THE ALLEGED ASSAULT. STRAUSS-KAHN WAS CONSIDERED THE STRONGEST POTENTIAL CHALLENGER NEXT YEAR TO FRENCH PRESIDENT NICOLAS SARKOZY.

SENATOR JOHN KERRY SAYS HE AND PAKISTANI LEADERS HAVE AGREED ON A SERIES OF STEPS TO IMPROVE RELATIONS. KERRY IS IN PAKISTAN AMID HIGH TENSIONS OVER THE U.S. RAID THAT KILLED OSAMA BIN LADEN. KERRY INSISTS THE SECRECY SURROUNDING THE RAID WAS CRUCIAL TO ASSURING ITS SUCCESS AND THAT HE HIMSELF DIDN’T LEARN ABOUT THE RAID UNTIL AFTERWARD.

THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS IS CLOSE TO OPENING A MASSIVE SPILLWAY THAT WOULD FLOOD HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF ACRES IN LOUISIANA CAJUN COUNTRY. THEY HOPE TO PROTECT BATON ROUGE AND NEW ORLEANS FROM THE SWOLLEN MISSISSIPPI RIVER. OPENING THE GATES FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 38 YEARS WOULD PUT SEVERAL THOUSAND HOMES AT RISK OF FLOODING.

A NEW STUDY SHOWS MEN AND WOMEN INFECTED WITH THE AIDS VIRUS WHO TAKE ANTI-RETRO-VIRAL DRUGS EARLY DRAMATICALLY CUT THE RISK OF INFECTING A PARTNER. THE STUDY FOUND A 96 PERCENT REDUCTION IN HIV TRANSMISSION. THE FINDINGS WERE SO CONVINCING THAT THE PANEL STOPPED THE TRIAL 4 YEARS AHEAD OF TIME.

A PAIR OF SUICIDE BOMBERS HAS ATTACKED RECRUITS LEAVING A PARA-MILITARY TRAINING CENTER IN PAKISTAN, KILLING 80 PEOPLE. IT’S THE FIRST RETALIATION FOR THE KILLING OF OSAMA BIN LADEN. THE TALIBAN HAS CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY, BLAMING THE PAKISTANI MILITARY FOR FAILING TO STOP THE RAID BY THE U.S.

TEA PARTY GODFATHER RON PAUL HAS ANNOUNCED HE’S RUNNING FOR THE GOP NOMINATION FOR PRESIDENT IN 20-12. IT WILL BE THE 3^RD TRY FOR THE 75 YEAR OLD PAUL WHO FIRST RAN FOR PRESIDENT AS A LIBERTARIAN IN 1988.

THE BOSSES OF CHEVRON, SHELL, BP, CONOCO PHILLIPS AND EXXON MOBIL WILL ALL GO BEFORE THE SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE TODAY. THEY’LL FACE ALLEGATIONS OF BANKING RECORD PROFITS AT TAXPAYERS’ EXPENSE. DEMOCRATS IN CONGRESS HAVE CALLED FOR AN END TO AROUND 2 BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR IN TAX BREAKS FOR THE OIL COMPANIES.

THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER SET A RECORD HIGH WATER LEVEL AT NATCHEZ MISSISSIPPI YESTERDAY, MORE THAN A WEEK BEFORE IT’S EXPECTED TO CREST. THE FLOOD HAS ALREADY FORCED THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE TO EVACUATE AND SWAMPED 3 MILLION ACRES OF FARMLAND IN MISSISSIPPI, TENNESSEE AND ARKANSAS.

A CHP OFFICER HAS BEEN ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY STEALING AN XBOX GAMING SYSTEM AND OTHER ELECTRONIC ITEMS FROM A TARGET STORE IN VACAVILLE. POLICE SAY OFFICER SHAWN HAMMONDS STOLE THE MERCHANDISE WHEN HE WAS OFF-DUTY ABOUT 1PM MONDAY AND WENT BACK AGAIN SEVERAL HOURS LATER.

SAN JOSE BASED CISCO SYSTEMS IS SET TO ELIMINATE THOUSANDS OF JOBS. CISCO WANTS TO CUT ANNUAL EXPENSES BY 1 BILLION DOLLARS WHICH COULD AMOUNT TO 4 TO 5,000 JOBS LOST. THE WORLD’S LARGEST MAKER OF COMPUTER NETWORKING GEAR LAST WENT ON A BELT-TIGHTENING PROGRAM 2 YEARS AGO. IT LOST 2,000 EMPLOYEES BEFORE IT STARTED HIRING AGAIN.

THE SWOLLEN MISSISSIPPI RIVER IS ROLLING SOUTH AFTER CRESTING JUST SHORT OF A RECORD IN MEMPHIS YESTERDAY. LOUISIANA AND MISSISSIPPI ARE EXPECTED TO SEE THE HIGHEST LEVELS SINCE 1927. 500 NATIONAL GUARD MEMBERS HAVE BEEN MOBILIZED IN LOUISIANA WHICH IS STILL RECOVERING FROM HURRICANE KATRINA. IN MISSISSIPPI SOME OF THE WATERS ARE SEEPING INTO CASINOS.

A SHOOTER OPENED FIRE INSIDE A SAN JOSE STATE CAMPUS GARAGE LAST NIGHT, KILLING 2 PEOPLE. CAMPUS POLICE HAVEN’T RELEASED INFORMATION ABOUT THE SUSPECT OR VICTIMS. THE SUSPECT WAS ALSO SHOT IN THE INCIDENT. THE SHOOTING HAPPENED IN SAN JOSE STATE’S MAIN GARAGE WHICH ALSO HOUSES THE STUDENT SERVICES CENTER.

PRESIDENT OBAMA’S APPROVAL RATING HAS HIT 60 PERCENT, THE HIGHEST LEVEL IN 2 YEARS. AND MORE THAN HALF OF AMERICANS NOW SAY HE DESERVES TO BE RE-ELECTED ACCORDING TO A NEW AP-GFK POLL. 73 PERCENT OF THE PUBLIC NOW SAY THEY ARE CONFIDENT THAT OBAMA CAN HANDLE TERRORIST THREATS.

I WAS ASKED TO BE A PAID SPOKESMAN FOR A COMPANY THAT SPECIALIZES IN FLOWERS.

I was very honest, & told them every plant I had ever owned had died.
“Do you own a hose?” They asked.” Well, ah-yeah. But I only use it to wash the car.”

They assured me if I would use it every other day, that would be all it would take to make the “Proven Winners” flowers flourish. I finally told them o.k, I would give them a try.
It’s now been over a month, & not only are they still alive, but they are beautiful. Did I really do that? Well, sort of. I am a believer. My yard & deck are filled with beautiful, colorful flowers.

I’ve said it before, & I’ll say it again. IF I CAN GROW GORGEOUS FLOWERS WITH ‘PROVEN WINNERS,’ THAN YOU CAN TOO.