WESTFIELD

A new report says a shortage of monkeys available for medical research undermines U.S. readiness to respond to public health emergencies.

Officials broke down, in detail, how they say one man used napkin notes, one-minute in-and-outs, and a getaway driver to pull off 15 different bank robberies across five states, including at six branches in Michigan.

U.S. home prices rose briskly in September, another sign that the housing market is booming in the aftermath of last year’s coronavirus recession.

Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes ticked higher in October, marking their strongest pace since January, even as resilient demand and competition for relatively few properties on the market kept prices climbing.

Chowdown champ Joey “Jaws” Chestnut broke his own record to gulp to a 14th win in the men’s Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest on Sunday.

U.S. housing construction rebounded strongly in March to the fastest pace since 2006, as home builders recovered from an unusually frigid February.

Mortgage rates fell for the first time in more than two months as buyers continue to be stifled by high prices and limited supply.

Existing U.S. home sales rose 0.6% in January from the previous month to a seasonally-adjusted rate of 6.69 million annualized units, the National Association of Realtors said Friday. The red-hot housing market has left the number of available properties for sale at record lows. The dearth of homes for sale has been the main driver of home prices. “No winter slowdown.”The housing market has mounted a strong comeback since last summer after declining sharply in the spring when the coronavirus outbreak hit. AdYun, of NAR, expects the average 30-year mortgage rate to tick higher, possibly reaching 3% by midyear.

A "sale pending" sign is posted on.a home in Westfield, Ind., Friday, Sept. 25, 2020. Sales of new homes remained steady in October at a seasonally adjusted rate of 999,000 units. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)WASHINGTON – Sales of existing homes rose 0.7% in December, pushing the entirety of 2020 to a pace not seen in 14 years and providing one of the few bright spots for a U.S. economy mired in a global pandemic. Rising sales in the final month of the year lifted activity to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.76 million units, the National Association of Realtors reported Friday. Sales rose to 6.48 million in 2020, the highest level since 2006 at the height of the housing boom.

U.S. long-term mortgage rates slipped this week while remaining at record-low levels. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)WASHINGTON – U.S. long-term mortgage rates slipped this week while remaining at record-low levels. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the average rate on the benchmark 30-year fixed-rate home loan eased to 2.77% from 2.79% last week. The damage from the coronavirus pandemic on the U.S. and global economies suppressed home loan rates through most of last year. While the rise in mortgage rates is unlikely to derail the bustling housing market, it could make it tougher for would-be homebuyers.

The market for existing homes cooled slightly in November, the National Association of Realtors said Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020 after climbing through the late spring, summer and early fall despite the pandemic. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The market for existing homes cooled slightly in November, the National Association of Realtors said Tuesday, after climbing through the late spring, summer and early fall despite the pandemic. Existing home sales fell 2.5% between October and November on a seasonally adjusted basis to 6.69 million annualized units. Sales of existing homes are still up 25.8% from a year earlier, the trade association said. ___This story has been corrected to say that sales of existing homes totaled a seasonally adjusted 6.69 million units in November and the average sale price was $310,800.