Top Cities for Beautiful People

Obama administration nearing deal for mortgage relief

(NEWSER) - California and New York are close to signing on to the Obama administration's multibillion dollar mortgage robo-signing settlement, significantly expanding the deal, the New York Times reports. If California signs on, the settlement total will jump from $19 billion to $25 billion. In exchange, the states want measures to help individual homeowners, and the ability to investigate the banks' other past mortgage misdeeds. California also wants to ensure that big pension funds can still sue the banks for false claims about mortgage-backed securities. More»

... Miami, ahead of Chicago, Atlanta, and Philadelphia

(NEWSER) - What US city would dare compete with Los Angeles as the nation's vainest? Turns out LA isn't even in the top 5, Time reports. A new survey finds that when it comes to factors like tummy tucks, liposuction, laser hair removal, and what people see in the mirror, Miami takes the cake. “Vain? That would definitely be it, especially here in South Beach,” a resident tells NBC Miami . Following Miami is Chicago, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Phoenix. More»

Want to stay off the beaten path? Start here

(NEWSER) - If you’ve seen enough of Old Faithful and the Grand Canyon, CNN has an idea for you: Why not visit another of the country’s 397 national parks and monuments, like one of these seven you’ve probably never heard of?

• Dry Tortugas: You have to seriously want to make it all the way out to one of these seven islands 70 miles west of Key West, which are only accessible by ferry or seaplane. But don’t expect actual dryness: Tropical storms are a regular occurrence.

And it got even hotter in Newark

(NEWSER) - It's official: This heat wave is one of the all-time greats. Temperatures soared to a record-high 104 degrees in New York City and to 108 degrees in Newark—the hottest day in the city's history, reports NBC . It's much the same everywhere from Kansas to Maine, reports AP , with heat indexes routinely topping 110 degrees. More»

California, New York, and Ohio join Texas in starting inquiries

(NEWSER) - As if the looming federal probe wasn’t bad enough, Google is now facing antitrust investigations from a number of states. California, New York, and Ohio have begun inquiries into the possible anti-competitive threat posed by Google’s search dominance, jumping on a bandwagon Texas started last year, the Financial Times reports. Since antitrust laws differ by state, Google could soon have a complicated legal distraction on its hands. More»