“I can’t afford an Ancestry DNA kit to learn about my relatives. So instead, I posted online that I had won the Powerball Lottery.” Speaking of news dissemination, Southwest Airlines sent out a press release about using chargers on its airplanes. Finally, in terms of spreading news, some love him, some say he’s little more than a frat boy, we have FHFA Director Bill Pulte. I was present at his Q&A in Manhattan where he basically said that releasing Freddie and Fannie from conservatorship was “not a priority” and that the process wouldn’t begin until 2026. This was changed by his boss, Donald Trump, within a day or two. Our housing finance system doesn’t need chaos for chaos’ sake. (My notes from Mr. Pulte’s stage time are below.) Speaking of the conference this week in New York, with its Naked Cowboy, on today’s episode of Last Word at 10am PT, the team will share their top takeaways from the MBA Secondary Conference in New York, including what people were really talking about on the ground. They’ll also dig into the recent jump in mortgage rates and what it could mean for the market in the weeks ahead. (Today’s podcast can be found here and this week’s is sponsored by Xactus and its commitment to the continued transformation of the mortgage verification industry. Pioneering a new class of technology, “Intelligent Verification,” Xactus is redefining how the industry originates and services mortgages. Today’s has an interview with ALTA’s Elizabeth Blosser on the rising threat of real estate cybercrime, and how the title industry is fighting back with proactive strategies, technology, and consumer education to protect transactions and reduce fraud.)