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News In Brief

MIDDAY UPDATE: foreclosure trials, distracted drivers, and haggis

Katharine Crnko Jan 24, 2011

A federal court in Delaware will hear two cases regarding whether two bankrupt sub-prime mortgage lenders can destroy thousands of boxes of original loan documents. The documents are expensive to store, and lenders say they contain outdated information pertaining to old mortgages. In at least one of the cases, U.S. attorneys are arguing that the government may need some of these documents to prove whether banks have the right to foreclose on certain properties.

The Department of Transportation is asking U.S. automakers to help curb distracted driving. Officials say automakers are encouraging drivers to use cellphones on the road by adding features such as car-phone synchronization and voice-to-text capability. But asking car makers to drop these features — which attract new buyers — will be a tough sell.

Can you can stomach eating heart, liver and lungs? Tomorrow is Robert Burns Night in Scotland — a holiday traditionally celebrated by eating haggis: a baked delicacy made with lamb and beef hearts, lungs, and livers, as well as oatmeal, onions and spices. It is illegal to import the dish to the U.S., but Jo MacSween, of MacSween Haggis, says she hopes to change that: “There’s a huge number of American consumers that I think would really enjoy a lovely food that’s nutritious, it’s full of fiber and iron.”

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