NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Fitch Ratings has taken the following actions on the U.S. residential primary servicer rating for Financial Freedom, a division of Onewest Bank, FSB:

--U.S. Residential primary servicer rating for reverse product affirmed at 'RPS3'; Outlook Positive.

The servicer rating actions reflect management changes within several key senior positions and strategic plans to focus on system and operational efficiencies, including several recently completed and in-process enhancements. The rating also incorporates the servicer's proactive adoption of a single point of contact (SPOC) model for its Maturities, Collections and Foreclosure areas. Based on the analysis and the company's profile, Fitch has assigned a Positive Outlook to Financial Freedom's servicer rating.

Although the servicer's customer service metrics, on an annual average, deteriorated slightly compared to the prior year, Financial Freedom implemented measures earlier this year to address this concern. Fitch was provided recent months' metrics which were considerably improved and expects that these efforts will continue; however, Fitch feels that a longer period of time is needed to determine the final impact of these changes.

The rating takes into consideration the financial condition of OneWest Bank FSB (OneWest), a non-rated entity, as financial condition is a component of Fitch's servicer ratings. In addition, the rating reflects Fitch's overall concerns for the U.S. residential servicing industry which include the ability to maintain high performance standards while addressing the rising cost of servicing and changes to industry practices, which are likely to be mandated by regulators and other parties.

Finally, the rating reflects changes Fitch made to its servicer rating category weightings, which was instituted for all forward mortgage servicers in 2011.

The rating was determined in accordance with Fitch's criteria 'U.S. Residential and Small Balance Commercial Mortgage Servicer Rating' and 'Global Rating Criteria for Structured Finance Servicers' which are available on the Fitch Ratings web site at 'www.fitchratings.com'.

As of Feb. 29, 2012, Financial Freedom's servicing portfolio consisted of 145,939 loans with an unpaid principal balance of approximately $24.7 billion. The reverse portfolio is composed of 69% GSE loans (based on unpaid principal balance), 16.2% non-agency RMBS, 9.3% third-party servicing, and 5.3% owned loans.

OneWest is a wholly owned subsidiary of OneWest Bank Group, LLC, which was founded in March 2009 by a consortium of investors including Paulson & Co and J.C. Flowers & Co. IndyMac Mortgage Services (IndyMac), another division of OneWest, operates materially separate from Financial Freedom and maintains its own operations and systems. Financial Freedom has been servicing reverse mortgage product for 19 years and has operations in Austin, TX and Kalamazoo, MI.

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Fitch Affirms Financial Freedom's U.S. RMBS Servicer Rating; Assigns Positive Outlook

The UN Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva passed its first resolution on Internet freedom on Thursday with a call for all states to support individuals' rights online as much as offline.

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Human Rights Council backs Internet freedom

As Ron and Rand Paul shift focus away from the Fed and toward internet freedom with their new 'Technology Revolution' manifesto, should anti-censorship forces drop their political differences to work against a common foe?

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Ron Paul Takes Up Internet Freedom With New 'Technology Revolution' Manifesto

GENEVA (Reuters) - The United Nations' main human rights body has for the first time backed people's right to freedom of expression on the Internet in the wake of the massive role that social media networks played in the Arab Spring. In a landmark resolution, the U.N. Human Rights Council's 47 members states agreed on Thursday that this right should be protected by all states and access to the ...

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UN forum backs Web freedom after Arab Spring

Freedom campers who urinate and defecate in public and bathe naked in Lake Taupo are ruining business and a pristine environment, say local tourism operators.But Taupo Mayor Rick Cooper said he would not shut the door to tourists...

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Town outraged by rude rash of freedom campers

Protesters tear up images of the front page of Hong Kong's South China Morning Post newspaper after claims of censorship.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Editor's note: Mak Yin Ting has worked as a journalist for more than 25 years. She is currently the Chairperson of the Hong Kong Journalists Association and the Hong Kong correspondent for Radio France International.

(CNN) -- "Hong Kong enjoys a far higher degree of press freedom than before the handover in 1997 and this is on par with the most developed places in the world," said Hong Kong Secretary for Home Affairs, Tsang Tak-sing, to the Legislative Council last November.

Tsang was urging council members to vote down a motion defending press freedom in the territory, put forth by the Democratic Party's Emily Lau amid growing concern about China's influence on Hong Kong's media.

In fact, he sounded like a mainland official citing instances of 'good deeds' when rebutting criticism against China's human rights record.

Such claims contrast sharply with the reality in Hong Kong, where the free flow and access to information has been gradually but steadily restricted following Hong Kong's return to Chinese sovereignty on July 1, 1997. Although freedom of the press is enshrined in Hong Kong's de facto constitution, the Basic Law, the gap has been shrinking between our city and mainland China, which does not enjoy freedom of expression.

Hong Kong Special Administrative Region- Is it still special 15 years later?

In Hong Kong, the proliferation of media outlets does not tell the whole story. The figures are robust: a city of seven million people consuming 46 daily newspapers and 642 periodicals as of 2010, according to the Hong Kong Yearbook. Nonetheless, the large number of media outlets does not ensure a diversity of voices, which is a fundamental part of press freedom.

According to an industry survey conducted by the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) in April, nearly 87% of the 663 journalists who responded said press freedom in Hong Kong has deteriorated since 2005 when Donald Tsang took office as Chief Executive. This builds upon a similar survey conducted by the HKJA in 2007, in which 58.4% of journalists felt press freedom had been eroded since the 1997 handover.

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Is China attacking Hong Kong press freedom?

One of the few points that can be made universally about the state of freedom on the Fourth of July is that Americans possess divergent views on the issue outlooks that are colored by worldviews, political leanings and factors as plain as age.

CHRIS PEDOTA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Edwin Gonzalez, 2, portraying George Washington, and his sister Giuliana, 5, playing Betsy Ross, in Ridgefield Parks Baby and Youth Parade. They won an award as most patriotic.

It can also be said that its relatively easy to find people at least in North Jersey who are willing to openly share their views on a principle that is both revered and controversial.

Freedom was on the brain at dozens of events marking 236 years of American independence across Bergen and Passaic counties, including celebrations in Teaneck, Allendale, Little Falls, Ringwood, Hackensack and Ridgefield Park.

While watching a parade in Ridgefield Park on Wednesday, village resident Chris Cajas, 31, measured the amount of liberty that he is afforded against the limited number of rights held by millions of others living under repressive regimes.

The fight for freedom and democracy thats celebrated on Independence Day has been echoed in the drumbeat of stories coming out of Syria and Egypt.

I think with the struggles in the economy and abroad, I feel more free and more appreciative of the real meaning of freedom, Cajas said.

Iram Valentin, 35, of Hackensack measures freedom in bandwidth and credits the Internet for fostering a rise in self-expression.

How you can express yourself and what you can say has increased because of social media, Valentin said. It used to be that you had to be rich to own Encyclopedia Britannica, but now anyone can get onto the Internet and get information.

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Freedom on display as North Jersey celebrates Independence Day

The Benton Freedom Festival, formerly held in Bryant, has always been Saline County's largest summertime event.

This year, in its new location at the Saline County Fairgrounds, turnout isn't quite what organizers hoped for. The hot, dry weather and subsequent burn ban in effect means no fireworks this year, which is hurting attendance.

Game and food booths are set up, but there are no lines. The midway at the Saline County Fairgrounds is empty during the biggest event of the year, falling short of what organizers planned to be a huge success.

Benton Mayor David Mattingly says the community has been looking forward to this event. "So many people have been working very hard."

While the Benton Freedom Festival offers food, rides, games, and music, the main attraction of any 4th of July festival is fireworks. Mayor Mattingly says it's a shame the weather has been so hot. "I know that's having an effect on people."

July 3rd, the first day of the two day festival, several thousand people showed up later in the day when the weather cooled off to listen to the musical acts on two separate stages. Festival Director James Ballew says even without fireworks, there are still a lot of attractions. "I still feel like we're the largest event in Saline County. We have a small setback with the fireworks, as a lot of communities do."

Sarah Fallon says it's still a let down for her kids. "They are a little disappointed. We talked about going into Little Rock and watching those fireworks, but were not real sure yet." She and her husband Nathan say they won't stay at the Benton Freedom festival very long in the heat without fireworks to cap off the evening. "I'm a big fireworks person. The 4th of July not being able to shoot off fireworks at the house or anywhere else is kind of a bummer."

Mayor Mattingly says the importance of putting safety first is the number one priority. The City of Benton plans to shoot fireworks off as soon as the burn ban is lifted.

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Benton Freedom Festival attendance down

FREEDOM, Maine Power from moving water, along with the attention of a retired banker, is giving new life to a historic building in the heart of town.

Tony Grassi of Camden is awaiting approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to install a 39-kilowatt turbine in the dam on the Sandy Stream, which flows out of Freedom Pond. The dam is adjacent to the old mill building, which Grassi is restoring, following state historic preservation standards.

In addition to the FERC approval, Grassi has sought approval for his Freedom Falls project from the state Department of Environmental Protection, and the federal Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish & Wildlife, National Park Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Its all sort of slowly working along, he said Monday of the approval process. Grassi took title of the old wood-frame mill building and dam on April 1. Town officials and residents have been helpful, he said, making zoning changes to accommodate the project.

The historic preservation standards were self-imposed Grassi sought and won a listing on the National Register of Historic Places for the old mill building. He is taking advantage of federal and state tax credits for historic renovation, but the project is clearly a labor of love.

A retired investment banker, he left the business in 1990 when it was still fun and became what he calls a full-time volunteer. Grassi has been active in the Nature Conservancy and, beginning in the early 1990s, he and his wife Sally began working with the Horizons National Student Enrichment Program. In fact, they took the then-Connecticut-based program, which provides summer enrichment programs for students from kindergarten through 12th grade, to a national reach.

In addition to his other nonprofit volunteer work, Grassi has served as co-chairman, with BDN Publisher Rick Warren, of the fundraising committee for the Penobscot River Restoration Trust. He chuckles at the irony of working with that group to remove a dam on the Penobscot River while working to restore one in Freedom.

Grassi and his wife moved to Camden eight years ago.

The mill project first came to Grassis attention six or seven years ago when his son and daughter-in-law bought a neighboring property, where they now operate an organic farm.

The project also intrigued Grassi as a test case of sorts, he said. If he succeeds in landing commercial tenants, the now-quiet heart of Freedom could become active again.

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Businessman hopes Freedom hydro power project can make a self-sufficient business

As the nation celebrates 236 years of independence, we also celebrate our freedom.

Dorris, California is proud of their flag - and they're also proud of their freedom.

"Freedom of speech" Notes firefighter Randy Cash of CalFire. "It's just nice to know that no matter what, you can say what you think and you're entitled to that opinion, and voicing that opinion."

Freedom to assemble for a public meeting, or even a parade...

Barbara C of Dorris says she's thankful for "Freedom that I can worship God anywhere I want, go to any church I want, and just glorify Him."

"Our right to bear arms." Says Gene Lane of the Butte Valley Friends of the N.R.A. "It gives us the right to protect ourselves against all enemies, foreign and domestic."

"My favorite freedom is to vote." Adds Troy King of Klamath Falls. "I have a right to go out and vote."

"Freedom of the press is important." States Andrew Creasey, a reporter for the Klamath Falls Herald & News. "Because it's important to stay informed. To know what's going on, it's good to have people that aren't told what to do, and have the freedom to cover what they want."

Ian Andreatta of Dorris summed it up...

"My favorite freedom is the freedom to do what you'd like."

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Celebrating Freedom

On Jan. 18 of this year, the Internet went dark. In protest against overreaching copyright legislation that endangered the open architecture of the Internet, online services like Wikipedia and Reddit, along with 115,000 other websites, participated in an Internet-wide "blackout" to educate Internet users about the threat to net freedom. Thanks to the joint efforts of free speech advocates, online innovators and everyday Internet users, Congressional offices were flooded with calls and emails, and within days, the Stop Online Privacy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA) were shelved in response to the massive online uprising.

Now, half a year later, many of the people and organizations that helped make that Jan. 18 protest a success including my own, the Center for Democracy & Technology are ready to try something different. We're ready to move from defense to offense; ready to support something, rather than just oppose something; ready to transform that powerful moment, where Internet users rose up as one to oppose online censorship, into a lasting movement for Internet freedom. We're ready to try and harness the energy of January's tsunami of online activism, a shock wave whose effects continue to be seen in the privacy debate over cybersecurity legislation in the U.S. and the protests over the ACTA treaty in Europe.

That's why this July 4, instead of blacking out the Internet, we wanted to shine a light and share a positive vision of the Internet and its future, and beta-test a set of principles that can help serve as a rallying cry for Internet freedom fighters both in America and across the globe principles that are broad and universal enough to speak to all political persuasions yet specific enough to serve as a benchmark against which future Internet legislation can be judged and around which future Internet movements can organize.

We're proud to be publishing those principles today in the form of A Declaration of Internet Freedom, joined by a diverse group of Internet innovators and advocates drawn from the loose but wide-ranging alliance that defeated SOPA and PIPA, including companies like Mozilla, individuals like Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, and advocacy and activist groups like Free Press, Public Knowledge, the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Fight for the Future.

We are publishing our declaration on Independence Day to echo the American founding fathers' publication of the Declaration of Independence, though we believe these values can and should apply globally as befits a global network. And what we declare, simply, is that:

We stand for a free and open Internet.

We support transparent and participatory processes for making Internet policy and the establishment of five basic principles:

Expression: Don't censor the Internet.

Access: Promote universal access to fast and affordable networks.

Openness: Keep the Internet an open network where everyone is free to connect, communicate, write, read, watch, speak, listen, learn, create and innovate.

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A Declaration of Internet Freedom

There is a very interesting debate afoot between libertarians and liberals about libertarian beliefs and worker freedom. It started with a joint blog post from liberals Chris Bertram, Corey Robin and Alex Gourevitch (hereafter BRG), with replies by Tyler Cowen and Alex Tabarrok, and a counter-reply from John Holbo. There are a lot [...]

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Freedom and the Workplace

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CORPUS CHRISTI A fight over freedom has landed in one Corpus Christi woman's front yard this Fourth of July.

Elizabeth Pavich spreads the message of freedom each July by decorating her lawn in The Lakes neighborhood with American flags, pinwheels, a 6-foot-tall inflatable Uncle Sam as well as red, white and blue spotlights.

In October, she decorates with witches and ghosts. In December, it's Christmas lights. At Easter, it's bunnies and eggs in baskets.

But some neighbors don't like her year-round showy displays for nearly every holiday and want her to tone it down.

Eight years ago, Pavich was passed the decorating tradition from her mother after she died. She said when her mother decorated her home for the holiday, the neighborhood families would frequently stop by and admire it. Pavich said she now tries to do the same for her neighbors on Pontchartrain Drive.

Jeffrey Cannon respects his next door neighbor's right to express herself but feels that Pavich's decorations are overdone and nonstop. Once one holiday ends, she starts decorating for the next, he said.

"It doesn't go with the neighborhood," he said. "It definitely hurts our property value."

The Lakes is a gated community with a swimming pool, tennis court and five private, man-made lakes. The homeowner's association requires residents to maintain their lawns and regulates landscaping.

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Freedom rings? Neighbors want one Corpus Christi resident to tone down year-round decorations

This is a guest post from Elie Mystal, an editor of the legal blog Above the Law. He will be joining Forbes as a contributor later this year.

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'Declaration of Internet Freedom' Contemplates No Rights or Freedoms Worth Declaring

Press freedom in the world's newest nation South Sudan risks becoming as restricted as it is in arch-rival Sudan, from whom the South split last year after years of repression, Reporters Without Borders said Tuesday.

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South Sudan's press freedom at risk: rights group

With the Freedom Festival in full swing, part of Provo's Center Street has been closed to traffic to host the annual Freedom Days.

With roughly 100 vendor booths, carnival rides and live music, the street festival is set to provide endless entertainment for visitors from all around.

Food vendors offer a plethora of dining options while booths sell goods including sunglasses, local art, jewelry, tie-dye clothing and much more. Jerry Foote and his wife Cindy drove up from Kanab with their pioneer-wagon style booth to sell J.C.'s Chuck Wagon Soda, offering six flavors of refreshing drinks.

"On the first two days, it's about normal like you're seeing now," said Jerry Foote. "On the Fourth of July, you can't even get yourself on the walkways, there's so many people. It's a lot of fun."

Skylar and Heather Thomas of American Fork came down Monday evening with their six children to enjoy the festival.

"It's a great family event, everyone here is always in a great mood," said Heather Thomas as the family sat down to enjoy some snow cones. "There's just a lot of great things here to take in, and for the kids it helps the holiday have some meat to it, so that it's not just all about barbecues."

Freedom Days continues Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Wednesday from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m.

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Freedom Days in full swing in downtown Provo

Internet advocates announced the Declaration of Internet Freedom on July 2, 2012.

Activist groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), Free Press and Access Now banned together and announced Monday the writing of the Declaration of Internet Freedom. The organizations say the document is "a set of principles providing a positive vision to preserve the Internet as a platform for speech, innovation and creativity."

SOPA, PIPA today: Internet on strike! SOPA opera: the Internet dukes it out with Congress SOPA and PIPA Internet blackout aftermath, staggering numbers

Organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union, Amnesty International and Mozilla have all pledged their support for the declaration.

The full text of the Declaration of Internet Freedom reads:

PREAMBLE

We believe that a free and open Internet can bring about a better world. To keep the Internet free and open, we call on communities, industries and countries to recognize these principles. We believe that they will help to bring about more creativity, more innovation and more open societies.

We are joining an international movement to defend our freedoms because we believe that they are worth fighting for.

Let's discuss these principles - agree or disagree with them, debate them, translate them, make them your own and broaden the discussion with your community - as only the Internet can make possible.

Join us in keeping the Internet free and open.

Excerpt from:

Internet activists draft Declaration of Internet Freedom

The American soft-drink industry does not want you to think about fatness. The American soft-drink industry wants you to erase all soda-related images of fatness from your mind. Erase the anonymously obese bodies parading down city streets on the nightly news. Erase the memory of those subway ads with fatty substances oozing out of soda bottles. Erase the text that accompanied them, the obesity ...

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40 Ounces of Freedom: Big Soda Fights Bloomberg's Ban

In an effort to prevent the passage of legislation like the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), as well as ISP blockades, various Internet groups today joined forces to launch the Declaration of Internet Freedom, a set of principles organizers hope will be embraced by lawmakers, private companies, and average Web users alike.

The effort - organized by Free Press, Harvard's Kennedy School, Techdirt.com, Reddit, and Ben Huh's Cheezburger network - invites Web users to "stand for a free and open Internet."

The declaration covers five basic principles: Expression (don't censor the Internet); Access (Promote universal access to fast and affordable networks); Openness (keep the Internet an open network where everyone is free to connect, communicate, write, read, watch, speak, listen, learn, create and innovate); Innovation (protect the freedom to innovate and create without permission. Don't block new technologies, and don't punish innovators for their users' actions); and Privacy (protect privacy and defend everyone's ability to control how their data and devices are used).

During a conference call with reporters this afternoon, Josh Levy, the Internet campaign director at Free Press, said the groups have been working since Jan. 18 - Internet blackout day - to "figure out what comes next and how do we marshal the energy of more than 13 million Internet users ... who now realize that the open Internet is a fragile thing."

In opposition to SOPA and its Senate counterpart, the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA), various Internet sites went dark in January for one day, prompting the demise of SOPA and PIPA. The bills aimed to stop "rogue" overseas websites that traffic in pirated goods, but detractors argued that they would make it easy to cut off access to legitimate websites.

"This is about building political power for Internet users [by rallying] millions of people around a very basic set of principles," Levy continued. "When it comes time to build policy, we can stand up and say Internet users need a seat at the table."

Cheezburger's Huh said that come Election Day, supporters will look to elect those who adhere to the Internet freedom principles. The group isn't looking to back a specific candidate per se, he said, but "from this comes the legislation and lobbying and representatives."

"This helps establish a baseline, so when you have something like SOPA and PIPA," lawmakers know where supporters stand, said Mike Masnick, CEO and founder of Techdirt.

When asked if the Declaration of Internet Freedom was targeted more at the government or ISPs, Levy said the group did not have a "defined target" because both sectors cross-pollinate so much when it comes to the Web.

What's next? The group is asking Web users to chime in on the principles and make suggestions for how they might be approved. There will be forums on Reddit as well as TechDirt and Cheezburger, where organizers will collect peoples' thoughts.

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Groups Join Forces for 'Declaration of Internet Freedom'

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., July 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Swedish Skin Care's RAZOR BURN FREEDOM for Women won in its category at the prestigious Independent Cosmetic Manufacturers & Distributors (ICMAD) seventh annual Cosmetic Innovators of the Year (CITY) Awards. The award was announced at the ICMAD CITY Awards Ceremony in New York on June 20.

Swedish Skin Care's Razor Burn Freedom for Women was one of 15 entries under the Members' Choice: Bath, Body & Hair category. A panel of industry experts voted on beauty brands in 14 categories based on innovative products, packaging, and advertising/marketing concepts from 2011. http://www.icmad.org/innovators/index.asp?cid=19

"We are elated to receive this validation," explained Swedish Skin Care CEO Bengt Johansson. "We created Razor Burn Freedom for Women because nothing else on the market effectively helped women with post hair-removal skin symptoms, such as razor burn, ingrown hair and skin irritation. All of our research and testing was worth it. Users and industry experts agree - it works."

"This product is amazing! I have never seen anything like it in my 30+ years in the beauty industry," explained Jazz Moreno, beauty products distributor and owner of JAZZ-Z Beauty Products.

"This Awards program showcases the growth that cosmetic and personal care products have made over the years," stated Pam Busiek, ICMAD president and CEO. "Innovative products such as Swedish Skin Care's Razor Burn Freedom provide the public with the quality and choice they deserve."

About RAZOR BURN FREEDOM for Women Doctor developed in Sweden, this patented, triple-action formula is (the company believes) the first treatment of its kind formulated exclusively for women and their specific post hair-removal skin needs. The product is not limited to razor burn symptoms. Formulated without paraben and fragrances, it produces great results after waxing, electrolysis, threading, tweezing, and laser hair removal.

Razor Burn Freedom for Women is offered in a 3.38 fl oz /100 ml pump spray bottle for $30. This and Swedish Skin Care's other products are available at http://www.SwedishSkinCare.com and include a 60-day satisfaction guarantee. info@SwedishSkinCare.com, 888.658.7546 (SKIN).

Swedish Skin Care also offers products for anti aging and dry skin.

Media contact: Jason Sherman, http://www.shermancm.com, Public Relations Firm, 888.658.7546

This press release was issued through 24-7PressRelease.com. For further information, visit http://www.24-7pressrelease.com.

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Swedish Skin Care's Razor Burn Freedom for Women Wins Members' Choice Award at ICMAD's 2012 CITY Awards