It’s that time of year.  Kids are preparing to go back to school.  Clark County Schools begin classes August 24.  That includes all students in Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, and Henderson.

Michael Politz of The Vegas Eye has let us know that Hope Central Ministry is running a school supply drive.  Sadly, many kids don’t have the physical stuff they need to succeed at school this year.  For locals, the nice folks at Vegas Parent gives us a list of ways you can help families in the Valley.

Please, consider donating to a local school supply drive wherever you may be. For some kids, a new box of crayons is a real treat.

Details are dribbling out as more people have a chance to read the actual text of the big foreclosure prevention bill. It is worth noting that the President did not bother to sign it until Wednesday.

CNBC tells us this bill is bigger and will cost more taxpayer dollars than originally expected.

Alternet tells us it will actually help fewer than one in 20 families facing foreclosure in the next 2 years.

The Christian Science Monitor gives us a summary: No Rescues Soon.

In the meantime, Hope Now is still out there.  They claim to have helped 181,000 borrowers with 76,000 permanent modifications and 105,000 repayment plans in June alone.  Nevertheless, 82,000 families that contacted them still lost their homes.