Regulatory Purgatory
My fiancee, who works for a neighborhood development association that's building and managing affordable housing, has been getting a lot of email alerts regarding the short public comment period for changes to the Community Reinvestment Act (now extended to September 20th). What's the CRA?

The CRA is the federal policy which requires banks and lending institutions to have a percentage of their investment in low-income and minority communities. Changes are proposed that lower accountability and requirements for larger banks, at the request of the FDIC and the Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS). Oddly enough, both agencies are led by Bush Adminstration appointees. This will allow banks to invest less in the communities that need it most.

For more info about the changes and how to comment:
The National Community Reinvestment Coalition
http://www.ncrc.org/content.php?section=press_and_publications/press_releases/savecra
National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders
http://www.naahl.org/jsps/news/whats_hot_detail.jsp?nid=9578

You can read more about it at The Center for Rural Strategies and CivilRights.org