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Federal and state legislators are scurrying to craft bills that aim to help struggling homeowners stave off foreclosure, buoy the sagging real estate market and prevent similar problems in the future.

Tens of thousands of Californians lost their homes during the first three months of the year as foreclosures soared more than 300 percent across the Bay Area and the state.

The Floyds might have been helped by a congressional proposal to allow bankruptcy judges to approve modifications of home mortgages to stave off foreclosure. But that measure has been derailed amid fierce opposition from lenders, and even supporters concede that it is unlikely to win approval this year.

The credit crunch roiling the financial markets is starting to hit college campuses as dozens of lenders - comprising at least 13 percent of the student loan market - have stopped offering federally guaranteed student loans over the last few weeks.

The record number of delayed and canceled flights in 2007 can partly be blamed on airlines knowingly scheduling more flights than airports had the capacity to handle, according to a report released Wednesday by the Department of Transportation's inspector general.