Bradford & Bingley bank says suffers first-half loss. British mortgage lender Bradford & Bingley said on Friday that it had endured a net loss of 17.2 million pounds in the first half of 2008.

Some Parents Struggling With Back-to-School Buys. CHICAGO -- Charles Lane-Bey combed through racks of blue jeans at a Salvation Army thrift store and held up a pair with potential to his 8-year-old son, Edward, who swung them over his shoulder with a smile.

Testing Change Raises Scores. A switch in testing for students who are learning English fueled a rebound in scores this year for immigrant-rich schools in Northern Virginia that had failed the year before to meet targets set under the federal No Child Left Behind law.

14 Schools Named to D.C. Program to Motivate Students With Cash. D.C. officials yesterday identified 14 schools where about 2,700 middle schoolers will be eligible for up to $100 a month in cash awards for good test scores and behavior.

Toys + Imagination = Profit. Shares in Hasbro have gained more than 40 percent this year. Demographics at both ends -- a mini baby boom in 2006 and a projected 80 million grandparents by 2013 -- will help this creative repurposer of intellectual property grow earnings in double digits. The stock, now at $36.32, is..

Die, Student Loan, Die!. The Motley Fool - Make fun of the so-called "professional students" all you want. You know, the ones who, unlike the TAs, remember the original Dukes of Hazzard TV show. But would you be in a huge hurry to check out of the ivory tower and into debtors' prison?

Ad Blitz Has Stern Message for County's Many Truants. The Prince George's County Board of Education is unleashing a barrage of television, radio and print advertising as part of a crackdown on one of the school system's most serious problems: the 6,000 students who are regularly skipping class.

Scores Stable as More Minorities Take SAT. SAT performance held steady for 2008 high school graduates even as participation rose among minority students and those who are part of the first generation in their families to go to college, the College Board reported yesterday.

Naval Academy's Recruiting Loses Its Starch. As the Naval Academy launches into a new school year, its superintendent has unveiled a recruiting effort that includes flashy TV commercials and a graphic novel in a bid for more minority students.

Fannie Mae announces management shakeup. Mortgage-finance company Fannie Mae on Wednesday announced a management shake-up in an effort to come to grips with mounting credit losses and a shrinking capital base.

Md. to Protect 275 More Acres Of Wetlands, Forest in Charles. Charles County, home to thousands of acres of state-protected land, will have 275 more acres in its southwestern part preserved under Maryland's Program Open Space.

A Deep Breath as Class Starts. Thomas Anderson stood yesterday at an intersection of freshly polished linoleum hallways at John F. Kennedy High School in Silver Spring, fulfilling one of the simplest of a principal's duties on the first day of school: helping freshmen find their way to class. Room 273? "Around the corner and to..

Stocks end lower on personal income data. Wall Street tumbled Friday after the government said personal incomes fell last month by the largest amount in nearly three years while consumer spending slowed. The Dow Jones industrial average fell more than 170 points, while a disappointing profit report from computer maker Dell Inc. weighed on the technology-heavy Nasdaq composite index.

New Column, Old Columnist. I retired in June, sort of, but not really. When I took the early retirement package The Post offered, it was clear to everyone -- my family, my colleagues and particularly me -- that I was too immature to change my daily routine in any way and not fall apart. So The Post kindly gave me a contract..

Public School Results. Here are the SAT reading, math and writing scores for the public schools' Class of 2008. They are based on a 2400-point composite scale. The year-to-year changes are in parentheses.

Salmonella Outbreak Thought to Be Over. The government said yesterday that the salmonella outbreak that sickened at least 1,440 people appears to be over, but its ultimate source may never be known, partly because of shortcomings in the nation's food safety system.

Take the Kids to I.O.U.S.A. When leaving the theater after seeing I.O.U.S.A. - the documentary billed as doing for the national deficit what An Inconvenient Truth did for global warming -- you'll likely be confronted with one of two impulses: You'll want to cut up your credit cards on the spot, lecture your kids on the..

No GSE announcement on Wednesday: U.S. Treasury. The U.S. Treasury on Wednesday shot down financial market rumors that an announcement regarding mortgage finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac was imminent.

For Readers, A Conversation About Education. Iretired in June, sort of, but not really. When I took the early retirement package The Post offered, it was clear to everyone -- my family, my colleagues and particularly me -- that I was too immature to change my daily routine in any way and not fall apart.

Treasurys edge higher amid Fannie, Freddie worries. Treasury bonds rebounded Wednesday to finish slightly higher amid uncertainty over whether troubled mortgage financiers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would need a government bailout.