Two lenders in Florida and one in Oregon have gone under in what has become a gruesome trend for the financial world. The collapses of these three banks mark have propelled the number of bank closures due to the recession to 72, highlighting the devastating impact of the economic crisis.
 
Community National Bank and First State Bank, both of which were based in Sarasota, Florida, and Community First Bank, based in Prineville, Oregon, were shut down by federal regulators in a move that will cost the FDIC $185 million. All in all, the banks were in charge of $769 million worth …read more

Not long ago, there were hopes that the unemployment rate in the United States would stay below 10%. Now it’s simply a matter of when rather than a question of if.
Fifteen out of the fifty states already have a 10% unemployment rate. Many other stats are right of the verge of hitting double figures.
Michigan has been the hardest hit, which isn’t surprising since the state has relied so much on the auto industry over the years. With GM and Chrysler both bankrupt, many Michigan workers lost their jobs. Currently, Michigan has an unemployment rate of over 15%.
Other states that have …read more

The reports are in and it seems like May did not go very well for the job market: in every state but Vermont and Nebraska, the unemployment rate increased, with many states posting record high jobless numbers. Vermont reported no change in its numbers and Nebraska’s unemployment rate decreased by a meager 0.1 percent.
 
Of all the states, Michigan is by far the worst off, featuring a staggering 14.1 percent unemployment rate that has risen from 12.9 percent the previous month. Oregon trails Michigan at a 12.4 percent unemployment rate, with thirteen other states suffering from unemployment numbers above 10 percent.
 
Many …read more

Just a few more State election sites –
Indiana
Louisiana
North Carolina
North Dakota
Minnesota
Missouri
Ohio
Arizona
Oregon
New York
South Carolina
New Hampshire

Image details: Barack Obama Campaigns Throughout Oregon Ahead Of State’s Primary served by picapp.com
Yesterday, Barack Obama held a rally on the banks of the Willamette River to start getting Oregonians excited about Tuesday’s primary.
75,000 people came. Heck, the rally went beyond standing room only on the river banks to crowding the river itself: small craft (including kayaks) loaded with Obama supporters were out on the water.
To put it nicely, Oregon and Kentucky’s primaries tend not to matter. After all, in a typical election year, both parties have an obvious nominee long before May rolls around. But, as we continue to …read more

We’ve been talking to some business owners about politics. We want to know what’s bothering you about your business and politics. Our first business owner willing to talk about the topic with us is Jennifer Hofmann. Jennifer does heart-centered virtual organizing for small businesses at her business, Inspired Home Office. She also writes My Organized Biz for b5Media.
1. What is the biggest issue facing your small business today? How could politicians help you?
The biggest issue facing my business is whether it can withstand this economic downturn (call it a slump or an outright recession, but people are spending less …read more