Help The Middle ClassNews and Information For The Heart Of America
Regulators close Ga. Bank; 95th US failure in ‘09
Regulators on Friday shut down Atlanta-based Georgian Bank, the 95th U.S. bank to fail this year as loan defaults rise in the worst financial climate in decades.
In coming months, more banks are expected to buckle under the weight of commercial real estate and other loans that go sour. Those failures could imperil the insurance fund [...]
White House Takes Aggressive Role in State Races – NYTimes.com
The White House’s intervention in the race for New York governor is the latest evidence of how President Obama and his top advisers are taking an increasingly direct role in contests across the country, but their assertiveness has bruised some Democrats who suggest it could undercut Mr. Obama’s appeal with voters tired of partisan politics.
The [...]
Ten Big Companies That Are Veering Toward Bankruptcy
Despite a few green shoots in the economy and a rocketing stock market, many large companies are still struggling to avoid bankruptcy.
A new report by Audit Integrity identifies some high-profile names “that have the highest probability of declaring bankruptcy among publicly traded firms.”
Which companies appear the worst off? We took the list and removed any [...]
Dem Sen. Schumer Has Friends On Wall Street – Just Look At His Donors List
Wall Street has showered nearly $11 million on the Senate since the beginning of the year, and more than 15 percent of it has gone to a single senator: Democrat Chuck Schumer of New York.
Schumer’s $1.65 million take from the financial services industry is nearly twice that of any other senator’s — and more than [...]
USA TODAY ANALYSIS: Stimulus $$$ For Road Repair Bypassing Where It Is Needed The Most
Nearly $10 billion in stimulus aid to repair the nation’s tattered highways has largely bypassed dozens of metropolitan areas where roads are in the worst shape, a USA TODAY analysis shows.
Half of the nation’s worst roads are in counties that will only get about 20% of the stimulus money allocated by state and federal officials [...]
No Deadline Set for Decision on Afghanistan Troops
President Obama has not set a deadline for determining a new strategy or for committing more troops to the war in Afghanistan, despite an urgent request from his top commander, his national security adviser said Saturday.
In a lengthy telephone interview, retired Gen. James L. Jones outlined Obama’s plans for reassessing the war effort. Jones noted [...]
Defense Sec’t. Gates Calls Afghanistan Withdrawal Timelines “A Mistake”
Defense Secretary Robert Gates is pushing back against liberal calls for withdrawal timelines from Afghanistan, saying it’s a mistake to set a deadline to end U.S. military action and a defeat would be disastrous for the U.S.
In a stern warning to critics of a continued troop presence in Afghanistan, Gates said the Islamic extremist Taliban [...]
New Study Reveals Secrets to Finding a Job
Most career advice is highly subjective, offered by experts rather than researchers. A new study, however, suggests that there are methods and activities that can maximize your chances of success.
Researchers at the University of Missouri studied the efforts of 327 job seekers, ages 20 to 40, and found that developing and following a plan at [...]
Associated Press Analysis: Obama Presidency At Pivotal Moment
When President Barack Obama said the United Nations had reached “a pivotal moment,” he could just as well have been referring to his own presidency.
Both on the world stage and at home, Obama keeps asking for more, politely but firmly. But he’s still had no signature win, not the kind that would set off a [...]
Early Retirements Strain Social Security System
Big job losses and a spike in early retirement claims from laid-off seniors will force Social Security to pay out more in benefits than it collects in taxes the next two years, the first time that’s happened since the 1980s.
The deficits — $10 billion in 2010 and $9 billion in 2011 — won’t affect payments [...]
