Government and Economy Microlenders Growing Fast As banks continue to freeze lending, more small-business owners and would-be entrepreneurs are turning to microlenders, organizations that offer smaller loans ranging from as little as $500 to $35,000, as a viable alternative. WSJ.com Senate Proposal Sends Remaining TARP Money to Small Business In a nonbinding vote, the US Senate endorsed a proposal to use the remaining funds in the Treasury Department’s Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) to help small businesses. Bloomberg.com Management and Financial Issues [Read Full Article]

Government and Economy Senate: Insufficient Votes on Stimulus BillSenate Democrats concede that they lack the votes they need to pass the stimulus bill as currently written. They say that they will seek to cut provisions that would not immediately boost the economy in order to gain the additional support they need. Obama: Failure to Pass the Stimulus Bill Would be “Catastrophic” With Republicans working to reduce President Obama's ballooning economic stimulus plan, the President warned of “a catastrophe” if the bill is not passed quickly. [Read Full Article]