BY THE NUMBERS: The myth of 'job-killing' regulations

Number of weeks straight last month that Republicans used their weekly radio address to attack government regulations for killing jobs: 3

Percent of people who lost their jobs in 2010 because of government regulation: 0.3

Percent who lost their jobs because of a drop in business demand: 25

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FTA grants create jobs, promote innovative transportation solutions

Today, the Federal Transit Administration is awarding $112 million in Clean Fuels and TIGGER (Transit Investments in Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction) grants to 46 innovative projects across the country.  These investments will put people back to work building sustainable, energy-efficient transit vehicles and facilities in 23 states.

FTA's Clean Fuels and TIGGER programs support President Obama’s effort to create jobs, improve the environment, and secure America’s energy future. Today's awards will improve public transportation access for millions of Americans while putting people back to work, reducing our dependence on oil, and easing consumers' pain at the gas pump.

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President Obama: Heartland

Many thanks to Chips from the Obama Diary for this moving video.

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Boosting oil production with bacteria

Using technology originally developed in India, Houston-based Glori Energy is using a novel system to stimulate the growth of bacteria in an oil well. As the bacteria grow on the droplets of oil, it becomes slicker and allows it to flow more easily.

"Our strategy is to go from brute force to biology," said Glori chief executive Stuart Page.

Reviving old wells: Glori's technology is aimed at older wells where the natural pressure has decreased to a point where the oil no longer flows to the surface by itself. Of the 5 million or so barrels of crude oil produced in the United States each day, about half come from such wells, said Page.

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Small Business Saturday

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