FDIC: Number of problem banks up 32 percent: The number of institutions on the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.’s “problem list” increased 32 percent during the third quarter to 552 banks, the highest level in 16 years as troubled loans continued to batter banks nationwide, the agency announced Tuesday. The problem list is not public, though there are several troubled institutions with Twin Cities-area operations under regulatory enforcement actions that are likely on it. Read full story

 Minneapolis to get “Twins Around Town” statues: The Minneapolis Downtown Council and the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday unveiled plans for “Twins Around Town,” a program that will place statues of Twins players throughout Minneapolis next year. The statues — modeled after Twins stars Joe Mauer, Kirby Puckett and Harmon Killebrew — will be positioned at 50 high-profile sites throughout downtown Minneapolis and other key locations from April through August. 2010. Read full story

U.S. Bank to sell 3 Texas banks: U.S. Bank said today that it is seeking buyers for three Texas banks it recently bought from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. as part of a larger transaction. It bought the three banks on Oct. 30, along with six other banks in California, Illinois and Arizona that previously were operated by Oak Park, Ill.-based FBOP Corp. All nine banks were closed the same day by the FDIC. Read full story

Feds seize $643K in counterfeit goods in Minnesota: Federal authorities descended on 21 Twin Cities area businesses recently, confiscating more than $643,000 in counterfeit goods. Officials with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said the items included perfume, clothing and jewelry, with designer labels such as Coach, Gucci and Nike among the 130 copied brands. Read full story