Sonari Glinton

If the monthly jobless numbers aren't saying much, the longer-term employment trends in the United States are speaking volumes about the economy.

Those trends aren't often mentioned. The number of people who are long-term unemployed remains unchanged — more than 6 million people. The number of "discouraged workers" also remains the same. Those are people who are not looking for work because they believe there are no jobs.

Las Vegas' World Series of Poker isn't the only high stakes battle being played out right now, there's an even bigger one in Washington, D.C.

And there's a lot of strategy involved when there's so much at stake whether in cards or politics.

If you remove the politics, the talking points and the media from the debt ceiling showdown, you end up with something that looks like a high stakes, no limit Texas hold 'em poker game. You've got posturing, risk taking, betting and, of course, bluffing.

It's Day 2 of Minnesota's state government shutdown. No negotiations are expected until after July Fourth, and with state parks closed and government offices shuttered, many Minnesota residents are already restless.

The Japanese automaker Toyota has taken its fair share of hits in the past year and a half: The earthquake and tsunami in Japan as well as last year's recall fiasco have helped erode the company's share of the U.S. car market.

But one place Toyota remains No. 1 is with minority car buyers — Latinos, African-Americans and Asian-Americans continue to buy more Toyotas than any other car brand, domestic or foreign.

Toyota's claim on the minority market has the Rev. Jesse Jackson questioning other car companies' practices.

Nearly two years after the official end of the recession, Americans still remain unconvinced.

Consumer confidence has hit an eight-month low, according to a Conference Board report released Tuesday. The group studies how Americans feel about business conditions and the job market.

It turns out consumers aren't feeling so hot about the prospects for the future, which economists say could be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

This can be seen in any parking lot of a big-box store.