Credit unions and banks are lending more to merchants based in the Western U.S., reflecting trends reported in the Umpqua Bank 2023 Business Barometer and running against broader economic pessimism.

The New Jersey senator, who is a powerful member of the Banking Committee, is facing calls from fellow Democrats to resign. He was released on Wednesday after posting a $100,000 bond.

The Department of Justice reached a $9 million settlement Wednesday with Westerly, R.I.-based Washington Trust over race-based lending discrimination and redlining in the state, saying the bank denied lending services to Black and Hispanic neighborhoods from 2016 to 2021.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a mortgage report based on statistics from 2022 and is looking for ways to simplify the refinance process while considering changes to mortgage servicing standards.

The two branches Julie Celozzi oversees for the Orlando, Florida, bank amassed $400 million of deposits in three years. Such production is often a steppingstone to bigger things, but Celozzi — who began as a part-time teller in high school — says she is "hooked" on branch banking.

Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., was the only Democratic lawmaker to vote against the legislation, while three Republicans voted in favor.