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From The Huffington Post

The recession might be officially over, but American views toward the institutions that brought the economic system close to collapse have never been worse.

According to a new poll by Gallup, 36 percent of Americans now say they have "very little" or "no" confidence in U.S. banks, the highest percentage on record since Gallup first started tracking that data. Those saying they have a "great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in banks has also stagnated, stuck at 23 percent for the second straight year, after falling to a low of 22 percent in 2009.

Safe to say it's been a tough year in the banks' public relations departments.

U.S. banks have spent much of the past year aggressively lobbying against the implementation of Dodd-Frank financial reform. This week, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner called out banks for the "huge amount of money [spent by banks] to erode, weaken, walk back" financial reform. Indeed, the largest-lobbying institutions of last year spent 2.7 percent more in the first months of this year in an attempt to combat rules including higher capital requirements and restrictions on swipe fees.

The nation's five largest mortgage servicers -- Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup and Ally Financial -- have also been the focus of a federal investigation into whether the banks defrauded taxpayers in their handling of foreclosures, first reported by The Huffington Post in mid-May.

In addition, in April, Goldman Sachs, the nation's fifth-largest bank by assets, was accused in a Senate report of systematically misleading clients by selling them assets known to be junk and then subsequently betting against that junk.

So this year's Gallup results only further emphasize the growing animosity toward banks in America. Never before 2009 had more Americans expressed more distrust than trust in banks. That has not only been the norm for three years now, but the gap is widening.

Gallup, who has been tracking confidence in banks for over thirty years now, notes the steady decline of confidence in their release, pointing out that 60 percent of Americans had at least "quite a lot" of confidence in banks in 1979. That fell to 30 percent in the early 1990s, but then steadily rose to 53 percent in the mid-2000s.

The percentage of Americans with a good deal of trust in banks has been nearly halved since 2007:

Although levels of confidence have fallen in all regions since the first years of the financial crisis in 2007, confidence is again on the rise in the Midwest and West. This year, it is the East that has the least confidence in banks, at 20 percent.

The below graph charts levels of confidence since the financial crisis:

Video and Pics After The Jump

The beautiful and talented Raven-Symone has literally been on television for most of her life. Starting with The Cosby show at three years old to her new sitcom 'State of Georgia.'

The 25-year old actress was out doing promotional work for the new show when she stopped by Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. The two talked about why she will forever be linked Justin Bieber and a lot more.

Also check out her new slimmer figure in these photos taken from her shoot with Rolling Out.

'State of Georgia' premiers June 29 at 8:30 P.M. on ABC.

Donovan NcNabb has no time in his life for social networking sites and thinks other athletes should follow his lead.

The Washington Redskins quarterback was speaking on ESPN's Waddle & Silvy radio show last week when the subject of Chicago qb Jay Cutler came up. Cutler was criticized heavily last year by some NFL players on Twitter when he couldn't return to a playoff game because of a knee injury.

McNabb, who has been no stranger to criticism throughout his career said he could identify with Cutler, and thinks it is unprofessional for athletes to tweet about situations like that.

"First of all, I'm not a fan of Twitter. Nothing against their program or what they have, but as an athlete I think you need to get off twitter," Mcnabb said. "All these social networks of you tweeting about you watching a game when you want to be playing in it, but you're mad you're not playing in it, so you're gonna criticize someone that's playing in it. I don't believe that that's the right deal. That's not professional by any means and you know we are all in a fraternity, so if you see a guy who's struggling this isn't the time to jump on him or kick him while he's down because that same guy will come against you and kinda blast your team out the water, so I think for an athlete to be 'twittering' is the wrong move. It's one of those things to leave to the fans and let them comment on certain things, but athletes need to get off Twitter."

What do you think of McNabb's comments?

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Snoop Dogg is promoting his affiliation with Blast by Colt 45 with a new music video/commercial.

There's plenty of eye candy as Snoop and Tha Dogg Pound party with a bevy of bikini clad women.

Go to the official site by clicking here

Bad Bitch Ft. Gansta Marcus,Lil Reese & Free-Doe by FreeDoe

Life After Death Tracklisting

1. “Intro – Life After Death”
2. “It’s Brat (Tupac Back Remix)”
3. “West Side”
4. “Get It Get It” feat. Jadakiss and Brandon Hines
5. “Racks (Remix)”
6. “Sure Thing (Remix)”
7. “Second Chance”
8. “Fab 5 Freddy”
9. “Dumb Stupid Crazy” feat. Twista
10. “Motivation (Remix)”
11. “Look at Me Now (Remix)”

Download Here

Common has found a new recording home after leaving Universal Music For Warner Bros.

The rapper spent a decade with the UM, but decided it was time to move on.

"I'm very grateful to be a part of this family, to be a part of this team," Common told crowd yesterday in Warner Bros. Records courtyard. "We have very inspirational, exciting music to team up with you. We're just open to what this change can bring."

No word on when Common will begin work on his ninth studio album, but we'll keep you updated

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ASCAP’s 24th Annual Rhythm & Soul Music Awards were held yesterday (June 24) in Beverly Hills, California.

Dr. Dre took time away from his 'Detox' recording sessions to present Diddy with the ASCAP Founders Award.

"Puff has been a creative force behind some of our biggest hits and has help push rap music into the worldwide industry that it is today," Dre said. "He also introduced us to one of the greatest emcees of all time the Notorious B.I.G.. I've had a chance to expereience his hustle myself, so I know he's no joke. I’ve been inspired, I’ve been motivated by this man’s hustle."

"Give it up for Dre and the gym," Puffy said when he took the podium, joking about Dre's muscles. "Yall don't know how happy I am right now. I truly appreciate this. The feeling of just being acknowledged by your peers. I don’t know if ya’ll know my favorite producer in the world ’cause we in a room of producers and writers. … Dr. Dre my whole life has just been my favorite producer.”

Watch Puffy's acceptance speech below.

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The latest visuals from Eminem's Grammy winning 'Recovery' album.

The video features porn star Sasha Grey and is directed by Joseph Khan.

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Rihanna's stiletto heels got the best of her during one brief segment of her concert in Edmonton earlier this week.

The 23-year old was in Canada on Wednesday as part of her 'Loud' tour when she tripped and fell hard. But like the seasoned pro she's become, she got right back up and continued the performance as if nothing ever happened.

In other Rihanna tour news, Cee Lo has dropped early out as opening act.

The singer was scheduled to play at least 13 more dates, but cited tv commitments and production starting on his new album as the reason he leaving the tour.

A spokesperson for Green released a statement according to the NYTimes that said: “He always puts 100 percent into his work and with the requirements and time commitment to ‘The Voice,’ on top of heading back into the recording studio and an upcoming book, he feels that he wouldn’t give his fans the show that they deserve."

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In Jennifer Hudson's latest video for "No One Gonna Love You" the singer gets a chance to show off a few dance moves.

“This is the first time that I’ve had the chance to dance,” Jennifer said recently according to Just Jared. “It was probably the part I anticipated the most and I actually had a lot of fun. I thought I accomplished it. You be the judge.”

The song is the latest single off of Jennifer's new cd 'I Remember Me.'

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Official video from Jay's upcoming album 'Follow Me Home'

The track is produced by J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League and features Kendrick Lamar.

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I don't think it's possible to count a talented young emcee out who is right on verge of releasing his debut album. But the Friday Hip Hop Report Lounge crew is questioning everything about J. Cole's career.

In their latest video they discuss why the 26-year old hasn't blown yet, his latest song "Work Out" and the entire strategy behind his marketing.

They seemed to go in pretty hard on the Roc Nation signee. what do you think?

Method Man visited the TLC Show NY Inc.

Mef got a sick Wu Tang Killer Bee tattoo from Tommy on his left arm, then returned the favor by tatting a Wu Tang Clan symbol on Tommy's leg.

While there Method also talked about what he sees wrong with today's hip hop scene.

"Can you even call it hip hop?" Meth asked. "Back in the day when you told a kid 'yeah I'm an MC.' First sh*t they would say to you is 'say a rhyme for me.' Now you tell a kind I'm an mc '[they ask] where your car? where your chain?'

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Jay Leno had a top notch line up of guests last night with Shaquille O'Neal, Justin Timberlake and Kevin Hart making their way to his couch.

During Hart's hilarious segment, the diminutive comedian was clowning on Shaq until the big man walked out and playfully lifted him up like a rag doll.

Hart spent the rest of the time joking about growing up wanting to see a black singer in 'N Sync, his recent shoulder injury and his divorce.

Check it out below.

Kevin Hart, Shaquille O'Neal and Justin Timberlake Pt. 1 of 2

Kevin Hart, Shaquille O'Neal and Justin Timberlake Pt. 2 of 2

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The Bay Area trio of Kreayshawn, V-Nasty and Lil Debbie, better known as the White Girl Mob have been catching a lot of flack for their use of the word "nigga." It's something that was picked up in the environment they were raised in according to them. and at least one well known black Oakland rapper is in their corner.

In an interview with WeTheWest.com Mistah Fab says people should fall back in their criticism of the group.

"First of all you motherf*ckers need to wake up," he said. "This is 2011, nobody gives a sh*t about that no more. We grew up in the same communities, same neighborhoods. It's not the same as how people once looked at it. You want to stand up for a cause like that? You'll let somebody from your own race disrespect you all day, then soon as someone from outside your race...you want to turn into Malcolm X or Martin Luther King or Dick Gregory. All of a sudden you're Huey Newton."

Fab thinks that a lot of the people pointing fingers are being hypocritical.

"You're the same person that sells dope in your community all day. You shoot guns, but you wanna trip off of someone saying the word 'n*gga,'" the rapper said. "And believe it or not V-Nasty is mobbing harder than you n*ggas that's mad at her saying the word 'n*gga.' She just got out of jail for a robbery. She not playing dawg. When she rap about that sh*t, that's really what she do."

Does Fab have a point? Or is way out of bounds? Weigh in with your opinions below.

Mistah Fab Defending White Girl Mob

V-Nasty "Psycho B*tch"

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To put rumors to rest that she has had any surgical enhancements done to her famously huge ass Kim Kardashian actually had it x-rayed.

"Kim got a butt X-Ray... See, it's REAL!!! LOL," her sister Khloe tweeted along with a link to her Celebuzz page where the picture above was located. "Nothing like a good old Armenian ass to get your day going!"

"Haha! The things my sisters have me do! Proof baby!" Kim replied.

If you're a fan of the reality show "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" you can watch this Sunday as Kim gets the x-ray done by her family doctor according to GlobalGrind.

Was there that much doubt Kim's ass was real?