It was a busy week for Madison in newspapers around the country. From faltering banks and layoffs to local musicians and runners competing well, we collect it all so you can know how Madison is being represented nationally.

The Chicago Tribune reports that Amcore Bank, which has been working hard toward building a strong presence in Madison, has "landed on a list of 20 U.S. banks that could be vulnerable to a slowdown in the commercial real estate market."

David Stoler, a Madison jazz musician who performs locally in The Tony Castaneda Latin Jazz Sextet, was one of five finalists for the piano competition at the Jacksonville Jazz Festival. The Florida Times-Union says that Stoler performed "Cheech's Bossa."

Have you seen the "Anonymous" Scientology protest signs around Madison? Georgetown's student paper, The Hoya, has more details about the group.

The Toledo Blade reports that during this weekend's Glass City marathon, a Madisonian took the top spot, "The overall winner with the time of 2 hours, 38 minutes, and 45 seconds, was Paul Riley, 26, of Madison, Wis., a geology graduate student at the University of Wisconsin."

The Grand Forks Herald writes of a new business opening in that town, "Amazing Grains is in some ways the anti-grocery store — a place you would expect to find on State Street in Madison, Wis., instead of a strip mall."

Layoffs continue in Madison. The St. Louis Post Dispatch calls the loss of 270 jobs at Famous Footwear in Madison a win for St. Louis. Meanwhile, the Associated Press reports "Madison freezer maker Sub-Zero announces more than 200 layoffs."

According to the Voice of San Diego, former Madison radio journalist Stephen Whitburn is seeking the District 3 City Council seat in San Diego. Whitburn is receiving a great deal of support from the progressive community in San Diego and his chances of landing the seat increased at the end of March when won of his competitors was caught masturbating in public.

Madison's Rev. Douglas C. Smith, author of "The Tao of Dying" as well as the newly published "The Tao of Grieving," was interviewed for The Gresham Outlook in advance of his speaking engagement at Sandy Baptist Church in Sterling, Oregon.