A new SBA Office of Advocacy sponsored report by Robert W. Fairlie examines the contributions of immigrants to the U.S. economy. Some of its findings are:

    Immigrants are nearly 30 percent more likely to start a business than are nonimmigrants, and they represent 16.7 percent of all new business owners in the United States.

    Immigrant business owners make significant contributions to business income, generating $67 billion of the $577 billion in U.S. business income, as estimated from 2000 U.S. Census data. They generate nearly one-quarter of all business income in California—nearly $20 billion—and nearly one-fifth of business income in New York, Florida, and New Jersey.

    Nearly 30 percent of all business owners in California are immigrants, compared with about 12.5 percent of the population of U.S. business owners.

ATLANTA, Ga. -- For this week’s installment of Best Spots, we've compiled a list of public pools in the area for you, your family and friends to take a dip and cool off in the heat of the summer sun.

With an economy like ours, it’s imperative that people look for a bargain wherever they can and public pools offer fun with that’s easy on the pockets. Check out these local pools and enjoy a classic, cost-effective, exciting summertime experience.

DeKalb County

Briarwood Park is located at 2235 Briarwood Way in Atlanta.

Kelley C.

ATLANTA -- United States Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-Georgia) has expressed his support for Georgia's charter schools and applauded those working to expand the charter system on behalf of children, families and communities across the state.

The week of May 2 is National Charter Schools Week.

"Georgia's excellent charter school sector continues to raise the bar for educational standards, and I applaud the Georgia Charter Schools Association for their commitment to education," said Sen. Chambliss. "Charter schools' emphasis on empowering parents with public school choice, innovation and local control provide quality alternatives for many families, and they give our students a good foundation to succeed.