Note 12 - Income Taxes (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit) [Table Text Block]

	Year Ended December 31,
	2015			2014		2013
	(In thousands)
Current:
Federal	$	31,587		$	36,180	$	62,254
State		26,396			14,481		23,295
Total Current	$	57,983		$	50,661	$	85,549
Deferred:
Federal		3,738			23,783		(11,162	)
State		(1,734	)		7,521		(3,952	)
Total Deferred	$	2,004		$	31,304	$	(15,114	)
Total income tax expense	$	59,987		$	81,965	$	70,435

Schedule of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities [Table Text Block]

	As of December 31,
	2015			2014
	(In thousands)
Deferred Tax Assets
Loan loss allowance, due to differences in computation of bad debts	$	59,639		$	66,999
Share-based compensation		7,513			12,808
Accrual for bonuses		4,984			4,585
Non-accrual interest		4,929			3,735
Accrual for litigation		3,209			2,918
Write-down on equity securities and venture capital investments		3,981			2,697
Write-down on other real estate owned		384			1,357
Depreciation and amortization		2,917			-
State tax		4,802			3,253
Unrealized loss on interest rate swaps		2,173			1,739
Unrealized loss on securities available-for-sale, net		3,940			2,301
Other, net		1,743			2,179
Gross deferred tax assets		100,214			104,571
Deferred Tax Liabilities
Investment in affordable housing partnerships		(1,444	)		(703	)
Basis difference in acquired assets		(4,947	)		(3,321	)
Dividends on Federal Home Loan Bank common stock		(1,322	)		(1,927	)
Other, net		(1,937	)		(2,372	)
Gross deferred tax liabilities		(9,650	)		(8,323	)
Net deferred tax assets	$	90,564		$	96,248

Schedule of Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation [Table Text Block]

	2015					2014					2013
	(In thousands)
Tax provision at Federal statutory rate	$	77,384		35.0	%	$	76,928		35.0	%	$	67,752		35.0	%
State income taxes, net of Federal income tax benefit		14,656		6.6			14,324		6.6			12,573		6.5
Interest on obligations of state and political subdivisions, which are exempt from Federal taxation		-		-			-		-			(348	)	(0.2	)
Low income housing and other tax credits		(30,986	)	(14.0	)		(10,014	)	(4.6	)		(10,056	)	(5.2	)
Other, net		(1,067	)	(0.5	)		727		0.3			514		0.3
Total income tax expense	$	59,987		27.1	%	$	81,965		37.3	%	$	70,435		36.4	%