WASHINGTON — Shortly after Congress approved a two-month renewal of payroll tax cuts for 160 million workers and unemployment benefits for millions, President Barack Obama on Friday signed a bill formalizing the extension and won a convincing victory for his jobs agenda.

 The voices of Americans “made a difference” in persuading Congress to
act, Obama told reporters in brief remarks. “This is some good news just
in the nick of time for the holidays.”

WASHINGTON — In a major surprise on the politically charged new health care law, the Obama administration said Friday that it would not define a single uniform set of “essential health benefits” that must be provided by insurers for tens of millions of Americans. Instead, it will allow each state to specify the benefits within broad categories.

 The move would allow significant variations in benefits from state to
state, much like the current differences in state Medicaid programs and
the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

WASHINGTON — Congressional negotiators reached agreement Thursday on a compromise spending bill to avert a weekend federal shutdown. They also worked toward a deal renewing the payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits for another year but prepared a shorter version as a fallback.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., told reporters he was still optimistic that bipartisan talks on yearlong extensions of the Social Security payroll tax cut and unemployment coverage would succeed. But as a “Plan B,” he said, they were working on a two-month extension as well, which would also prevent cuts in Medicare reimbursements for doctors during that period.

“We’re still working on the long-term” bill, Reid told reporters as he exited the Capitol after a day of talks over both the payroll tax and spending measures. As for the two-month version, he said, “We’ll only do that if what we’re working on doesn’t work out.”

Full Story at NBC Politics – Deal made to avoid government shutdown

Deal made to avoid government shutdown

Washington (CNN) — Congress will agree to extend the payroll tax cut before it expires at the end of the year, two leading conservative Senate Republicans said Sunday.

The comments demonstrated the GOP shift on a proposal originally opposed by Republican leaders, even as each side continues trying to persuade the other of the best legislative approach to take.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told “Fox News Sunday” that bipartisan support in both chambers would coalesce around a House Republican plan that links extending both the lower payroll tax rates and unemployment benefits to easing the path for approval of the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada.

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — The next time you plan a movie night without the kids, you may have to provide more than just pizza for your babysitter.

Democratic lawmakers in Sacramento are fast-tracking a bill that would require workers’ compensation benefits, meal breaks and paid vacation time for all “domestic employees”, including nannies, housekeepers and even babysitters.

Assembly Bill 889, authored by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco), has already cleared the Assembly and is expected to receive overwhelming support from Senate Democrats, who control both houses of the California legislature.

WASHINGTON — Obama administration officials are offering to cut tens of billions of dollars from Medicare and Medicaid in negotiations to reduce the federal budget deficit, but the depth of the cuts depends on whether Republicans are willing to accept any increases in tax revenues.

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley signed into law this week legislation reducing the total number of weeks jobless workers eligible for regular unemployment benefits could receive said benefits. The customary number, one used until recently across the United States, was 26 weeks. Under the newly passed legislation, according to The State, the number of weeks will be reduced to 20.

As states across the country grapple with budgetary deficit and decreased revenue problems in a sluggish economy, many legislatures have taken to curtailing the number of weeks unemployment benefits will be allotted in an effort to save money

WASHINGTON – JPMorgan Chase & Co. has agreed to pay $153.6 million to settle civil fraud charges that it mislead buyers of complex mortgage investments just before the housing market collapsed.

The settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission announced Tuesday is one of the most significant legal actions targeting Wall Street’s role in the 2008 financial crisis. It comes a year after Goldman Sachs & Co. paid $550 million to settle similar charges.

WASHINGTON – AARP, the powerful lobby for older Americans, was hammered Friday by fellow activists for refusing to oppose any and all cuts to Social Security benefits, a position the group says it has long held as a way to extend the life of the massive retirement and disability program.

The group, which has 37 million Americans as members, adamantly opposes cutting Social Security benefits to help reduce the federal budget deficit, said David Certner, the organization’s director of legislative policy. But for years AARP has acknowledged that cuts to future benefits may be necessary to improve the program’s finances, he said.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a Republican budget blueprint that proposes a fundamental overhaul of the main U.S. medical program while combating out-of-control budget deficits. It would impose sharp spending cuts on social safety net programs.