Senator Sanders

Unemployment The U.S. Senate voted to extend unemployment benefits for an additional 14 weeks. The extension would help about 1,800 Vermonters whose benefits are about to run out.  Sen. Bernie Sanders said people are staying jobless longer than at any time since World War II. "Long-term unemployment is a major crisis," he added on WCAX. "We simply cannot leave families in the lurch without any source of income," he said in the Brattleboro Reformer. LINK, LINK and VIDEO

Global Warming "If we get our act together as a nation and start addressing the major environmental problems of our time, global warming and our continued dependence on fossil fuels, we can create millions of good-paying jobs. In other words, good environmental policy is good economic policy," Sen. Sanders wrote in an op-ed published by The Burlington Free Press. LINK

Climate Change Senate Democrats tried for a second day to begin the editing process of sweeping climate change legislation, but Republicans continued a boycott arguing that the EPA should perform a more elaborate study of the impact of the proposed legislation before senators consider it. Some equated Republicans unwillingness to take part in the markup with an overall view of climate change. "Their attitude is we are not showing up. We are going to slow walk this process," said Sen. Sanders, according to ABC News online. LINK

Vermont Edition "Always outspoken and often provocative, Vermont independent Senator Bernie Sanders has been focusing lately on a range of environmental and economic issues. As a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Sanders is helping craft climate change legislation. He's also speaking out on health care reform, U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, and financial reform in the wake of the recession," Vermont Public Radio said in advance of today's broadcast of "Vermont Edition." LINK  

International

Pentagon Expected to Request More War Funding The nation's top military officer said Wednesday that he expected the Pentagon to ask Congress in the next few months for emergency financing to support the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, even though President Obama has pledged to end the Bush administration practice of paying for the conflicts with so-called supplemental funds, The New York Times reported. LINK

National

AARP Backs Health Bill Set for Saturday Vote In a coup for House Democrats, AARP will endorse sweeping health care overhaul legislation headed for a history-making floor vote, officials told The Associated Press on Wednesday. An endorsement from the seniors' lobby was critical when then-President George W. Bush pushed the Medicare prescription drug benefit through a closely divided Congress in 2003. House leaders, meanwhile, put in motion the machinery to hold a rare Saturday vote. LINK

Clash Looms on Banks A key Senate lawmaker is readying legislation that would dramatically redraw how the financial system is regulated, setting the chamber on a collision course with both the House of Representatives and the Obama administration, which have championed markedly different approaches, The Wall Street Journal reported. LINK

Fed Keeps Zero Interest The U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday expressed growing confidence that an economic recovery was building, even though it stuck to its commitment to keep borrowing costs near zero for "an extended period," Reuters reported.  LINK

Senator: No Fed Money for US-China Wind Project  A Democratic senator is calling on the Obama administration to reject an expected request for federal economic stimulus money as part of a $1.5 billion West Texas wind energy project because he says it will generate Chinese, not American, jobs, AP reported. LINK

Vermont

Credit Cards Vermont Congressman Peter Welch is hailing House passage of a bill speeding up a crackdown on the credit card industry. Congress in May banned what Welch calls unfair interest rate increases and abusive fees and penalties, but included a grace period before the legislation took effect, The Associated Press reported. LINK

Border Stations The Department of Homeland Security should consider closing small, low-traffic ports of entry located near larger ports, a committee assembled by Secretary Janet Napolitano told her in a report. The committee visited three northern Customs and Border Protection ports, including Morses Line and Pinnacle Road in Vermont, to review possible upgrades. The authors recommend that closure be considered, particularly when a port is located within 20 miles of another port, the St. Albans Messenger reported. LINK

Swine Flu The state's first H1N1 flu vaccination clinic left at least 100 people without vaccinations Tuesday after public health officials ran through 300 doses of vaccine. State and local health officials promised more shots would make their way to the state by the end of the month to meet the growing demand, the Rutland Herald reported. LINK

Vermont Yankee Rep. Klein says he thinks there's still a possibility the Legislature will vote this coming session on whether to extend the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant's license even though Vermont Yankee's owners missed a Nov. 1 deadline set by legislative leaders for negotiating an agreement with Vermont's utilities, the Associated Press reported. LINK

Bennington Hospital John A. Dee, a former president and CEO of Benedictine Hospital in Kingston, N.Y., was named Wednesday at a press conference as the new CEO of the Southwestern Vermont Health Care, the Bennington Banner reported. LINK