Jobless benefits extension fails in Senate
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- A bill to reauthorize jobless benefits for about 800,000 out-of-work Americans died in the U.S. Senate Tuesday but backers said they would bring it up again.
Benefits for those workers were scheduled to expire at midnight Tuesday night.
"It's unfortunate we cannot move this bill. We will try again," Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., said.
Opponents said the measure doesn't provide a way to finance the $56.4 billion in benefits. Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., accused Democrats of trying to pass the measure under last-minute pressure, and proposed using unspent or unobligated federal funds to pay for the benefits extension for long-term unemployed workers, The Hill reported.
Senate Republicans held up a benefits bill for nearly two months during the summer, the Capitol Hill publication said.
Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., said in a statement the legislation would reauthorize benefits for nearly 800,000 long-term unemployed who are about to exhaust their benefits next week, as well as extend benefits for 2 million more facing the same fate at the end of the year, CNN reported Tuesday.
Federal jobless payments, which last up to 73 weeks, take effect after state-funded 26 weeks of coverage expire. These federal benefits are divided into tiers, and the jobless person must apply to move into a new tier.
The House of Representatives already failed to pass a bill that would have given the unemployed workers another three months to file for the extended jobless benefits.
"Unemployment benefits are the only lifeline many workers in Montana and across the nation have left in this tough economy," Baucus said in his statement. "These benefits help millions of Americans put food on the table and roofs over their heads -- pumping money into our economy and helping to create jobs."
About 14.8 million Americans are unemployed, with about 6.2 million of them out of work for at least 27 weeks, CNN reported. About 8.5 million people are collecting unemployment insurance.
Blackwater planned anti-pirate operation
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- The private security firm Blackwater Worldwide was prepared to battle Somali pirates on the high seas, a secret cable sent by a U.S. Embassy in Africa reveals.
The cable, sent to the State Department in February 2009 and among the trove released during the weekend by WikiLeaks, told that Blackwater had turned a research vessel into a pirate-hunting ship and was seeking clients to protect, The New York Times reported Wednesday.
Blackwater's chief executive officer planned a promotional trip to Djibouti in March 2009 and the company was hoping the U.S. embassy there would help out.
That prompted U.S. Ambassador James C. Swan to cable Washington for "guidance on the appropriate level of engagement with Blackwater."
The cable said that Blackwater had outfitted its pirate-hunting ship with .50-caliber machine guns and a small, unarmed drone aircraft, the Times reported.
The North Carolina-based firm had already determined its rules of engagement.
"Blackwater does not intend to take any pirates into custody, but will use lethal force against pirates if necessary," the cable said.
In the end, Blackwater Maritime Security Services never attracted any clients for its pirate-hunting business, the newspaper reported.
S. Korea, U.S. plan more joint drills
SEOUL, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- South Korea and the United States, ending naval drills in the Yellow Sea Wednesday, said they plan more joint drills to deter provocations by North Korea.
The four days of high-profile military exercises -- which include a nuclear-powered U.S. aircraft carrier, 7,300 personnel and 10 ships from the allies -- began just days after North Korea shelled South Korea's Yeonpyeong Island, killing two civilians and two marines.
Col. Kim Young-cheol, in charge of maritime warfare operations for the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff, said South Korea has consulted the United States about carrying out "several rounds" of joint military exercises to deal with "limited provocations by the enemy," South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported.
"The timing and participating military assets have not been decided yet," Kim said, noting that the first drill could be conducted in the beginning of December.
Kim said this week's joint drills succeeded in warning North Korea, Yonhap reported.
"These exercises are meaningful as they demonstrate a firm commitment of South Korea-U.S. alliance that the allies will sternly respond to any North Korean provocation," Kim said.
Belarus to eliminate uranium stockpile
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- The former Soviet republic of Belarus agreed to surrender its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, U.S. and Belarusian officials announced Wednesday.
The agreement was revealed after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Belarusian Foreign Minister Sergei Martynov during a security summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, The Washington Post reported.
Clinton said the United States would provide Belarus technical and financial assistance to eliminate its stockpile by 2012.
Clinton said she welcomed the decision as a signal that Belarus would work with the United States to staunch the proliferation of weapons-grade material by reconfiguring nuclear plants to run on low-enriched uranium, The New York Times reported.
"I want to publicly thank Belarus for the decision that has been made to eliminate the remaining stock of highly enriched uranium," Clinton said after the meeting. "This is a very significant, important step that Belarus has taken."
Belarus is believed to have at least 88 pounds of weapons-grade uranium -- which is enough for at least eight nuclear weapons -- at a research facility in Sosny, the Post reported. The James Martin Center for Non-proliferation Studies said the facility also was storing hundreds of pounds of highly enriched uranium, the Post said.
The Times said there were conflicting reports on the amounts of highly enriched uranium stockpiled in Belarus.
The Obama administration had pushed Belarus unsuccessfully for months to get rid of its stockpile. Because no agreement could be reached, Belarus wasn't invited to Obama's 47-nation nuclear security summit last April; however, it is invited to the next summit in 2012 in South Korea.
Obama may delay vacation over tax debate
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- U.S. President Obama may delay his holiday vacation so he can try to reach a deal with congressional Republicans on extending Bush-era tax cuts, officials said.
Two senior administration officials said Obama and his family are scheduled to leave Dec. 18 for Hawaii but the president indicated he was willing to stay in Washington until Christmas Eve if necessary to wrap up the debate on the tax cuts enacted during the George W. Bush presidency and set to expire Dec. 31, CNN reported Wednesday.
While administration officials said they don't expect Obama will have to remain in Washington until Christmas Eve -- which he did last year because of the healthcare reform debate -- they indicated there could be a delay of at least several days.
At issue is whether the lower tax rates should be extended only for individuals earning less than $200,000 a year and families earning up to $250,000 per year, or if an extension should include Americans with income higher than $250,000 annually.
Obama has said only the middle class tax rates should be extended because extending tax cuts for th wealthy would add to the federal deficit. Republicans argue not extending the lower tax rates for wealthy Americans would impede an already sluggish economic recovery.
Republican aides said there's no reason a tax deal couldn't be reached by Dec. 17, with some suggesting the delay talk could be a plot to push Republicans for a quick compromise since they have vacation plans as well, CNN said.
"There is absolutely no need for that (a delay)," a senior Republican aide said. "Once they make a decision, it's done in a couple days. I hope it doesn't take the Democrats until Christmas to make up their minds."
