Gather Weekly: unemployment, piracy stocks, health care

This week's Gather articles (12/1-12/5):

Health care reform

• Senate Dems seek to limit tax deduction on compensation for health insurance executives
• Politics, Lumbergh style: Senate will vote on health care bill amendments this weekend
• Glimmer of bipartisanship: several Dems join GOP in health care bill amendment
• But what about the death panels? AARP backs Dems' health care bill

Web

• Mashable's Pete Cashmore on 10 Web trends to watch in 2010
• Explosive growth of social networks: infographic

Sports

• The Importance of the World Cup 2010 Draw: Preview and Breakdown

Economy

• Is the tide turning for unemployment? Initial jobless claims fell to one-year low last week
• The new green economy: marijuana market booming in Humboldt County, CA
• The 10.2% solution: Obama hosts jobs summit today at White House to address unemployment

Politics & legislation

• Duct tape legislation: House bill will fix deadline glitch in unemployment benefits extension bill
  
• Gay marriage bill defeated in New York state Senate
• Capitol Hill's taxing agenda: Congress ponders tax legislation to end 2009
• Democratic leaders advocate additional unemployment benefits extension
• House to extend unemployment benefits, estate tax break before Xmas; jobs bill delayed until 2010

International

• Somali pirate "stock exchange" lets investors fund, profit from piracy

Books

• Christmas gift ideas: NYT Book Review's 10 Best Books of 2009

Unemployment benefits extension considered as part of jobs creation bill

	Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) had previously expressed interest in the possibility of extending unemployment benefits through 2010. In a new conference yesterday, House Majority Leader Steny . . . more

Senate Dems propose work-share program to fight unemployment in future jobs creation bill

	Senate Democrats are working on a future jobs creation bill. Included in this effort is a potential work-share bill introduced by Senator Jack Reed (D-RI). This bill would give unemployment benefits . . . more

Minnesota one of 23 states facing unemployment funding deficits

Minnesota is one of 23 states borrowing money from the federal government to cover its unemployment benefits obligations. This is simply their state obligations, which is independent of the federal . . . more

President Obama to hold jobs summit in December

	This Thursday President Obama announced plans to hold a jobs summit in December , in direct response to an unemployment rate at 10.2% ( this non-government estimate puts real unemployment around 22% . . . more

Unemployment benefits extension payments delayed in Michigan

	Last week Congress approved a federal unemployment benefits extension for all 50 states made retroactive to November 8th. Unfortunately for unemployed Michigan residents , the state will not send any . . . more

Senate proposes extending homebuyer tax credit alongside unemployment extension

The good news is that you may be able to rely on a government subsidy to buy your next house. The bad news? You need a job to pay for it. Amidst the uproar over its lack of progress on passing legislation . . . more

GOP continues to stall vote on unemployment benefits extension bill

Senate Republicans continue to prevent Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) from bringing House bill H.R. 3548 - which would give a federal extension to unemployment benefits - to the floor of . . . more

Greenspan, bipartisan senators back unemployment extension

Following the worse-than-expected job loss report last week , former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan and several senators from both parties advocated passage of a federal unemployment extension . . . more

Unemployment rate increases to 9.8%

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released the unemployment numbers today, and the unemployment rate continues to increase, hitting 9.8% nationwide. This is a tenth of a percentage point higher than . . . more

Unemployment extension bill stalls in Senate

Despite increasing pressure from state labor groups, constituents, strong Democratic support, and signs from Republican leaders that they would not obstruct its passage, the unemployment extension bill . . . more

Unemployment Extension may stall in Senate

Earlier this week, the House passed a bill to extend unemployment benefits to 29 states in which the average unemployment rate over the last 3 months has been 8.5% or higher. Now it is time for the . . . more

Unemployment Extension passed by House

Last night the House of Representative passed an unemployment extension to help Americans who are still struggling to find work. The extension . . . more

Stimulus

Until I received a notice yesterday I was unaware of this part of the massive stimulus act by Congress:

This notice is to inform you that effective February 22, 2009, an additional $25 per week increase in unemployment benefits was authorized under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The $25 weekly benefit will be paid beginning the week of March 23, 2009, and you will be compensated retroactively to the effective date of the Act (February 22, 2009).

Now that might not seem like much, but it's actually significant for those of us on the dole. Cheers for a small bump directly into the pockets of the unemployed!

I feel stimulated.