Obama Signs Unemployment Extension; Rangel May Lose Chairmanship

Good morning.

There was breaking news overnight about a triple suicide bomb attack in the Iraqi city of Baquoba, as we reported earlier. At least 30 people were killed and many more wounded.

As for other stories making headlines, they include:

— The Associated Press — After Impasse Ends And Senate Votes, Obama Signs Extension Of Jobless Benefits: "The Senate on Tuesday passed a $10 billion measure to maintain unemployment benefits for the long-term jobless and provide stopgap funding for highway programs after a holdout Republican dropped stalling tactics that had generated a Washington firestorm. Kentucky Republican Jim Bunning had been holding up action for days but conceded after pressure intensified with Monday's cutoff of road funding and extended unemployment benefits and health insurance subsidies for the jobless. Bunning wanted to force Democrats to find ways to finance the bill so that it wouldn't add to the deficit. ... The bill passed by a 78-19 vote and Obama signed it into law late Tuesday."

Related story on Morning Edition — "Bunning relented after Democrats threatened to keep the Senate in session throughout the night to wear him down. His main objection was that the bill added to the deficit." NPR's David Welna reports:

At Senate.gov — How the senators voted. The 19 "nay" votes came from Republicans.

— The Washington Post — "Obama Reaches Out To Republicans" On Health Bill: "As Democrats on Capitol Hill prepared a risky effort to muscle sweeping health-care legislation to final passage, President Obama on Tuesday made a last gambit to split Republicans on the issue, proposing to incorporate a handful of GOP ideas into his signature domestic initiative. On Wednesday, Obama plans to call on Congress to bring the year-long debate to a swift close, and congressional leaders expect him to signal support for a strategy that includes a special budget maneuver known as reconciliation."

Related story on Morning Edition — "President Barack Obama gives a speech Wednesday outlining what he sees as the way forward on health care. The president declared the issue his top domestic priority a year ago, and once again, this moment is being called the last, best chance to move forward." NPR's Mara Liasson spoke with co-host Renee Montagne:

— Reuters — "Chile Steps Up Search For Victims In Quake Areas": "Chilean rescue crews fanned out with sniffer dogs on Wednesday around quake-ravaged cities and villages, some still hoping to find survivors and others facing the daunting task of recovering bodies buried under mountains of rubble. Four days after the 8.8-magnitude earthquake rocked south-central Chile and killed nearly 800 people, police and troops managed to quell the looting and violence that brought chaos to the hard-hit city of Concepcion, 70 miles southeast of the epicenter."

— The Wall Street Journal — "Greece Unveils Plan To Save 4.9 Billion Euros": "The Greek government on Wednesday announced a new austerity plan that will yield 4.8 billion euros in savings, as Prime Minister George Papandreou called on the European Union to show its support amid the country's worst economic crisis in recent times."

— Politico "Rangel On The Brink Of Losing Ways And Means Chairmanship": "Charlie Rangel is on the verge of losing his Ways and Means gavel — by choice or by force, permanently or temporarily — and is taking (Tuesday) night to review his options, according to Democratic insiders. ... Republicans plan to force a House floor vote this week on whether to remove Rangel (D-N.Y.) from the chairmanship following last week's finding that he violated House gift rules by accepting a corporate-sponsored trip to the Caribbean."

— The New York Times — "Investigators Are Told Of Paterson Bid To Quiet Accuser": "A key figure in the domestic abuse scandal bedeviling Gov. David A. Paterson told investigators that the governor phoned to enlist her help in quieting the accuser, according to a person with knowledge of her account."

Update at 9:55 a.m. ET.

— BBC News — "Ethiopia Famine Aid 'Spent On Weapons' ": "Millions of dollars in Western aid for victims of the Ethiopian famine of 1984-85 was siphoned off by rebels to buy weapons, a BBC investigation finds. Former rebel leaders told the BBC that they posed as merchants in meetings with charity workers to get aid money."