Washington Post (11/12/12) Michael A. Fletcher

Approximately two million people may lose their unemployment insurance by the end of 2012 unless Congress takes action. Another one million could lose their benefits by April. More than five million Americans have been jobless for more than six months—the point at which most states cut off state-funded unemployment insurance. Federal benefits are designed to provide support to unemployed workers who have exhausted their state benefits.

“We cannot forget the human cliff looming for more than two million Americans scheduled to lose their economic lifeline during the upcoming holidays,” says U.S. House Ways and Means Committee ranking member Sander Levin (D-MI).

Newark Star-Ledger (NJ) (11/12/12) Thomas Dinges

About 400 people lost out on part-time jobs cleaning up storm damage this week when Command Center Inc. pulled out of the project because of concerns over violence. The company acted after more than 10 incidents occurred that were considered threats to the safety of its clients and staff, says David Kehoe, company vice president. On the first day of hiring last week nearly 1,000 people showed up looking for jobs, says Michael Bright, president of the YMCA on Broad Street in Newark. The YMCA allowed Command Center to use the sidewalk outside its building as a base of operations and put out word of the job opportunities. Days later Kehoe told Bright the jobs would be canceled, because of the “aggressive” actions of some people looking for jobs. “A handful of people messed up an opportunity for a lot of Newarkers,” Bright says. Kehoe did not describe the threatening incidents, but says no one was injured. “The responsible thing [to do] is to end it,” Kehoe says.