Sander Levin News

The Starbucks nook at Singapore's cavernous Suntec convention centre received a star guest Wednesday, but didn't make a sale.

When President Barack Obama takes off for China on Thursday, a steel-cleaning machine manufactured in Gaylord will be starting its journey for the Asian economic giant as well.

While many Americans are struggling to make ends meet, a number of national lawmakers are living comfortably: Figures from 2008 suggest 44 percent of Congress members are millionaires, compared to around one percent of the general population.

Washington -- President Barack Obama is expected to sign into law today a bill that extends unemployment benefits for workers in Michigan and other hard-hit states as well as expands a popular tax credit that could boost home sales.

Help is on the way for tens of thousands of Michiganders and their families who have already exhausted their unemployment or will have by year's end.

With a key vote Wednesday, the U.S. Senate passed without dissent legislation to extend jobless benefits by 14 weeks or more to out-of-work people -- including at least 100,000 Michiganders -- who have exhausted their unemployment or would by year's end.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm on Wednesday named Andy Levin as the state's chief workforce officer, a position from which he will help oversee efforts to streamline state government service and employment levels.

Washington -- The Senate moved closer tonight to passing legislation to extend an additional 20 weeks of unemployment benefits to Michigan and other hard-hit states, but left a final vote to Tuesday at the earliest.

The Energy Department awarded a $24 million retooling loan to an auto supplier to design advanced components in Michigan.

Governor Granholm has no problem raising your taxes. She does have difficulty calling the exercise of raising your taxes, taxes.

The U.S. Treasury has said that China's policy of keeping its yuan weak and its piling up of foreign exchange reserves were "serious concerns," but it stopped short of saying China was manipulating the currency.

Washington -- Union car haulers are angry with Chrysler Group LLC for shifting some work to nonunion companies to save money, and they fear General Motors Co.

Michigan's 17-member congressional delegation wants the Obama administration to boost efforts to aid struggling auto suppliers and other manufacturers.

The nation's new manufacturing czar said Wednesday the Obama administration is likely to unveil new efforts to boost factory jobs in the coming months.

House Democrats have nearly completed drafting a health reform bill that consolidates versions created by three committees, Bloomberg reports.

House Democrats are close to completing a draft of legislation calling for the broadest expansion of the U.S. health-care system in more than four decades as they consider a range of new taxes to fund the plan.

More than 100 House Democrats - Michigan's Sander Levin among them - signed off on a letter today in opposition to an excise tax on high-cost insurance, asking House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to reject any such proposal.

Shouts of 'You lie!' will be heard in Jackson on Friday. That's when South Carolina Rep.

The Senate poses the main hurdle to President Obama 's effort to overhaul the health care system.

Southeast Michigan and two other regions of Michigan have been awarded a combined $38 million in federal grants to help workers laid off from jobs in the auto industry and related sectors.