A survey of the “289 economists who had published climate-related studies in the top 25 economics journals in the past 15 years” finds “94% believe the U.S. should join climate agreements to limit global warming.” Buried in the unemployment insurance extension that both the House and Senate will likely pass this week is a tax change that, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research, will “prove to be a $34 billion financial windfall for corporate America.” The House Financial Services Committee, “under pressure from the White House, voted Tuesday to exempt small public companies from part of a federal law designed to prevent financial fraud, despite objections from regulators and key Democratic leaders.” BBC reports that "US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, on a visit to Cairo, has reiterated Washington’s call for an end to Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank." A South Carolina poultry plant raided by immigration agents last year has avoided trial by agreeing to pay $1.5 million, change its hiring practices, and adopt E-verify — a controversial web-based employment verification system. Full Article at Think Progress