Will we or will we not see an extension to the Bush-era tax cuts? That is what we’re all waiting to see play out this week. Democrats want to return to Clinton-era taxes on the wealthy, and Republicans are holding out for preserving the status quo. But President Obama and Democrats may be backing off on their stance, as a compromise looks like it could be in the works. The Bush-era cuts would be temporarily extended to everyone, rich and poor, for two years...if unemployment benefits are extended as well.

Yesterday afternoon, Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) became only the 23rd Representative to be officially censured in Congressional history. Some members had called for an official reprimand, instead, but the House voted overwhelmingly for censure, 333 to 79. A defiant Rangel took to the floor in response, saying, "Even though it is painful to accept this vote, I am fully aware that this vote reflects, perhaps, the thinking of the members, but the political tide and the constituency of this body.”

There is a lot on the agenda today for this lame-duck Congress. Senate hearings begin on the military funding bill that contains a legislative repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," while the House will vote on a motion to censure New York Rep. Charlie Rangel, recently convicted of 11 ethics violations. And later, the House will vote on whether to extend Bush-era tax cuts. Takeaway Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich gives us the low-down on the day's votes.

Back in February, the Obama Administration approved a $1.25 billion court-ordered settlement for Black farmers who filed a class action lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture, claiming racial discrimination. Congress failed to approve these funds seven times since the settlement was announced.

But yesterday, after a long battle, Congress approved the 2010 Claims Settlement Act, which now awaits President Obama’s signature.

This week, Congress has two extensions on the table. While it looks likely that lawmakers will extend the Bush-era tax cuts for both the wealthy and the middle class, it seems unlikely that they will renew the extension on unemployment payments. What will the fallout be? 

Earlier this month, a bill to extend benefits for three months for the long-term unemployed was defeated in Congress. The cost of extending benefits would have equaled roughly $12 billion.

But while Capitol Hill has thus far been unwilling to spend $12 billion for the unemployed, Republicans on the Hill have also announced their intention to extend the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest two percent of Americans. The price tag to do so for 2011? Roughly $36 billion.

Looking ahead to the week's agenda: Unemployment benefits for an estimated two million Americans is set to expire by tomorrow; Congress will decide whether or not to extend them. Time is running out to pass the new START agreement with Russia, as well.  Two days of debate have been scheduled for Thursday and Friday that will address the Pentagon's soldier survey on "Don't Ask Don't Tell," and whether or not the repeal, backed by the White House, will go through. Also, the highly debated Bush Tax Cuts are set to expire in January for both middle and upper-income brackets...both sides seem to be adamantly sticking to their guns with no compromise in sight.

Thanksgiving approaches, a holiday full of yearly traditions for families across the country. As Americans begin to prepare turkey, mashed potatoes and cranberries for their Thanksgiving meals, we decided to take look at how our nation's capital celebrates this holiday. It seems that Washington lobbyists have their own special traditions in November, and the food we enjoy each Thanksgiving arrives infused with political influence. 

This past election season was dominated by coverage of the Tea Party — and many outgoing politicians were ousted by Tea Party-backed candidates. Senator Bob Bennett (R-Utah) was among the first and most surprising of these casualties, losing to Tea Party-supported Mike Lee in Utah's Republican convention, back in May.

Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) was convicted on 11 of 13 counts of rules violation by a House ethics panel. The Takeaway's Washington correspondent, Todd Zwillich, looks ahead to what's next for the embattled Congressman, and what his punishment will likely be.

Forget the new backpack, homecoming bonfires and locker room hazing: Being a "freshman" in Congress is more like setting up a small business, in a city you have never lived in and within a bureaucratic system that dictates your every move. The huge group of "Washington outsiders" arriving on Capitol Hill this week will have to get a team together, set up their offices and make contacts — all while trying to avoid the political quagmire against which many of them campaigned. Can the freshmen survive? 

After the GOP's successful mid-term elections earlier this month, there will be many Democrats packing up their offices into boxes and heading home. Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND), is actually leaving on his own terms: retiring after 30 years in Congress. He sat down to talk with us about his career, what he thinks of the Senate, and what he plans to do once he leaves office.

The 110th Congress begins its lame duck session today, and the question remains: how much can lawmakers get done before the new members step in? Charlie Herman, economics editor for The Takeaway and WNYC looks at how this session of Congress handles the Bush tax cuts, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," and the new START treaty.

Freshmen senators, insider fighting, and a need to publicly shape the next moves for the party after the midterm election: the Republican party has spent the past week regrouping. In the middle of it all, the candidates elected with Tea Party enthusiasm have begun to flex their new political muscles with mixed results. Minnesota GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann, one of the initiators of the Tea Party movement, has dropped her bid for a leadership role in the Republican House Conference. Delaware's Senator Jim DeMint, the undeclared leader of the group, is pushing for an unpopular ban on earmarking — in an attempt, perhaps, to show how much power he can wield. And new arrivals, like Florida's freshman Senator-elect, Marco Rubio, are finding themselves caught between Tea Party ideals and Washington's realities. How is the party tackling its goals, voter expectations and new majority? 

While most Congressional races had their outcomes called and confirmed on Election Day, a handful have remained stubbornly too close to call. Or, in the case of Alaska's hotly-contested Senate seat, some races depend on absentee ballots yet to be counted. Takeaway Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich walks us through these still-to-be-determined contests and their potential impact on the next Congress.

In 2008, the Obama wave swept across the country, bringing Democrats to districts that had been Republican strongholds for decades. Democrats acquired a 75 vote majority in the House of Representatives; they currently hold the majority of Representatives' seats in 33 states, compared to Republicans' 16 states.

This year, the electoral tide is shifting and all signs point to Republicans taking back the House during today's election. The first districts likely to go Republican will be those former stronghold "swing seats," such as Ohio's 6th and 18th Districts and Colorado's 3rd, 4th, and 7th Districts.

Competitive three-way races continue to be a rarity, but the introduction of the Tea Party has increased those numbers this election season. In states where they are taking place, third-time has not proved a charm for political analysts.Instead, it has skewed the numbers and may lead to surprising results in some critical races.

In Alaska, analysts see Tea Party Republican candidate Joe Miller splitting the moderate to liberal Republican vote between incumbent Lisa Murkowski, running as a write-in candidate, and Democrat Scott McAdams. Florida may prove a mirror-image to Alaska's three-way race: Republican Tea Party candidate Marco Rubio polls as the most likely to win the Senate seat, but after a nod from former President Bill Clinton, Gov. Charlie Crist looks set to take some ballots away from Democratic candidate Kendrick Meek.

President Obama has had a large impact on several key Senate races — for better and for worse.

In Pennsylvania's Senate race, Democrat Joe Sestak relied on Obama to rally the core group of African American voters he'll need to win the election – and it appears to be working.

But a little further south, in West Virginia, Democratic Governor Joe Manchin is facing a tough special election bid for the late Sen. Robert Byrd's seat — and has been repeatedly called a "rubber stamp" for Obama.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and challenger Sharron Angle faced off in their first – and only – debate last night. Polls show Reid and Angle running virtually neck and neck. 

Ian Mylchreest, Senior Producer for KNPR's State of the Union, joins us with a re-cap of the debate. Mylchreest says the contest isn't as much about Angle's popularity as it is about Reid's unpopularity. Takeaway Washington correspondent Todd Zwillich has been watching the race from Capitol Hill. 

President Obama is in Pennsylvania today, campaigning for Democratic Senate candidate Joe Sestak.