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.

A new version of the venerable START arms control agreement (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty), which was signed by President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in April of this year, is the grandchild of the bilateral nuclear arms reduction treaty that ended the Cold War. But while the fighting between the superpowers may be on hold, a war of words is on between Democrats and Republicans. The Obama administration is pushing the lame-duck Congress to ratify the new bilateral treaty. But the lead Republican negotiator, Sen. John Kyl of Arizona, has declared that there is not enough time to reach an agreement this year on his preferred treaty component: a nuclear modernization program for which the Obama Administration has committed $84 billion.

Just as the START treaty's approval seems to look dubious, North Korea is upping the nuclear ante by showing off its sparkling new enrichment facility. 

When President Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009, it was understood he was given the honor on speculation — part of a hope by many around the world that the new American president would reduce the threat of global nuclear war. Specifically, many hoped that President Obama could bring his stated plan to fruition: to help eradicate all nuclear weapons. The President himself admitted it may not happen in his lifetime, but a year after accepting his Nobel Prize, is the world any closer to freedom from nuclear weapons?

• FINANCIAL TAKEOUT: What’s the difference between a Washington Lobbyist and a former congressional aide? It sounds like the setup to a bad joke, but in fact, Louise Story, The New York Times Wall Street and finance reporter, says that the question is actually very valid and becoming very hard to answer.
• WASHINGTON TAKEOUT: With the nuclear summit winding down, The Takeaway's Washington correspondent, Todd Zwillich, looks at the future of the START treaty, which President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed last week. The treaty aims to significantly decrease the amount of nuclear weapons between the two countries, but it looks like it's going to be a long and slow journey for START treaty in Congress.

We take look at what's ahead this week with Marcus Mabry of The New York Times and Rob Watson of the BBC. This week, the U.S. and Russia sign a new arms treaty, Treasury Secretary Geithner visits India, and a date will be selected for elections in the United Kingdom. Plus, Tiger Woods returns to the green.