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Upper-Bracket Tax May Be Needed for Afghan War Cost, Levin Says Higher-income Americans should be taxed to pay for more troops sent to Afghanistan and NATO should provide half of the new soldiers, said Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Reliance Makes Cash Offer for Bankrupt LyondellBasell (Update2) Reliance Industries Ltd., owner of the world’s largest oil-refining complex, made a cash offer to buy a controlling stake in closely held LyondellBasell Industries AF, the bankrupt chemicals and fuels maker.

California Was Among States With Record Unemployment (Update3) California, Delaware, South Carolina and Florida registered record rates of unemployment in October as weakness in the labor market stretches from coast to coast and limits the economic recovery.

Spending by Consumers Probably Increased: U.S. Economy Preview Consumer spending probably rebounded in October, showing that mounting unemployment is restraining, not derailing, the biggest part of the U.S. economy, analysts said before reports this week.

BofA May Name Stopgap CEO If Board Needs More Time for Search Bank of America Corp.’s board may extend its search for a new, permanent chief executive officer into 2010 if directors can’t settle on a candidate in the next four days, according to people familiar with the matter.

Goldman, Buffett Lead Bloomberg Week in Review “Goldman, Buffett Establish $500 Million Small-Business Program” leads a selection of the week’s best stories from Bloomberg News. The most-read story on Bloomberg.com was “Obama Aide Dunn Renews Criticism of Fox, Hails Jon Stewart.”

Senate to Begin Debate on $848 Billion Health-Care Overhaul Democrats united to bring a sweeping health-care plan to the U.S. Senate floor in a party-line vote that kept Republicans from blocking debate on President Barack Obama’s top domestic initiative.

Dubai Ruler Tightens Control of Emirate, Downgrades Key Aides Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum has consolidated his hold on the debt-laden emirate, downgrading powerful figures behind the city-state’s boom that turned to a bust.

Fed Makes Monitoring Bank Capital Foremost Concern (Update2) Federal Reserve officials are stepping up scrutiny of the biggest U.S. banks to ensure the lenders can withstand a reversal of soaring global-asset prices, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

Nestle Said to Weigh Cadbury Options, May Challenge Kraft Offer Nestle SA is weighing options including a possible bid for Cadbury Plc that would challenge Kraft Foods Inc.’s offer and a potential move by Hershey Co., according to two people with knowledge of the matter.