Obama, Bush ‘united’ in fixing economy  —  (CNN) — President-elect Barack Obama on Monday called the financial crisis one of “historic proportions” and said that he and the Bush administration are “united” in their efforts to get the economy back on track.  —  As Obama unveiled his economic team …

Fed Pledges Top $7.4 Trillion to Ease Frozen Credit  —  Nov. 24 (Bloomberg) — The U.S. government is prepared to lend more than $7.4 trillion on behalf of American taxpayers, or half the value of everything produced in the nation last year, to rescue the financial system since the credit markets seized up 15 months ago.

Minner naming Ted Kaufman to fill Biden's seat  —  Gov. Ruth Ann Minner said today she will appoint Ted Kaufman, a longtime, close adviser to Sen. Joe Biden, to fill the senator's seat until a 2010 special election, a move that some warned could leave Delaware Democratic Party feelings bruised for years to come.

Alan Colmes Leaving “Hannity & Colmes”  —  Breaking: Alan Colmes is leaving his position as co-host of “Hannity & Colmes” at the end of 2008.  —  According to the FNC release, he will stay on as a liberal commentator for FNC and as host of The Alan Colmes Show on FOX News Radio.

Barack Obama, honeymoon killer?  —  WASHINGTON — One of the first things Barack Obama did after winning the election two weeks ago was put an old-school political brawler in charge of his White House.  Next, he saved Joe Lieberman.  Then, he met with John McCain, and asked Hillary Clinton to run his State Department.

Citi, AIG Won't Drop Big Sports Sponsorships  —  Critics Slam Bailed-Out Firms' Pricey Deals for Naming Rights, Logo Placement  —  AIG, Citibank and a number of other federally bailed-out financial institutions have no plans to cancel hundreds of millions of dollars in sports team sponsorships …

Citigroup  —  Mark Thoma has the rundown of informed reactions.  A bailout was necessary — but this bailout is an outrage: a lousy deal for the taxpayers, no accountability for management, and just to make things perfect, quite possibly inadequate, so that Citi will be back for more.

Needed: Network bailout?  —  Bad economy slows ad sales  —  It's D-Day for the broadcast networks.  —  They've been living on borrowed time for the better part of two decades, thanks to advertisers willing to toss in more cash each year even as ratings slowly trended ever lower.

Whistleblower: U.S. Snooped on Tony Blair, Iraqi President  —  Former Intercept Operator Tells ABC News He Saw Blair File, Heard “Pillow Talk” of Iraqi Leader  —  A former communications intercept operator says U.S. intelligence snooped on the private lives of two of America's most important allies …

Tomorrow, austerity  —  Obama's staff won't elaborate, but the President-Elect said just now that he'd roll out a plan to cut the federal budget tomorrow — something both presidential candidates said they'd do, but neither detailed.  —  “[T]o make the investments we need …

REALITY CHECK: Obama Received About the Same Percentage from Small Donors in 2008 as Bush in 2004  —  Obama also raised 80% more from large donors than small, outstripping all rivals and predecessors  —  It turns out that Barack Obama's donors may not have been quite as different as we had thought.

CONSERVATIVE LADIES PRETTY IN MINK  —  Pretty in Mink: Conservative Leading Ladies  —  Ann Coulter is the author of six New York Times best-sellers, a popular syndicated columnist and a frequent TV pundit.  She is the 2004 recipient of the Luce Policy Institute's Woman of the Year Award …

The Sidwell Choice  —  The Obama family leads by example.  —  Michelle and Barack Obama have settled on a Washington, D.C., school for their daughters, and you will not be surprised to learn it is not a public institution.  Malia, age 10, and seven-year-old Sasha will attend the Sidwell Friends School …

Noise violators in Fort Lupton sentenced to listen to Barry Manilow  —  FORT LUPTON — Barry Manilow's “I Write the Songs” may begin with the line, “I've been alive forever,'” but for noise ordinance violators, listening to Manilow may feel like forever.  —  Fort Lupton Municipal Judge Paul Sacco …