Obama rolls out national security team  —  (CNN) — President-elect Barack Obama on Monday announced Sen. Hillary Clinton as his pick for secretary of state, calling her an “American of tremendous stature who will have my complete confidence.”  —  “Hillary's appointment is a sign to friend …

It's official: Recession since Dec. '07  —  The National Bureau of Economic Research declares what most Americans already knew: the downturn has been going on for some time.  —  NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — The National Bureau of Economic Research said Monday that the U.S …

Bush: ‘I Did Not Compromise My Principles’  —  President George W. Bush Says He Will Leave Office With ‘Head Held High’  —  Looking back on his eight years in the White House, President George W. Bush pinpointed incorrect intelligence that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction as …

Memeorandum runs rings around Google News  —  If you want to know what's happening in the world, then Memorandum will tell you - at least in a couple of areas.  It's an automated news clipping service, known in the trade as a “news aggregator”.  It provides headlines and short texts updated every few minutes …

Cabinet Rank  —  Some people I know were less-than-thrilled to hear that Susan Rice would be heading to New York as our UN Ambassador since they would have rather seen her take a post in DC where she could help ensure that the Gates/Jones/Clinton “team of rivals” doesn't manage to lock …

Palin in Georgia: ‘We Need Checks and Balances’  —  Senate Run-Off Could Determine Scope of Dem Power  —  With one day to go before a run-off election which will help determine the scope of the Democratic Party's majority in the United States Senate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin urged voters in Augusta …

How is it Obama can fill a Cabinet faster than NBC can replace Tim Russert?  —  The suits at NBC are doing far more agonizing over who should fill Tim Russert's shoes on Meet the Press than Obama is over appointing his cabinet.  They're taking more time over it, too.

Deficits and the Future  —  Right now there's intense debate about how aggressive the United States government should be in its attempts to turn the economy around.  Many economists, myself included, are calling for a very large fiscal expansion to keep the economy from going into free fall.

America must keep consumer liquidity flowing  —  As an analyst, it is my job to do fundamental research and call it as I see it, and my bailiwick is financials.  My outlook has been negative for over a year and, technically, I have been “right” on my calls.

Deepak Blames America  —  The media look within to explain the sick delusions of the Mumbai killers.  —  If the Mumbai terror assault seemed exceptional, and shocking in its targets, it was clear from the Thanksgiving Day reports that we weren't going to be deprived of the familiar, either.

How to Combat a Banking Crisis: First, Round Up the Pessimists  —  Latvian Agents Detain a Gloomy Economist; ‘It Is a Form of Deterrence’  —  RIGA, Latvia — Hammered by economic woe, this former Soviet republic recently took a novel step to contain the crisis.

India Security Faulted as Survivors Tell of Terror  —  At Tourist Haunts and Train Station, Swiftly Launched Assault Overwhelmed Police; Home Affairs Minister Steps Down  —  MUMBAI — As waiters started setting dinner buffets in Mumbai's luxurious hotels, the killings that would ravage …

Cheap sex - the credit crunch is biting under the sheets  —  As the credit crunch bites, Britons may be turning to sex as a cheap way to pass the time, a charity says.  —  A YouGov survey of 2,000 adults found sex was the most popular free activity, ahead of window shopping and gossiping.

AP IMPACT: US diluted loan rules before crash  —  WASHINGTON - The Bush administration backed off proposed crackdowns on no-money-down, interest-only mortgages years before the economy collapsed, buckling to pressure from some of the same banks that have now failed.

Try Tough Love, Hillary  —  Imagine Ehud Olmert, the outgoing Israeli prime minister, saying this to Barack Obama:  —  “The United States has been wrong to write Israel a blank check every year; wrong to turn a blind eye to the settlements in the West Bank; wrong not to be more explicit …

Senate Could Give New President Early Legislative Victories  —  As Senate Democrats prepare for next year's agenda, they are likely to have a working filibuster-proof majority on a variety of legislative issues that could provide early victories for President-elect Barack Obama.