Obama On Rick Warren Pick: We Have To Be Able To Agree To Disagree  —  Obama, at his presser today, defends the decision to choose Rick Warren to deliver the invocation as his inauguration with a restatement of his commitment to gay rights and, more broadly, to the principles of unity that have been a hallmark of his rise to power:

AP source: Rep. Hilda Solis is Obama's labor pick  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — A labor official says Rep. Hilda Solis of California will be nominated as labor secretary by President-elect Barack Obama.  —  The Democratic congresswoman was just elected to her fifth term representing heavily Hispanic portions …

Conservative Leader Paul Weyrich Dies; First to Lead Heritage  —  Paul M. Weyrich, chairman and CEO of the Free Congress Foundation and first president of The Heritage Foundation, died this morning around 1 a.m. He was 66 years old.  Weyrich was a good friend to many of us at Heritage, a true leader and a man of unbending principle.

The Torture Report  —  Most Americans have long known that the horrors of Abu Ghraib were not the work of a few low-ranking sociopaths.  All but President Bush's most unquestioning supporters recognized the chain of unprincipled decisions that led to the abuse, torture and death in prisons run …

Emanuel's deeper involvement in pressing for Jarrett Senate appointment  —  My Sun-Times colleagues Natasha Korecki and Fran Spielman in a story in the Thusday paper report Rahm Emanuel's involvement in pushing Gov. Blagojevich to appoint Valerie Jarrett to replace President elect Barack Obama was deeper than previously known.

FIRST THOUGHTS: CABINET CENSUS  —  From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Carrie Dann  —  *** Cabinet census: Obama has tapped retiring GOP Rep. Ray LaHood (R-IL) to be his Transportation secretary — to be named Friday with likely his Labor secretary as well …

Sources: John Holdren to be Nominated as Obama's Science Adviser  —  Strong indications are that President-elect Barack Obama has picked physicist John Holdren to be the president's science adviser.  —  A top adviser to the Obama campaign and international expert on energy and climate …

Gay man backed for Navy secretary  —  Foes cite 'Don't ask, don't tell'  —  Some top retired military leaders and some Democrats in Congress are backing William White, chief operating officer of the Intrepid Museum Foundation, to be the next secretary of the Navy - a move that would put …

Rahm Emanuel's Brother Joins White House Team  —  Jonathan Weisman reports on the transition.  —  A second Emanuel is heading for the White House.  —  Ezekiel J. Emanuel, a prominent bioethicist at the National Institutes of Health-and the brother of incoming White House Chief …

Bush Weighs ‘Orderly’ Bankruptcy for Automakers  —  WASHINGTON — The White House said on Thursday that an “orderly” bankruptcy was one option being considered to try to rescue General Motors and Chrysler, which are seeking billions of dollars to avoid a shutdown.

Plot to kill Musharraf unearthed  —  LAHORE: In a sensational development, authorities have claimed busting a clandestine terror network set up by jailed killer of Daniel Pearl inside the Hyderabad Jail and the Sindh government has suspended senior police and jail officials after a large number …

With economy in shambles, Congress gets a raise  —  A crumbling economy, more than 2 million constituents who have lost their jobs this year, and congressional demands of CEOs to work for free did not convince lawmakers to freeze their own pay.  —  Instead, they will get a $4,700 pay increase …