Packing a nation's hopes, Obama rides rails to DC  —  Featured Topics: - Barack Obama - Presidential Transition  —  ABOARD THE INAUGURAL EXPRESS - Tracking Abraham Lincoln's historic path to Washington, President-elect Barack Obama launched a four-day inaugural celebration Saturday …

BLOCK THE STIMULUS, HELP THE GOP.... Former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, now seeking the chairmanship of the Republican National Committee, has a new reason to oppose an economic rescue package: it might help Democrats. … Now, from a policy perspective, most of this is incoherent.

Barnicle Man, Barnicle Man, Doing The Things That Barnicles Can  —  Matthew Yglesias at Think Progress catches this Mike Barnicle/Mika Brezenski exchange on “Morning Joe”: … http://www.youtube.com/watch?  v=1MEjX6ITLqY  —  Yup, sure is a disgrace to journalism when you're anonymous ...

The Growing Foreclosure Crisis  —  One oft-repeated assertion no longer holds true.  Those in trouble are not, primarily, lower-income borrowers.  The foreclosure crisis has become a wave, afflicting neighborhoods of every stripe — but particularly communities created by the boom itself.

Obama may not lift stem cell limits  —  PHILADELPHIA - President-elect Barack Obama signaled Friday that he might not use his executive authority to reverse Bush-era limits on stem cell research, but instead might wait for Congress to change the policy.  —  Obama pledged during the campaign …

The Only Thing We Have to Fear . . .  is Obama.  —  Barack Obama is the apostle of hope.  But he also arouses the flipside of hope—fear.  And while the fear he stirs may turn out to be unfounded, it's not irrational.  People don't know who Obama really is or where his ideological center of gravity rests …

Inaugural Panel Sells Exclusive TV Rights  —  Barack Obama's inaugural organizing committee has struck deals with three television networks to the tune of more than $5 million, giving the networks exclusive access to inaugural events.  But the arrangement is prompting questions …

In Search of One Bold Stroke to Save the Banks  —  In the immortal words of Yogi Berra, it's déjà vu all over again.  —  Wasn't it just four months ago that the government was racing to save the American International Group, forcing the sale of weak banks and writing huge checks to stabilize the teetering banking system?

Obama For America Becomes Organizing For America  —  PHILADELPHIA, PA — The Obama political machine is merging with the Democratic National Committee.  —  The President-elect launched Obama 2.0, or Organizing for America, this morning with a YouTube video.

Israel expected to halt offensive on Gaza while cease-fire negotiated  —  Reporting from Jerusalem — Israel's security Cabinet convened a meeting tonight, and officials said they expected a decision to halt its 3-week-old offensive in the Gaza Strip but to keep the army there while Egypt mediates a long-term cease-fire deal with Hamas.

By Request: Missing the Trees  —  John Bedell writes: … I grew up in an apartment in Manhattan and didn't actually realize how much I like to have a little greenery around until I moved to a rowhouse neighborhood in DC and got my hands on a small backyard.

Obama refuses to surrender Blackberry … Despite legal and security hurdles, president-elect Barack Obama says he has a plan to retain his beloved Blackberry once he moves into the White House next week.  —  Interviewed by CNN Friday, Obama said the smartphone was among the tools …