Emanuel pick sends powerful signal  —  President-elect Barack Obama's selection of Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) as his White House chief of staff is the latest demonstration of a quality Obama showed repeatedly over the course of his campaign: He's willing to do what it takes to win.

Reid looking to remove Lieberman as committee head  —  WASHINGTON (AP) - Sen. Joe Lieberman's affiliation with Democrats was in question after a meeting Thursday with Majority Leader Harry Reid, steamed over the Connecticut independent's high-profile support of John McCain for president.

Franken's deficit: 236 votes  —  Sen. Norm Coleman's Democratic challenger is vowing to push ahead with a recount.  —  Just as Secretary of State Mark Ritchie was explaining to reporters the recount process in one of the narrowest elections in Minnesota history, an aide rushed in with news …

The Great Debates  —  McCain bridled at reducing his opinions to sound bites.  Obama prepped as if he were taking the bar exam—nothing was left to chance.  —  This is part six of a seven-part in-depth look behind the scenes of the campaign, consisting of exclusive behind-the-scenes reporting …

Palin Aide Fires Back at Reported McCain Camp Slams  —  Says RNC, Not Palin, Responsible for Wardrobe Missteps; Rejects Other Complaints  —  Now that the defeated Republican presidential team of Sen. John McCain and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin have gone their separate ways, the knives are out and Palin is the one who is getting filleted.

Georgia Claims on Russia War Called Into Question  —  TBILISI, Georgia — Newly available accounts by independent military observers of the beginning of the war between Georgia and Russia this summer call into question the longstanding Georgian assertion that it was acting defensively against separatist and Russian aggression.

Report: '08 turnout same as or only slightly higher than '04  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) - A new report from American University's Center for the Study of the American Electorate concludes that voter turnout in Tuesday's election was the same in percentage terms as it was four years ago — or at most has risen by less than 1 percent.

Unemployment Rate at 14-Year High After Big October Losses  —  The American economy lost another 240,000 jobs in October, the government reported Friday morning, the 10th consecutive monthly decline and a clear signal that an accelerating slowdown is assailing households and businesses.

Las Vegas Sands Plunges on Default, Bankruptcy Risk  —  Nov. 6 (Bloomberg) — Las Vegas Sands Corp., billionaire Sheldon Adelson's casino company, fell the most in New York trading since going public after saying it may default on debt and face bankruptcy.  —  The casino owner …

Dems split over Treasury choice  —  As Barack Obama faces mounting pressure to announce his economic team, Democrats are split over two of the leading candidates for Treasury secretary: New York Federal Reserve Chairman Timothy Geithner and former Clinton Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers.

A Butler Well Served by This Election  —  For 34 Years, Eugene Allen Carried White House Trays With Pride.  Now There's Even More Reason to Carry Himself That Way.  —  For more than three decades Eugene Allen worked in the White House, a black man unknown to the headlines.

Emanuel Was Director Of Freddie Mac During Scandal  —  New Obama Chief of Staff, Others on Board, Missed “Red Flags” of Alleged Fraud Scheme  —  President-elect Barack Obama's newly appointed chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, served on the board of directors of the federal mortgage firm Freddie Mac …

The Obama Agenda  —  is a date that will live in fame (the opposite of infamy) forever.  If the election of our first African-American president didn't stir you, if it didn't leave you teary-eyed and proud of your country, there's something wrong with you.  —  But will the election also mark …

Brooklyn Marine & wife tortured, slain in Calif.; 4 Marines charged  —  A Brooklyn-raised Marine sergeant and his new bride were tortured and killed execution-style in their California home - allegedly by four other Marines under his command.  —  Sgt. Jan Pawel Pietrzak, who was raised in Bensonhurst …

No hidden white bias seen in presidential race  —  Featured Topics: - Barack Obama - Presidential Transition  —  WASHINGTON - Whether whites supported Barack Obama or not, they don't seem to have lied to pollsters about it.  —  Obama's election triumph on Tuesday presented no evidence …

Ahmadinejad Offers Obama Landmark Congratulations  —  For the first time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, an Iranian leader has offered well wishes to a U.S. president-elect.  —  TEHRAN,Iran — President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has congratulated Barack Obama on his election win …

U.S. Stocks Tumble in Market's Worst Two-Day Slump Since 1987  —  Nov. 6 (Bloomberg) — U.S. stocks slid, sending the market to its biggest two-day slump since 1987, after jobless claims jumped and the shrinking economy crushed earnings at companies from Blackstone Group Inc. to News Corp.