Rod Blagojevich, Jesse Jackson Jr, and Tony Soprano

llinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has been indicted for ethics violations connected with a string of actions, including attempting to sell the now vacant Senate seat held by President-Elect Barack Obama. Of the persons considered for the seat, it's reported that Senator #5 offered to raise over a million dollars for the Governor -- it's rumored that the person is Illinois Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr.

Jackson moved swiftly to address this issue, holding a press conference where he said that he did meet with the Governor, and for 90 minutes. But he did not offer anything in the way of money. That press conference is here.

Think Progress » Who Is Steven Chu? A Nobel Physicist Who Believes In Bold Energy Transformation

Think Progress » Who Is Steven Chu? A Nobel Physicist Who Believes In Bold Energy Transformation: “Numerous media outlets are reporting Dr. Steven Chu will be President-elect Obama’s choice to head the Department of Energy. Chu, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist, is the director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California where he has been addressing the climate crisis by pushing breakthrough research in energy efficiency, solar energy, and biofuels technology.

Colleagues who know Chu best say “he’s not a manager, he’s a leader.” In an interview with the Wonk Room, David Roland-Holst, an economist at the Center for Energy, Resources and Economic Sustainability at UC Berkeley, described Chu as a “very distinguished researcher” and “an extremely effective manager of cutting edge technology initiatives.””

The Raw Story | Obama says creating jobs can help US race relations

The Raw Story | Obama says creating jobs can help US race relations: “President-elect Barack Obama, the first African-American to serve in the White House, said in an interview that producing new jobs would help improve race relations in the United States.

"The biggest challenges we face right now in improving race relations have to do with the universal concerns of Americans across color lines," Obama told the Chicago Tribune in an interview published in its Wednesday edition.”

TheHill.com - Ethics committee expands Rangel probe

TheHill.com - Ethics committee expands Rangel probe: “By Susan Crabtree Posted: 12/09/08 06:21 PM [ET]Democrats faced more bad ethics news Tuesday when the House ethics committee voted to expand its investigation into Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.).

The investigation will now include more recent allegations involving an oil company executive’s pledge to an education center bearing Rangel’s name.

The same day Democrats were under fire after the arrest of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich on pay-to-play charges, the ethics panel voted Tuesday to broaden the Rangel probe. ”

NPR Announces 7 Percent Staff Cut, Show Cancellations

NPR Announces Layoffs, Show Cancellations Huff Post: “NPR Interim President & CEO Dennis Haarsager announced plans to reduce 7% of its workforce and cancel two shows, "News & Notes" and "Day to Day" in a memo to staff Wednesday afternoon. The memo outlines NPR's financial difficulties and explains the rationale for eliminating 64 employees and canceling the two shows:”

Lesbian Nancy Sutley Leading Obama's Environmental Council

Nancy Sutley Leading Obama's Environmental Council: “WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama intends to round out his environmental and natural resources team with a Nobel Prize-winning physicist and three former Environmental Protection Agency officials from the Clinton administration.

The president-elect has selected Steven Chu for energy secretary, Lisa Jackson for EPA administrator, Carol Browner as his energy "czar" and Nancy Sutley to lead the White House Council on Environmental Quality, Democratic officials said Wednesday.

Still unclear is whom Obama will tap for interior secretary.

Officials close to the transition said support for John Berry, the director of the National Zoo and a former assistant secretary at the Interior Department, was growing. But these officials also said Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva and California Rep. Mike Thompson were still in the running.”

Minnesota Election Between Coleman and Franken Could Be Decided Friday

Minnesota Election Could Be Decided Friday: “The Minnesota Senate recount election will make a giant step towards a conclusion on Friday, when the state's canvassing board meets to determine the fate of improperly dismissed absentee ballots.

On Tuesday, Al Franken's chief counsel traveled to Washington D.C. to brief reporters on the current status of the election. He deliberately did not close the window on legal action if unlawfully rejected absentee voters were not counted.”

-- But what if Coleman's indicted? He would have to step down, right? More soon.