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Embattled Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich named former State Atty. Gen. Ronald Burris yesterday as his pick to replace President-elect Barack Obama's vacant senate seat. Some see the move as a slap in the face to critics who want the governor to resign following allegations of corruption.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says a part of the agreement that would have eased similar exports from his country has not been satisfied.

The deepening political scandal in Illinois continues to ignite strong debate among residents about the integrity of leadership in the state. Chicago Sun-Times columnist Mary Mitchell returns to the program, and joined by Chicago Tribune Reporter Mike Dorning to discuss their state's political crisis.

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has asked the state's Supreme Court to strip Gov. Rod Blagojevich of his powers. Blagojevich, who was arrested on corruption charges this week, has ignored calls for his resignation. But his chief of staff, John Harris, has resigned.

Bank of America says it expects to eliminate up to 35,000 jobs over the next three years. It says it won't know the final number until early next year, but the cuts will affect workers from both Bank of America and Merrill Lynch. Bank of America agreed to buy the investment firm in September.

The auto bailout had the support of a majority in Congress, yet the deal fell apart. On Thursday, the measure to provide struggling automakers with a $14 billion emergency loan failed after opposition from Senate Republicans.

Bernard Madoff's scheme has left dozens of banking firms and private citizens out of billions of dollars. It turns out Madoff's hedge fund was really a pyramid scheme. Henry Blodget, editor of clusterstock.com, discusses who's affected and how much they lost.

Sen. Ken Salazar (D-CO) is apparently President-elect Barack Obama's choice to be Interior secretary, a position usually reserved for Westerners. But Salazar is getting mixed reviews at best from environmentalists and public lands advocates, while agricultural and mining interests are relieved.

President-elect Barack Obama has named Mary Schapiro to head the Securities and Exchange Commission. In a news conference in Chicago, Obama said government regulators "had dropped the ball," leading to the financial meltdown.

President-elect Barack Obama's choice of evangelical pastor Rick Warren to give the invocation at his inauguration ceremony has infuriated gay-rights activists. Few evangelicals voted for Obama and gays were some of his strongest supporters.