Penny Manis
AC360 Senior Producer

Or question is: Did she ever leave? Sarah Palin is on the campaign trail today for fellow party member Saxby Chambliss. He is in a crucial run-off race for a US Senate seat in Georgia against Democrat Jim Martin tomorrow.

This Georgia race has implications for the wider balance of power in the Senate. If Chambliss loses and the Democrats win the still TBD Minnesota senate race, Dems would have a filibuster proof majority. For her part, if Palin sways the vote successfully, her ability to rev up the conservative base will be in the spotlight.

Exit polls after the election showed her popularity fade with some, others still see her as the best speaker in the Republican party, and her name continues to be one of most searched on the internet. Gary Tuchman will follow her today in Georgia and report tonight. Are you glad to see her in the spotlight?

President-elect Barack Obama unveils his national security team today at a press conference in Chicago. The team includes Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton as Secretary of State, Defense Secretary Robert Gates stays in his current role, General Jim Jones, USMC Retired, will be National Security Advisory, and other appointments. It’s a mouthful. Candy Crowley will have more.

Hillary Clinton is said to be “excited” about the job and is doing this out of a sense of duty and history. She has also been told by Team Obama that they’d help her fundraise in the next 60 days to clear a campaign debt of approx $6.5 million. That amt of dough has gotta be hanging over her like a dark cloud.

Speaking of $$, Black Friday sales were strong, bright news initially for retailers hoping for a strong holiday shopping season. Today is Cyber Monday, when shoppers hit the web to find steals on gifts online. We’re also looking into whether charges will be filed in the Wal-Mart stampede that killed a Long Island Man on Friday. Tragically, a 34 yr old security guard was tramped to death when a huge crowd people broke down the door to get in and shop. Crazy!

And we’ll have an update on the tragic terrorist attacks in India last week. Nic Robertson will have the latest on the investigation, and Ed Lavandera interviewed a woman from Chicago who is back home after being caught in the crossfire at the Taj during the attacks.

See u tonight!

A wounded man is carried from the attacked rail station.

Maureen Miller
AC360° Writer

It’s now just after 7am in Mumbai, India. It’s the start of a new day. A choatic day.  India’s largest city is in crisis mode after a series of terrorist attacks.

At least 10 sites were targeted,  includng two luxury hotels, a cafe, a hospital for women and children, a movie theatre and train station.

At least 87 people have been killed and another 185 others are wounded.

There are also believed to be hostages in the two hotels.  A witness told local television that he was in the one of the hotels around 10 p.m. local time  when gunmen entered the lobby and began rounding up guests, asking for anyone with a U.S. or British passport and taking hostage about 15 of them.

Let me put this terror rampage in perspective. A U.S. businessman in India who witnessed an explosion at the airport had an interesting way to put today’s attacks in context for American viewers because Mumbai is like the New York of India.

“Today’s attacks are like terrorists took over the Waldorf and the Ritz and then went on a shooting spree in Times Square,” he said.

So, who’s responsible for the bloodshed?  What was the motive?  And, should Americans be alert overseas and here at home?

We’ll have the latest on this developing story tonight on AC360°.
Hope you can join us.

Penny Manis
AC360 Senior Producer

DC is going WILD about Inauguration Day. 240,000 seats are available for the swearing-in ceremony though 1-4 million people are expected to attend the overall festivities. Hotels are booked, so now would be the time to hit up friends/family and offer to keep their couches warm if they happen to be residents of the nation’s capital.

Of course, if you have big money to blow, you could always book the Inaugural package at the Ritz Carlton in DC which offers tickets to the parade, one of the balls, and a trip to the Caribbean.

Another day, another press conference. President-elect Obama is on a roll this week. He is expected to make an ‘economic announcement’ today. We will hear that Paul Volcker will head the Economic Recovery Advisory Board to provide outside advice from heavyweight thinkers. Obama would be the 6th president that Volcker has served.

P-E Obama is also solidifying his national security team. Our sources hear that current Republican Defense Secretary Robert Gates will stay on in his current post for at least the first year of the new Administration.

This is huge news during a time of war, but there is likely to be criticism from the anti-war folks who voted for Obama. Keeping Gates ensures continuity, which could mean that Obama’s full focus can be on the economy but don’t expect major changes in policy overseas.

Meanwhile, Iraqi lawmakers today delayed till Thursday voting on a pact that would allow US troops to stay in the country for 3 more years. Otherwise known as the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), this deal is meant to replace a UN mandate allowing US troops to legally remain in Iraq until the end of the year.

Should Parliament fail to approve the deal, Iraq would have to ask the UN for an extension of the UN mandate, which is problematic, or would legally have to ask U.S. troops to leave the country. If this SOFA passes Iraq’s Congress today, US troops are guaranteed to remain in Iraq until 2011.

Tonight Erica Hill has a poignant story on how the number of hungry kids in America shot up 50% last year. Some food banks point to a perfect storm: greater need, but fewer donations. We’ll offer advice on how you can help.

Have a good one and see you at 10pet!

Defense Secretary Robert Gates is expected to stay on, according to sources.

Maureen Miller
AC360° Writer

Another day and another name is being added to “Team Obama”. Defense Secretary Robert Gates is expected to stay on the job at the Pentagon in the new administration, according to sources close to the transition.

President-elect Obama will be inheriting two wars, in Iraq and Afghanistan. That’s why sources have said he’s interested in keeping Gates as Defense Secretary.

Do you agree with Obama’s decision?

Tonight we’re also tracking the latest cash infusion to fix the U.S. economy. Did you see the latest plan? We’re talking about an extra $800 billion to help with the credit crunch. The goal: jumpstart lending by banks to consumers and small businesses.

Yes, the $800 billion is on top of the $700 billion bailout package for banks and Wall Street firms passed by Congress last month.

Is this a sign the original bailout plan is not working?

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson says no.

“I wish, and I know everybody wishes, that one piece of legislation, and then magically the credit markets would unfreeze,” he said. “That’s not the type of situation we’re dealing with.”

Where is this new cash infusion coming from? CNN’s Chief Business Correspondent Ali Velshi will explain the new plan tonight on AC360°.

Plus, did a woman push a teenager to suicide in a MySpace Hoax? Jury deliberations have begun in the federal trial in California.

Lori Drew, 49, is accused of conspiracy and three counts of accessing a computer without authorization. Investigators say she created a phony profile of a boy on the MySpace web site to harass 13-year-old Megan Meier.

Investigators say Meier wrote, “You’re the kind of boy a girl would kill herself over” after getting messages from “Josh Evans”.

Meier later hung herself in her home.

We’ll have all these stories and more tonight on AC360°.
See you then.

Economic struggles are forcing many to say goodbye to their pets. CNN's John Zarrella reports.

Loving them and leaving them. And no, I’m not talking about anyone’s love life. Apparently, struggling families are dumping their pets because they can’t afford them given these rough economic times. Poor pooches.

There are many human beings suffering of course, but seeing these abandoned doggie’s faces in the John Zarrella pkg was pretty traumatic this morning too. Click on the link to this blog and you can see the report.

Black Friday is just around the corner, the day after we stuff ourselves like the Turkeys we are about to devour. The term is used to reference the beginning of the period in which retailers are in the black (ie: turning a profit) because everyone and their mother hits the stores to start their holiday shopping (and the day that others are glad online shopping exists and can avoid squishing against other shoppers like sardines in a can).

Are you planning to be more of a Grinch than a Santa this year and cut back on your shopping? Gas prices are down for 69 straight days-so maybe that is softening the blow in the midst of this economic doom and gloom.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson will announce the formation of a program to increase the availability of auto loans, student loans and credit cards. Ali Velshi will tell us what that means for You tonight, as you keep wondering where your bailout is.

President-elect Obama holds his 2nd news conference today in a row. He is expected to unveil Peter Orszag as his nominee for the Office of Management and Budget. This announcement comes a day after he announced his economic team including Tim Geithner as Treasury Sec and Larry Summers as chief of the National Economic council.

Obama also said he would talk about finding cuts in the federal budget to help dig the nation out of the fiscal crisis. We wonder what ‘meaningful cuts and sacrifices’ he is referring to, and our reporter Tom Foreman may check that out today.

See u at 10pet!

Penny Manis
AC360 Senior Producer

After few public appearances and announcements since his Election, President-Elect Barack Obama will hold a news conference today at noonet in Chicago where he is expected to announce key economic posts and offer more details on a financial rescue plan.

The 2008 presidential election was about the Economy, and it’s no wonder give how funky the markets have been. Obama’s moves today are seen as an attempt to inspire confidence on Wall St and Main St at a time when it feels like there is a power vacuum with regard to leadership in this economic crisis. Prez Bush is on his way out and winding down, Prez-Elect Obama has 2 months to prepare himself to enter office, and in the meantime the economy is in the toilet.

P-E Obama is expected to name Timothy Geithner as Treasury Secretary (he is currently head of the NY Fed Reserve Bank). Clinton’s Former Treasury Sec. Lawrence Summers will be chief of the National Economic Council.

We are also hearing that New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson may be nominated as Sec of Commerce, pending final vetting, though this announcement may not be made formal in the news conference today, but soon.

These latest picks mean that at least 3 former Obama rivals from the Democratic presidential primaries are in senior posts in his Administration: Richardson, Clinton and VP-elect Joe Biden. I guess Obama believes in the ‘team of rivals’ theory.

Obama said Saturday that he plans to unveil a large economic stimulus plan in order to try and create 2.5 million jobs over the next two years to deal with an escalating financial crisis. We may hear more about this plan today.

And a bank considered too big to fail, is now getting serious government help=$$$$. The Feds will offer Citigroup a $20 billion dollar injection and back risky loans. This follows an announcement last week from Citigroup on mass layoffs and 4th consecutive quarterly loss. If you don’t know where to put your money anymore, we hear 1-800-mattress is having a sale. Jes kidding, kind of.

That’s where we start, see you at 10pet.

Penny Manis
AC360 Senior Producer

The search for alien life. That was the first headline I saw this morning reading in. It’s going to be one of those Fridays, isn’t it?

Did you catch the dramatic scene involving Attorney General Michael Mukasey? He is in the hospital after he collapsed in the midst of giving a speech in Washington, DC. It was caught on camera and likely to be replayed a gazillion times on TV and internet, but most importantly he seems to be fine today.

World markets were up overnight following a rough ride the past couple of days, so Wall Street may be on tap for a better Friday. Also for the first time since March 2005, the average price of gas fell below $2 a gallon. That said, things are rough out there. The jobless claims yday were grim.

President Bush signed legislation to extend unemployment insurance benefits nationwide by at least 7 weeks in every state, and by 13 weeks in states with unemployment rates of at least 6%. It is the only bill passed so far by the lame-duck Congress.

Speaking of Congress, Dems have put the automaker bailout back on life support, they said they would return in Dec. to consider lending the Big 3 $25 billion, IF the companies show them a viable recovery plan. Gary Tuchman is in Moraine, Ohio where GM is the biggest employer and a truck plant there will close on December 23rd so about 1000 people will be out of work.

Chris Lawrence has a story on 100’s of military families who are ready to move into their new homes near Seattle but there is just one problem: the homes haven’t been built and there’s nothing but an empty field where they should be. The govt trusted a private developer who wasted millions of dollars on land one can’t build on. More on this story tonight…

Lastly, Madonna and her hubby Guy Ritchie are one step closer to divorce following a court session. Apparently, Ritchie has agreed to take almost none of her fortune estimated to be around $447 million. You likely won’t see this story on the show tonight, so why am I talking about Madonna? Maybe she has had more influence on your lives than the Fed Chairman or the CEO’s of the Big 3. You can recite all the words to “Like a Virgin”, admit it. See you at 10pet.

Maureen Miller
AC360° Writer

Ouch! It’s been another rough day on Wall Street. The Dow plunged 445 points to close near the 7,550 mark. The S&P fell 54 points and the Nasdaq composite lost 70 points.

Let me put this way: It’s as if we wiped away the past 11 years.

Here are some other numbers to consider:
- The markets lost $700 billion today.
- Over the past two-days the paper loss is approximately $1.3 trillion.
- About $2.8 trillion has been lost this month, so far.
- For 2008, there’s been approximately $8.8 trillion in losses.

How low will the markets go? Tonight we’ll talk it over with CNN’s chief business correspondent Ali Velshi.

The lingering questions over the fate of the U.S. auto industry are dragging stocks down. The Senate has canceled a vote on a proposed $25 billion bailout package for GM, Ford and Chrysler.

Today lawmakers said the auto industry has until December 2 to show how the money would be used to boost their profits.

“If we don’t get this done and they do go under, I believe that we’re going to have a deep recession and quite frankly, from what I can pick up, we may just go over the cliff,” said Sen. George Voinovich, D-Ohio.

Do you agree?

It’s your money, your future. We’ll have the latest developments tonight on AC360° at 10pm ET.

Penny Manis
AC360 Senior Producer

The picture of Obama’s Administration is coming into focus.

Last night we reported that President-Elect Obama has earmarked Janet Napolitano to head the Dept of Homeland Security, Chicago business woman Penny Pritzker could head the Dept of Commerce, and fmr Senate Majority leader Tom Daschle could head the Dept of Health and Human services. Eric Holder, as reported earlier in the week, may serve as Attorney General.

These candidates are going through a thorough vetting process, sources tell CNN that this is the most detail-oriented vetting officials have undergone in all their careers in or out of public office. I guess Obama doesn’t like surprises.

We continue to wait and see whether Hillary will become Secretary of State, meanwhile Senate Democrats may create a special role for her if she does stay in Congress, perhaps making her point person on health care issues, as one example. Is this because she is seriously weighing whether to remain a Senator, or she wants a good fallback position if she doesn’t get picked as SOS? It’s nice to be a woman with options, though.

The possibility of a big check from Congress to the Big 3 automakers appears slim- plans were reversed to hold a test vote today on this proposed bailout. CEO’s of domestic automakers didn’t get very far convincing lawmakers they need a bailout, particularly when they flew to DC to press their case in private jets.

One lawmaker said it’s like showing up at a soup kitchen in a tuxedo, and another said that when you get off a private jet with a tin cup, it’s not very convincing.

Our focus is already shifting to the huge swatch of workers in the Midwest who could be out of a job very soon, if not already. Gary Tuchman is on his way there this morning to feature these auto workers who are already feeling like they are living in a recession. How are they coping? He may have this story tonight, if not by tomorrow.

Before he left, Gary finished up a story that we will try to get on tonight about a North Carolina mental hospital that severely neglected its patients. We received video of surveillance cameras which caught some of the workers in the act. It’s a pretty outrageous story.

Erica Hill will describe how Obama-mania is taking over the nation’s capital. People are expected to flock to the Inauguration in droves, hotels are already booked out there, and tickets are hard to come by for the event. How will DC handle the millions of people expected to flock upon the city come January?

That’s where we start, see you at 10pet!

Chrysler CEO Robert Nardelli, left, and Ford CEO Alan Mulally testify on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.

Maureen Miller
AC360° Writer

Should the U.S. auto industry get a $25 billion lifeline?

Well, it doesn’t look like it will happen this week.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said there won’t be a test vote on the proposed bailout tomorrow. But he says there could be a compromise in the works.

The announcement comes after executives from General Motors, Ford and Chrysler were grilled on Capitol Hill for the second day in a row.

Some lawmakers took issue with the travel arrangements by the “Big 3″ leaders.

“There is a delicious irony in seeing private luxury jets flying into Washington D.C., and people coming off of them with tin cups in their hand saying that they’re going to be trimming down and streamlining their businesses,” said Rep. Gary Ackerman, D-New York.

“It’s almost like seeing a guy show up at the soup kitchen in high hat and tuxedo. It kind of makes you a little bit suspicious,” he added.

We’ll have more on the stalled bailout tonight on AC360°.

The lingering questions about the U.S. auto industry pushed the Dow to its lowest level in 5 years. The blue chips lost more than 400 points and closed below the 8,000 mark. We’ll dig deeper on the market meltdown.

Plus, a controversial story out of Nebraska. The state’s safe-haven law lets parents drop off their kids at the hospital if they no longer want to care for them. We’re talking about kids up to the age of 17. So far, dozens of children have been dumped at hospitals across the state.

Do you think the law should be changed?

All that and more tonight starting at 10pm ET.