The Note’s Must-Reads for Thursday, January 15, 2009

The Note’s Must-Reads are a round-up of today’s political headlines and stories from ABC News and the top U.S. newspapers. Posted Monday through Friday right here at www.abcnews.com.

Compiled by ABC News’ PETER MARTINEZ, CARRIE HALPERIN, LAURA GREENE, JAYCE HENDERSON, JUSTIN GRANT and STEPHANIE WASH

2009: ABC NEWS VIDEOS:

"Book of Obama Campaign Photos" LINK

"The ‘First’ Mother-in-Law" LINK

"Kimmel: Bush Hits Hawaii" LINK

"Tips for Enjoying the Inauguration" LINK

"Revamping the White House" LINK

2009: CRISIS IN THE MIDDLE EAST:

The Associated Press’ Salah Nasrawi and Lee Keath: "Israeli Troops Advance Deep Into Gaza City" LINK

The New York Times’ Isabel Kershner: "War on Hamas Saps Palestinian Leaders" LINK

The Washington Post’s Griff Witte: "Gaza War Generates Debate on Civilians" LINK

The Washington Post’s Craig Whitlock: "Progress Reported in Gaza Truce Talks; Palestinian Toll Exceeds 1,000" LINK

2009: GOVERNOR ROD BLAGOJEVICH:

Chicago Tribune’s Rick Pearson and Ray Long: "Trial overshadows swearing-in" LINK

2009: BERNARD MADOFF:

ABC News’ Richard Esposito and Aaron Katersky: "Bulletproof Bernie: Gov’t Effort to Revoke Madoff Bail Again Bounces Off" LINK

USA Today’s Kevin McCoy: "Judge again declines to put Madoff behind bars" LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s Staff: "Madoff’s Traders Were in Decline" LINK

The New York Times’ David Segal and Alison Leigh Cowan: "Madoffs Shared Much, but How Much?" LINK

2009: ERIC HOLDER:

USA Today’s Donna Leinwand: "Holder is likely to face tough questions" LINK

2009: TREASURY SECRETARY-ELECT TIMOTHY GEITHNER:

ABC News’ Jake Tapper: "Obama Defends Geithner, Expresses Confidence in his Confirmation" LINK

USA Today’s Richard Wolf and David Jackson: "Treasury chief hearing set for after inauguration" LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s John D. Mckinnon and Bob Davis: "IMF Informed Geithner On Taxes" LINK

The Washington Post’s Jackie Calmes: "Geithner’s Skill May Trump Tax Issue" LINK

2009: PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA AND THE WHITE HOUSE TRANSITION:

ABC News’ Special Index for the 44th President: LINK

ABC News’ Jake Tapper: "PEBO’s Official Portrait Released (American Flag Lapel Pin Included)" LINK

ABC News’ David Chalian: "PEBO Pays Respects to Supreme Court Chief Justice He Voted Against" LINK

ABC News’ Jake Tapper: "Yes, We Can (Try to Hop on the Obama Marketing Bandwagon) — Part 2" LINK

ABC News’ Jake Tapper: "Is PEBO Changing the Goal When it comes to Capturing or Killing bin Laden?" LINK

ABC News’ Brian Ross: "Bin Laden Challenges Obama in New Audio Message" LINK

The Hill’s Alexander Bolton: "Obama Irks Panel Heads With Silence" LINK

The Hill’s Alexander Bolton: "GOP Senators Target Two Obama Nominees" LINK

The Hill’s Jeffrey Young: "Obama, Reid Take Dead Aim At Medicare Hmos" LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s Staff: "Obama’s Pick to Head SEC Has Record Of Being a Regulator With a Light Touch” LINK

Newsweek Magazine’s Michael Isikoff andMark Hosenball: “Obama’s Torture Dilemma” LINK

The Los Angeles Times’ Peter Nicholas and Jim Puzzanghera: “Obama’s bipartisan hopes for stimulus plan fade” LINK

The Los Angeles Times’ David G. Savage: “Obama, Biden make pre-inaugural visit to the Supreme Court” LINK

The Los Angeles Times’ Josh Meyer: “Republicans say they’ll grill Holder on Blagojevich ties” LINK

The Boston Globe’s Michael Kranish: “Amid echoes of FDR, debate rekindles over New Deal” LINK

The Boston Globe’s Joseph Williams: “Grilling expected at AG nominee hearing” LINK

The Boston Globe’s Sasha Issenberg: “For Obama, campaigning is not over” LINK

The Washington Post’s Howard Kurtz: "Obama Charms Even a Night’s Grand Ol’Party" LINK

The New York Times’ Randal Archibold: "For Homeland Security Nominee, Good Leadership Is in the Details" LINK

The New York Times’ Eric Lichtblau: "Parties Brace for a Fight on Justice Dept. Choice" LINK

The New York Times’ David M. Herszenhorn: "Obama Officials Ask Senate G.O.P. to Back Release of Bailout Money" LINK

The New York Times’ Peter Baker: "Biden Outlines Plans to Do More with Less Power" LINK

The Washington Post’s Lori Montgomery: "After Tax Errors Raised, GOP Leaders Defend Treasury Nominee" LINK

The Washington Post’s Robert Barnes: "Obama and Biden Visit Supreme Court" LINK

The Washington Post’s Ann Scott Tyson: "Shinseki Says He Would Modernize VA" LINK

The New York Daily News’ Kenneth Bazinet and Michael Mcauliff: "Barack Obama stands by Treasury Department nominee" LINK

The New York Daily News’ David Saltonstall: "Meet inaugural-party guru: Big productions are in New Yorker’s blood" LINK

The New York Daily News’ Tracy Miller: "In Obama’s official presidential portrait, the eyes have it" LINK

2009: PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA AND THE INAUGURATION:

Heading to D.C. for the Inauguration? ABC News Wants to Hear from You: LINK

ABC News’ Teri Finneman: "Inauguration Guests: Be on the Look Out For…" LINK

ABC News’ Jake Tapper: "More on PEBO’s get-togethers with columnists of various stripes" LINK

ABC News’ Sunlen Miller: "Obama Team Aims to Go Green This Inaugural" LINK

ABC News’ Russell Goldman: "Cadillac Will Unveil President’s High-Tech Limo at Inauguration" LINK

ABC News’ Kristi Berner: "WWMW? What Will Michelle Wear?" LINK

USA Today’s Kevin Johnson: "Security braces for inaugural throngs" LINK

USA Today: "Interactive Inaugural parade map" LINK

USA Today’s Greg Toppo: "A few words for Obama on closing the ‘achievement gap’" LINK

The Associated Press’ Sharon Theimer: "Obama reaches $40M goal for inauguration" LINK

The Washington Times’ Julia Duin: “Faithful to celebrate Obama with dance, song” LINK

The New York Times’ David Johnston: "Security Net Wraps Capital for Inaugural" LINK

The Washington Post’s Petula Dvorak: "Finding Havens for the Homeless" LINK

2009: PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA AND THE ECONOMY:

ABC News’ Jonathan Karl and Mark Mooney: "Pelosi Hints Obama Will Get His $350 Billion TARP Request" LINK

The Associted Press’ Jim Kuhnhenn: "A Bailout Vote for a President-in-Waiting" LINK

USA Today’s Del Jones: "Businesses put politics aside, take president in stride" LINK

USA Today’s Matt Kelley: "Economic stimulus could balloon to $850 billion" LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s Laura Meckler: "Obama, Stimulus Proposals Enjoy Broad Backing in Poll" LINK

Time Magazines’ Bill Powell: “Can Tim Geithner Lead the Economy Out of Its Mess?” LINK

The Washington Times’ Stephen Dinan: “Obama reaches out to business lobby” LINK

The Washington Times’ Michael Barone: “Obama’s economic strategy” LINK

2009: VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT JOE BIDEN:

The Associated Press: "Biden to Obama: Afghanistan war will get worse" LINK

2009: ECONOMY/AUTO INDUSTRY:

The Associated Press: "Report: Bank of America Could Get More Gov’t Aid" LINK

ABC News’ Dan Childs, Ki Mae Heussner and Radha Chitale: "Illness Forces Jobs From Apple CEO Post" LINK

USA Today’s Stephanie Armour: "2008 foreclosure filings set record" LINK

USA Today’s Adam Shell: "Ghost of 2008 haunts investors as markets start year grimly" LINK

The Hill’s J. Taylor Rushing and Molly K. Hooper: "GOP Leaders Take Different Approach to Bailout Funds" LINK

The Hill’s Silla Brush: "Durbin Says 2010 Is Year Of Tax Reckoning" LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s Staff: "Bank of America to Get Billions in U.S. Aid" LINK

The Wall Street Journal’s Stephen Power: "Foreclosure Filings Up 81% in 2008" LINK

The Los Angeles Times’ Michael Hiltzik: “Yes, Jobs’ health is investors’ business” LINK

The Los Angeles Times’ Martin Zimmerman: “Companies find spreading pain preferable to cutting jobs” LINK

The Los Angeles Times’ Tom Petruno: “Paulson’s ‘stabilized’ financial system destabilizes again” LINK

The Los Angeles Times’ Ken Bensinger: “Major U.S. automakers pull out of Tokyo Motor Show” LINK

The New York Times’ John Leland: "Swindlers Find Growing Market in Foreclosures" LINK

The New York Times’ Eric Dash: "Buyers for a Citigroup Fire Sale Have Probably Been Singed, Too" LINK

The New York Times’ Bank of America May Receive More Bailout Money" LINK

The Washington Post’s David Cho, Binyamin Appelbaum and Lori Montgomery: "Bank Losses complicate U.S. Rescue" LINK

The Washington Post’s Dion Haynes: "Shoppers Sidelined in Long Retail Slump" LINK

The Washington Post’s’ N.C. Aizenman: "Recession Unlikely to Drive Away Illegal Immigrants, Report Finds" LINK

The Washington Post’s Paul Kane: "Democrats Finishing Up Stimulus Proposal" LINK

The Washington Post’s Peter Whoriskey: "Automakers’ Fate is on the Table" LINK

2009: CURRENT ADMINISTRATION:

ABC News’ Ariane de Vogue and Dennis Powell: "Cheney: ‘Can’t Claim Perfection’ on No-Torture Policy" LINK

Politico’s Mike Allen: "Bush launches post-presidential office" LINK

The Washington Times’ Jon Ward: “Bush to bid farewell among friends” LINK

The Los Angeles Times’ Noam N. Levey: “House votes to expand healthcare for children” LINK

The Los Angeles Times’ David G. Savage: “Supreme Court loosens law on illegal searches” LINK

The Los Angeles Times’ Julian E. Barnes and Peter Nicholas: “Let some Guantanamo Bay detainees live in U.S., advocates say” LINK

The Los Angeles Times’ Jim Tankersley: “Gray wolves to lose endangered status” LINK

2009: SENATE:

The Hill’s Aaron Blake: "Cornyn urges Hutchison To Stay, Keep Texas Seat Red " LINK

The Hill’s J. Taylor Rushing: "Cornyn Says GOP Talking To Crist About Senate Bid" LINK

Newsweek Magazines’ Brooks Jackson: “Sliming Pelosi” LINK

The Washington Time’s Kara Rowland and David R. Sands: “Hill support erodes for bailout funding” LINK

2009: CAROLINE KENNEDY:

The New York Daily News’ Kenneth Lovett and Glenn Blain: "Poll: New Yorkers now want Cuomo over Kennedy" LINK

2009: ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT:

USA Today’s Brad Heath and Blake Morrison: "EPA nominee pledges to address toxic hot spots around schools" LINK

The Washington Post’s Juliet Eilperin: "Nominee Signals Big Changes for EPA" LINK

2009: OTHER MUST-READS:

ABC News’ Sarah Netter: "New Charges for Pilot Suspected of Faking Death" LINK

ABC News’ Cynthia McFadden and Ted Gerstein: "Citizens of ‘Sludge City’ File Lawsuit against Ford over Toxic Waste" LINK

The Hill’s Silla Brush:" Fed Under New Scrutiny" LINK

The Hill’s Roxana Tiron: "Navy clears carrier for Florida" LINK

The New York Times’ Michael Falcone: "Court Orders Search of White House Computers" LINK

The New York Times’ Laurie Goodstein: "Religious Groups Seek Swift Ban from Obama on Torture" LINK

The Washington Post’s Joel Achenbach: "Ex-Fighter Pilot Could Be Next NASA Chief" LINK