Top stories on the Obama Administration

As president-elect Barack Obama took the first steps toward the transition into the White House, we turned our attention to the incoming Obama Administration. Obama's staff and transition team took shape last week, with some appointments drawing harsh criticism from the Republican opposition in Congress. The surge in post-election analysis gave way to closer examination of Obama's inside circles and speculation about his cabinet picks. Our community sought out some excellent journalism on this topic, which has remained at the forefront of media coverage, now two weeks after the 2008 election. Here are some of the top-rated stories we found:

News

The Joshua Generation
New Yorker (Special Report)

In transition, tangle of ties to lobbying
New York Times (News Report)

The New Liberal Order
Time (News Analysis)

Vast Obama network becomes a political footbal
Los Angeles Times (Special Report)

Local newspapers cover rising number of racist anti-Obama actions in small towns
Editor & Publisher (News Analysis)

Bush sets free trade trap for Obama
Salon (News Analysis)

Opinion

Bailout to nowhere
New York Times (Opinion)

Picking Obama's team: Balancing smart retreads with fresh faces
Bloomberg (Opinion)

A hard-headed strategy of inclusion
National Journal (Opinion)

Obama's chance to end the fantasy that is Star Wars
The Independent (Opinion)

The corn isn't green
Slate (Opinion)

This week: Global Economy with Northeastern
Our featured topic this week is the global economy. Economic downturn in the United States has begun to take its toll on goods prices, labor, trade, currencies, politics and livelihoods in the rest of the world. Both domestic and international media have picked up on the ripple effect the financial crisis and other events have had on major economies, as well as developing countries. We're partnering with journalism professor and NewsTrust advisor Dan Kennedy and his students from Northeastern University to find the best news and opinion on this topic.

Please join us in seeking out great journalism on the global economy by visiting our Global Economy topic page and reviewing unrated stories.