NY FISHBOWL: Barry Blitt, the cartoonist responsible for the New Yorker‘s controversial terrorist fist-jabbing cover, among others, returns this week to “vet” Barack Obama. Of course this time around “Vetting” refers to the all important decision of picking a “first” puppy — thus far we know they want a mutt, but that it needs to be hypoallergenic and won’t be a girly dog. MORE
LOS ANGELES TIMES: Reporting from Chicago — President-elect Barack Obama unveiled his national security 
team today, including formally announcing his intention to nominate his onetime rival for the Democratic nomination, Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York, as the next secretary of State.Obama also announced his intention to keep current Defense Secretary Robert Gates in his post, likely for at least a year in the new administration. The president-elect also said he would nominate Susan Rice as ambassador to the United Nations, retired Marine Gen. James Jones as his national security adviser, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano as homeland security director and Eric Holder as attorney general. MORE
BREITBART: “The American people have demanded not just a new direction at home, but a new effort to renew America’s standing in the world as a force for positive change,” Clinton told a Chicago press conference after being nominated to the post of secretary of state by president-elect Barack Obama. Clinton vowed to “reach out to the world again” after eight years of President George W. Bush’s administration and promised to give “this assignment, your administration and my country, my all.” Hillary Clinton on Monday vowed to make the United States a new force for positive change, saying that as secretary of state she would work with the world community to solve global crises. MORE
ALSO: It’s official: for the last year, the United States economy has been in recession. The evidence of a downturn has been widespread for months: slower production, stagnant wages and hundreds of thousands of lost jobs. But the nonpartisan National Bureau of Economic Research, charged with making the call for the history books, waited until now to weigh in. In a statement released Monday, the members of the group’s Business Cycle Dating Committee — made up of seven prominent economists, most from the academic sector — said that the economy entered a recession in December 2007. MORE
NPR FOR THE DEAF: We Hear It Even When You Can’t
FRESH AIR
Actor Jeffrey Wright plays Muddy Waters in Darnell Martin’s new film Cadillac Records. The film tells the story of Chicago’s Chess Records, where Waters launched his career alongside Etta James, Chuck Berry and others.Wright’s other roles include American CIA Agent Felix Leiter in the most recent Bond films as well as Colin Powell in Oliver Stone’s biopic W. Earlier, the actor made his name on the stage; he won a Tony for his portrayal of a nurse in Tony Kushner’s epic Angels in America, and later took home an Emmy for the HBO adaptation of the play.
ALSO: the 1950s insult comic Don Rickles made a name for himself — and earned several notable nicknames, including “The Merchant of Venom” and “Mr. Warmth” — by poking fun of audiences and public figures. His new book, Rickles’ Letters, is a collection of imaginary correspondences to a variety of historical and contemporary figures, from Mary Todd Lincoln and Ben Franklin to Santa Claus. In this segment, Rickles talks about the origins of his comedy and how early audiences responded to his act.
PREVIOUSLY: Robert Gordon‘s biography of blues legend Muddy Waters, Can’t Be Satisfied: The Life and Times of Muddy Waters, is now out in paperback. Waters is credited with inventing electric blues and creating the template for the rock ‘n’ roll band. Gordon also produced and directed an accompanying documentary of the same name which was broadcast on PBS in April as part of the American Masters series. Gordon’s other books are It Came From Memphis, and The King on the Road. He also produced the Al Green box set, Anthology. This interview first aired October 3, 2002. [HIGHLY RECOMMENDED]
MUDDY WATERS: Hoochie Coochie Man