President-elect Barack Obama is expected to announce (WashPost) his energy and environmental policy team at a press conference in Chicago on Monday.

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“I am disappointed that the Senate could not reach agreement on a short-term plan for the auto industry.  I share the frustration of so many about the decades of mismanagement in this industry that has helped deliver the current crisis. Those bad practices cannot be rewarded or continued.  But I also know that millions of American jobs rely directly or indirectly on a viable auto industry, and that the beginnings of reform are at hand.  The revival of our economy as a whole should not be a partisan issue.  So I commend those in Congress as well as the Administration who tried valiantly to forge a compromise.  My hope is that the Administration and the Congress will still find a way to give the industry the temporary assistance it needs while demanding the long-term restructuring that is absolutely required.”

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Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) said Thursday he believes the Senate will allow (Reuters) President Barack Obama to sign a UN climate change pact in Copenhagen next year, even if climate change laws have not yet been passed in the United States by that point. Still, Kerry stressed, “What’s important is that we go to Copenhagen understanding that no treaty is going to pass the U.S. Senate unless it is a global solution. China, India, Russia — all countries have to be part of the solution.”

President-elect Barack Obama has reportedly selected his nominees (WSJ) to top energy and environmental posts in his incoming administration.   His picks will face a tall policy order, including dealing with the challenges of climate change, decreasing U.S. dependence on foreign oil, and converting the country to alternative energy sources.

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President-elect Barack Obama will meet with the chairmen of the National War Powers Commission Thursday in Chicago.

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President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden met with former Vice President Al Gore on Tuesday to discuss the new administration’s policy on climate change (AP).

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A task force led by former secretary of state Madeleine Albright and former defense secretary William Cohen released a report (WashPost) Monday urging President-elect Barack Obama to create a high-level forum to guide U.S. government policy on the threat of genocide.

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Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hasan Qashqavi said Monday that President-elect Barack Obama’s plan to pressure Iran on its nuclear program and other issues will not work. “The carrot-and-stick policy has no benefit,” Qashqavi said at a press briefing. “It is unacceptable and failed.” (AP)

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President-elect Barack Obama announced Sunday that Gen. Eric Shinseki is his nominee to be secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Shinseki, a Vietnam veteran and former Army chief of staff, was replaced after questioning former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s strategy in Iraq.

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Though the incoming presidential administration has indicated its first priority will be repairing the troubled U.S. economy, President-elect Barack Obama emphasized throughout his campaign that combating climate change will also be a top agenda item. Obama plans to reduce U.S. greenhouse gases by 80 percent by 2050, and has pledged to create millions of “green jobs.” At a symposium on policy and strategies to combat climate change Tuesday, business leaders seemed to agree Obama should institute a federal cap-and-trade system for carbon emissions.

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