Obama names financial advisers. Flanked in Chicago by financial experts who will shape his economic recovery plan, President-elect Barack Obama showed he is ready to attack the financial crisis now rather than wait until he officially takes office on Jan. 20. “It is my hope that the new Congress will begin work on an aggressive economic recovery plan when they convene in early January, so that our administration can hit the ground running,” Obama said at a news conference in his hometown. Read the rest here.

A Delaware man admits to voter fraud. A 34-year-old Chester man arrested last month for alleged voter-registration fraud admitted his guilt yesterday in Delaware County Court. Jemar Barksdale, an ex-employee of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), was accused of turning in voter-registration cards for 18 already-registered voters, altering information, and forging signatures. He pleaded guilty to charges of forgery, identity theft, and tampering with public records, Deputy District Attorney Greg Hurchalla told PhillyNews.com. Under the terms of the plea agreement approved in Delaware County Court, Barksdale, who spent about a week in prison on the charges, must serve six to 23 months on house arrest, undergo a psychiatric evaluation, perform eight hours of community service, and pay $574 in restitution to ACORN, Hurchalla said.