Misery Index

■  Unemployment rate up to 6.5% in October, employers cut 240,000 jobs in October, bringing the year's total job losses to nearly 1.2 million.  [CNN Money]

■  Ford burns through $7.7 billion, more job cuts.  [Clusterstock]

■  Ford posted a 22% drop in quarterly revenues and announces more job cuts.  [WSJ]

■  Chrysler preparing worst-case scenario.  [New York Times]

■  Citigroup planning another round of layoffs.  [New York Times]

■  Ford, GM say they'll do anything for taxpayer bailout. [WSJ]

■  Banks eager to dump trash assets on taxpayers, Treasury not buying [WSJ]

■  Patients too poor to pay doctors, hospitals [New York Times]

■ GMAC leaves individuals holding car lender's $15 billion junk-rated debt.  [Bloomberg]

■  States face unemployment cash crisis, forcing them to borrow from Washington to pay claims.  [CNN Money]

■  Financial crisis related suicides likely to increase.  [New York Times]

■  Business booming at pawn shops [Bloomberg]

■  Gas prices drop for 51 days straight.  [CNN Money]

■  Wal-Mart sales up 2.4% versus Target down 0.7% [Orlando Business Journal]

■  Gun sales up in fears of Democratic ban.  [AP via Yahoo]

OBAMA NEWS

■  Visit Obama's official "Office of the President-Elect" Web site and give your opinion on what needs changed, or apply for a job.

■  Obama appoints advisers for his Transition Economic Advisory Board (TEAB).  [Telegraph]

■  Obama appoints Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill) chief of staff [Politico]

■  Obama appoints chief of staff [Aljazeera]  (Just for fun...)'

■  Obama appoints Robert Gibbs as his White House press secretary [Politico via MLive]

■  Obama appoints Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm and former Democrat Congressman David Bonior to his economic team.  [Detroit News]

■  Possible names for top Obama administration jobs.  [AP via Yahoo]

■  Jesse Jackson, Jr is lobbying Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich for the appointment of Obama's Senator seat.  [USA Today]

■  Latinos push for Cabinet posts [Political via Yahoo]

■  Obama Chance To Appoint Supremes [Black Star News]

■ And Obama, only three days after winning the popular vote in the election, had a press conference.  [AP via Yahoo]  But note, he took no questions... get use to it.