SPB News for Friday.

Sears Tower to get new name

Michele Obama Tours NC Army Base

WH To UN: Who Are You Calling A 'Deadbeat'?

ABC: Another Top Treasury Pick Withdraws

Obama To GOP: Saying No Is Easy, Governing Is Hard

Anti-Earmark Campaigner Palin Sought Omnibus Pork

Holder Authorizes Death Penalty In Prison Guard Killing

Obama Considering Deploying Troops to U.S.-Mexico Border President Obama says he's considering whether to deploy National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, after Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) made an urgent call fort 1,000 more "boots on the ground" to deal with the growing violence. The president weighed the option during a meeting with regional reporters Wednesday afternoon.

Mexico violence prompts new look at US gun laws A gun control expert says the administration can help control drug violence in Mexico by enforcing already existing laws. Expert Tom Diaz says that imports of certain semiautomatic rifles were regulated under the first Bush and Clinton administrations. But he told a House panel Wednesday the import rules were relaxed under the most recent Bush administration.

Army fired 11 soldiers in Jan. as openly gay The Army fired 11 soldiers in January for violating the military's policy that gay service members must keep their sexuality hidden, according to a Virginia congressman. Democratic Rep. Jim Moran said he has requested monthly updates from the Pentagon on the impact of the policy until it is repealed.

TSA Probing Vitter Incident The Transportation Security Administration is examining Sen. David Vitter's much-reported decision to open the closed gateway door to his plane -- even though he was warned against it by an airline worker. "We will be reviewing the alleged incident," Lauren Gaches, a TSA spokeswoman, told On Call this evening.

Greek 'terror' group: Citibank attacked over crisis --Greek 'terror' group says Citibank attacks over financial crisis, promises more bombings A Greek militant group threatened in a statement published Thursday to continue its bombing campaign, saying recent attacks against Citibank were in response to the international financial crisis. The Pontiki weekly newspaper published a statement from the Revolutionary Struggle group, which claimed responsibility for a failed car-bomb attack Feb. 18 on Citibank offices in Athens and a bomb attack Monday on a suburban Citibank branch that caused damage but no injuries.

Unemployment 'is now a national emergency' More than 1-in-10 workers were unemployed in four U.S. states in January, the government said Wednesday in a report that pointed to a rapid deterioration in the job market. The unemployment rate in Michigan was 11.6%, up 4.3 percentage points from a year earlier and the highest for any state, the Labor Department said.

Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:

Steele And Gay Couples: WTF?

Obama to visit SoCal to talk economy

Obama's press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters at the daily White House briefing Wednesday that Obama will be in California March18 for a day and a half.

Gibbs said the president will focus on the economy, adding that California's economy is crucial to the United States.

The recent financial downtown has hit hard in the Golden State. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has touted California's robust economy, calling it the sixth largest economy in the world.