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Sources: Obama to keep Gates at Pentagon

WASHINGTON, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- President-elect Barack Obama has decided to keep Robert Gates as U.S. defense secretary, sources close to the transition team said.

The New York Times reported Tuesday the Obama team is close to reaching an agreement with Gates for him to remain as defense secretary for perhaps a year. The newspaper reported that the decision is expected to be announced next week.

Observers said keeping Gates on will give the Obama administration a defense chief with bipartisan support. Gates would not have to be renominated or reconfirmed by the Senate.

On Tuesday, Obama lost a top candidate for director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

In a letter to the president-elect, CIA veteran John O. Brennan withdrew his name from consideration Tuesday amid concerns that he was linked to controversial intelligence programs authorized by the Bush administration.

He said he did not want these concerns to be a "distraction" for the incoming administration, the newspaper said.

Rep. Dingell admitted to hospital

BETHESDA, Md., Nov. 25 (UPI) -- U.S. Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., was admitted to Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland Tuesday as a precaution, officials said.

The Detroit News reported that Dingell, 82, was admitted as a precautionary measure after he felt some discomfort.

"The congressman is fully conscious and was joking with his staff from his cell phone while en route to the hospital. The congressman expects to be back to work for the people of Michigan in about a day or so," press secretary Adam Benson said.

Dingell, who was elected in 1955, is the longest-serving member of the U.S. House. He recently had knee surgery.

Dingell last week lost his chairmanship of the House Energy and Commerce Committee to Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif.

Club owners testify in Kilpatrick probe

DETROIT, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- The owners of a Detroit nightclub say city building officials extorted contributions to Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's campaign fund, the Detroit Free Press reports.

Mark Hausner told the newspaper that he spent more than two hours last week before a federal grand jury. He said that one of his partners in the Rhino, a recently closed club, testified for 20 minutes while the other partner was summoned to testify but not called before the grand jury.

Kilpatrick resigned as mayor earlier this year, pleading guilty to state charges that he lied about his affair with his chief of staff and their role in the firing of police officers. He has not yet been charged with federal crimes but is reported to be a target of an investigation that also involves many in his family.

Hausner and Jeff Baer said they were asked about donations to Kilpatrick political funds and about the Detroit Economic Growth Corp.

"Representatives of the Kwame Kilpatrick administration shook my clients down for thousands of dollars," David Steingold, a lawyer representing the partners, said.

Israeli rabbis plan economy prayer

JERUSALEM, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- Jewish leaders in Israel have named a special day of prayer aimed at curbing the global financial crisis.

Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi Yona Metzger and Chief Sephardi Rabbi Shlomo Amar issued a joint statement calling for Jews across the country to synchronize prayers for economic stability Thursday, the first day of the Jewish month of Kislev, The Jerusalem Post reported Tuesday.

"Education and Torah institutions are failing to make ends meet, and many are in danger of closure," the rabbis wrote. "Factories and businesses are firing workers, and many household heads are no longer able to support their families. Therefore, we call on the public to pray one hour before mincha (the afternoon prayer) on Thursday in synagogues across the nation."

The statement came as many religious institutions in Israel said foreign-based donations have slowed in the face of the economic downturn. Many of the institutions said they rely solely on the donations for money.