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6 | Guinea Junta Seizes Power Following the Dec. 22 death of President Lansana Conté--during whose repressive 24-year rule this West African nation endured crippling poverty and rampant corruption--a military junta dismantled the government and seized power, leading the African Union to suspend Guinea's membership. Not everyone joined the body in condemning the coup: many citizens rejoiced at the prospect of a fresh start, while neighboring Senegal argued that the junta should be recognized, pointing to, among other benefits, its promise to hold elections in 2010.
7 | Washington Rescue Cash For GMAC In an effort to enable Americans to buy cars again, the U.S. Treasury bought a $5 billion stake in beleaguered auto-financing company GMAC and offered to loan up to $1 billion to shareholder General Motors. GMAC, which has drastically tightened loan criteria in recent months, said it would immediately begin lending to consumers with lower credit scores.
8 | Illinois Blagojevich's Bold Move Amid a criminal probe into accusations he attempted to sell Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has appointed former state attorney general Roland Burris, 71, to fill the spot. With Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid vowing not to seat a successor appointed by Blagojevich, the position seems likely to remain in limbo. In a statement, Obama called Burris "a fine public servant" but said Blagojevich's decision was "extremely disappointing."
9 | China Trying to Make Good On Bad Milk In an attempt to prove that food safety is a top priority, Beijing has put more than a dozen people on trial for the tainted milk products that killed six, sickened nearly 300,000 and led to one of the largest food recalls in history. The companies responsible must pay about $160 million to victims and their families.
Homicides committed by males 14 to 17 years old in the U.S., by race*
[This article contains a complex diagram. Please see hardcopy of magazine or PDF.]
White juveniles 2000 2007
Black juveniles 2000 2007
*1 square = 2 people
(SOURCE: JAMES ALAN FOX AND MARK L. SWATT, NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY)
10 | Boston Black Teen Homicides Rise According to a study by researchers at Boston's Northeastern University, the number of black male teens involved in homicides rose 34% from 2000 to 2007 while the rate among white teens remained stable. It lays part of the blame on massive funding cuts for law-enforcement and juvenile-crime-prevention programs.
* | What They're Recalling in the U.S.: Frosty the Snowman? More like Fiery the Snowman. Hallmark Cards Inc. is recalling nearly 7,000 jumbo-size snow globes after the Consumer Product Safety Commission discovered that the globes can act as magnifying glasses and start fires when placed in direct sunlight. The good news? Customers can return the 17-in. (43 cm) holiday doodad for a full refund of $100.