1 | Congo Cooperation Amid Chaos Nearly 1,500 Rwandan troops have joined the Congolese army to hunt down Hutu militia leaders suspected of orchestrating the 1994 genocide against the nation's Tutsi tribes. The alliance further undermines the authority of Tutsi rebel leader Laurent Nkunda, whose forces have split since fighting between Nkunda's militia and Congolese soldiers broke out in August. More than 250,000 villagers have been displaced by the fighting; Human Rights Watch reports that 650 people were killed in December alone. But some analysts say the region's violence has less to do with tribal conflict and more to do with the struggle over control of its mineral resources.
2 | North Korea Up Next: Kim Junior? Citing intelligence sources, South Korean news outlets reported that Dear Leader Kim Jong Il, who has barely been seen since suffering a suspected stroke last August, has named his youngest son, Jong Un, as his successor. Little is known about Jong Un, who is in his mid-20s and has lived a life of secrecy--much as his father has.
3 | Georgia Perilous Peanuts Nearly 500 people in 43 states have been sickened by a salmonella outbreak caused by tainted peanut butter and peanut-butter products. Made at the Peanut Corp. of America's Blakely, Ga., plant on or after July 1, 2008, the products were not sold directly to the public but distributed to other food companies. Kellogg Co. has recalled 16 of its products, including items from its Keebler and Famous Amos labels, and said salmonella was found in some of its peanut-butter crackers. The outbreak, which may have contributed to six deaths, is unrelated to a 2007 peanut-butter recall by food giant ConAgra.
4 | Washington No Pardons On his last full day as President, George W. Bush performed just two acts of clemency: he commuted the sentences of two former U.S. border-patrol agents whose controversial convictions for shooting a Mexican drug smuggler ignited fierce debate over border policies. By comparison, his predecessor, Bill Clinton, granted 140 pardons and 36 commutations on his final day in office.
5 | New York City Job Cuts Hit Urbanites Hard Cities and their surrounding communities account for 90% of all U.S. income, according to a new report from the Conference of Mayors, which is why its forecast of huge job losses in these regions is so troubling. Leading the job cuts are New York City, which is expected to undergo more painful layoffs in the financial sector, and Los Angeles, where depressed home prices have ravaged the local economy. The report also predicts that the overall unemployment rate in metropolitan areas will rise above 9% in 2010.
U.S. metropolitan areas with the largest predicted 2009 job losses
New York 180,800
Los Angeles 164,100
Miami 84,800
Chicago 80,300
Boston 58,500
Phoenix 51,000
Atlanta 50,900
Detroit 50,400
San Francisco 49,200
Dallas 45,200