0 The Statement Wednesday, January 6, 2010 Wedesay Jnury6,200 / heStteen -+3 n/ 0 M> c E ~3E Q) ... --- %+ U -U -- Ec m{ sty ga gr news in review conomy shmashmonomy. While some economists are "optimistic" things will improve in the future, ost agree that any improvement will be from bad to, well, less bad. Michigan is in the unlucky group of ates that has been hit particularly hard by the Great Recession. Near the end of the last decade, Michi- an had the highest unemployment rate of any state in the union at 15 percent. But hey, there's always rad school or Teach for America. Five of the most talked-about stories of the week, ranked in order of actual importance 1 The decline of a giant. What was once arguably the center of the world's auto market came crashing down at the tail end of the decade. While there may still have been a chicken in every pot, there certainly wasn't a Ford in every driveway. Years from now, Obama's decision to bail out the automakers may go down as one of the most pivotal decisions of his admin- istration. Some saw the bailout as a necessity to keep the economy afloat, while others felt it slapped the free market in the face. Like a neon pink broad-tipped marker, the bailout put a highlight on the financial and employment troubles for the state of Michigan and the country. We know it's the Rose Bowl. And we know the Big Ten hasn't won in over a decade. But come on. This is Ohio State we're talking about. They've beaten us six years in a row. What do we really care about more: a Big Ten win or an OSU loss? ------------- As it turns out, the now infamous couple who crashed the White House State Dinner in Nov. weren't alone. The Secret Service just announced a third attendee who wasn't on the guest list: Car- los Allen, a D.C. party promoter. Charges were dropped against the five Blackwater guards ac- cused of killing 17 unarmed Iraqi civilians in 2007. Citing gaffes by the U.S. government, a federal judge dismissed the case, upset- ting Iraqi government officials. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~- - - - ~- In his first public comments of The University announced yes- the new year, President Barack terday that Domino's CEO David Obama said his administration Brandon will succeed Bill Martin "failed to connect the dots" that as its next Athletic Director. The pointed to Umar Farouk Abdul- announcement follows Martin's matallab as a potential terror decision to retire. Brandon will start suspect. his five-year appointment March 8. ~- - - - - ~-- - -~ ~~-- - - - - - ~ - Obama. Period. Nov. 4, 2008 saw what was undoubtedly the most historic presidential election to date. What made it even cooler was the fact that for most University students, it was the first election we had been eligible to vote in, and everyone loves to be part of an historic event. When the election was called and Barack Obama was named the 44th president of the United States, the streets of Ann Arbor were flooded with his supporters celebrating both the victory and the significance of the first Black president-elect. Though Obama has come under criticism lately, we're curious to see what he does next and the kind of impact he will undoubtedly have going into this new decade. Operation Iraqi Freedom. No war has so divided the country like the current one in Iraq since the U.S.'s involvement in Vietnam in the 1960s. Under President Bush, a multinational force led by the U.S. and the United Kingdom invaded Iraq on March 20, 2003under the claim that the country pos- sessed weapons of mass destruction. Though evidence of WMDs has yet to be discovered, our troops remain oversees with American military casualties exceeding 4,300. While there have been talks of withdrawal, action has yet to be taken. Whether you agree with the war or not, everyone has an opinion and will be watching for Obama's next move in Iraq. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 quotes of the week on the cheap 'We are not terrorists. We are jihadists, and jihad is not How to save money on textbooks terrorism. RAMY ZAMZAM, one of five Americans arrested in Pakistan and accused of plan- '3Lo ning terrorist attacks. The men appeared in court Monday and denied they were f X planning attacks. 'This is by far the biggest study ever carried out and it shows / fairly conclusively that the idea of a G-spot is subjective.' TIM SPECTOR, of King's College London, after publishing a study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine that found that the G-spot may not exist. 1'I 'We weren't sure how high we could go.' BILL BAKER, structural engineer of the Bur Khalifa, the world's tallest building. The building, which cost an estimated $1.5 billion and officially opened in Dubai on Monday, stands at 2,717 feet. The next closest building, the Taipei Financial Center ILLUSTRATION BY KATIE EBERTS in Taiwan, is 1,667 feet tall. A new semester of classes always mean one thing: new textbooks. And while you could hand over your parents' credit card, the remainder of your life's savings or your soul to cover the cost, there are other options available to you. the rules Contrary to popular belief, the campus libraries are full of books you can borrow (gasp!) for free. Before rushing to buy anything, check if it's available in one of the University's 28 libraries. No. 236: No. 237: No. 238: New books are overrated with their unmarred pages; used books have character. Go to .oy.wo' Half.com and Facebook Marketplace for easy, cheap ways to buy pre-owned, or visit the Giving a gift receipt If you ask, 'Are you You know you won't Dawn Treader Book Shop for inexpensive used volumes. defeats the purpose. sitting down for this," be able to commit to If all else fails, just don't buy the book. How many times have you purchased a new book You might as well someone better be the gym five days a only to leave it unopened for the entire semester? Or, try book co-opting with classmates: you buy one, that cute boy buys another, you share and voila! - you have a Stats boyfriend. just get them a gift dead. Or at least in week, so don't even Have advice for life on the cheap? Let us know. E-mail onthecheap@umich.edu- card to the mall. the hospital. make the resolution. --ALLIE WHITE by the numbers by 6 6COURTESY OF HARPER'S INDEX Chances that a job created in the U.S. Number of countries whose gross nation- Ratio of the population of North Dako- since the end of the recession is at Wal- al product last year was less than the ta to the total number of Americans Mart amount spent worldwide at Wal-Mart employed by Wal-Mart Terrorist Attacks. Since Sept. 11, 2001, the last few years have been marred by countless stories of terror- ist attacks. There's no denying it: terrorism, and the fear that ensued, was a huge part of our lives during the decade, all the way up to the final week, when Omar Farouk Abdulmuttallab tried to blow up a plane as it began its descent toward Detroit Metro Airport on Christmas day. And though airport security has undoubtedly increased in response to these attacks, it's hard to say if it's actually gotten any better. MOSHE BURSUKER/AP