Briefing

NEW ORLEANS Dwight Howard wins slam-dunk contest at NBA All-Star game

DALLAS New documents and objects linked to J.F.K. assassination are revealed

NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY Victims are treated after a student opens fire

WASHINGTON House Republicans stage a walkout on Capitol Hill

PARIS Police raid housing projects to arrest riot suspects

INFOGRAPHIC Viral Video Sparks a Major Beef Recall

Westland/Hallmark Meat Company ordered the largest meat recall in history on Feb. 17, nearly three weeks after an undercover video apparently showed its employees abusing cattle. There have been 1,645 food recalls since 2001. Here are some of the biggest:

143 million lbs. BEEF All Westland beef made since February 2006 was recalled, but most has probably been eaten--25% of it in school lunches.

27 million lbs. POULTRY The country's second largest producer, Pilgrim's Pride, recalled chicken and turkey in 2002 after detecting listeria at its plant.

$350 million SPINACH Following deaths linked to E. coli--contaminated spinach, recalls in 2006 cost the industry 20% of its business.

90 brands PET FOOD In 2007, Menu Foods pet products tainted by melamine--which caused kidney failure in more than 100 pets--were pulled from shelves. A SHOCKING DISPLAY A Humane Society video of workers at a Chino, Calif., slaughterhouse forcing unhealthy animals to move by prodding them or using forklifts caused an uproar when it spread online. It prompted a USDA investigation, which found that these "downer" cows--ones that are unable to walk--weren't being properly inspected.

EXPLAINER

The Bond-Insurance Mess

Backed by a pristine credit rating and mountains of cash, bond insurers promise to repay principal and interest if an issuer cannot. By paying for a bond insurer's guarantee, cities and states can borrow more cheaply to build schools, bridges and roads. Here's how the bond insurers' troubles are spreading to Main Street:

THE HOUSING BOOM As the housing industry flourishes, bond insurers expand to guarantee riskier, more complex debt, like subprime mortgages

THE MORTGAGE BUST As more homeowners default, insurers face a rash of claims, spoiling their once sterling credit ratings

PAST WALL STREET The downgrades ripple to municipalities, making their debt more expensive

WHAT'S NEXT? States like Michigan, which suspended a student-loan program, will feel the pinch. If insurers can't regain ratings or split off municipal debt, they could go under, meaning fewer public works or higher taxes

UPDATE

Revisiting Haditha

One of the most notorious incidents of the Iraq war is still being tried in court. In March 2006 TIME broke the story of a November 2005 encounter involving U.S. Marines in Haditha, Iraq, that left 24 civilians dead. Since then, three officers have been stripped of their titles, while three others have been issued letters of censure. Four more face trial. Charges against four others have been dropped.

WHO'S WHO STAFF SERGEANT FRANK WUTERICH The officer in charge that day, Wuterich (above) faces nine counts of voluntary manslaughter. His trial could begin as early as next week.

LANCE CORPORAL STEPHEN TATUM Charged with involuntary manslaughter, he will go on trial in March.

LIEUT. COLONEL JEFFREY CHESSANI As the battalion commander at Haditha, Chessani allegedly ignored a possible violation of the laws of war. His trial is scheduled for spring.

LIEUT. GENERAL SAMUEL HELLAND Helland has been overseeing the Haditha cases. Investigating officers have softened some of the charges--including Wuterich's.

PUBLIC HEALTH

FEMA's Toxic Trailers

The complaints--breathing difficulties and nosebleeds--have been trickling in for more than two years from some of the 38,000 families still displaced by hurricanes Katrina and Rita who live in FEMA trailers. The suspicions--that the trailers themselves caused the health problems--were confirmed only on Feb. 14. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the 519 sampled trailers in Louisiana and Mississippi typically contained an average of about five times the acceptable level of formaldehyde gas, a carcinogen. FEMA says it will attempt to relocate all residents before the summer.