The bottom line
GM's sales in China outstrip sales in U.S.; iPhones new tamper-proof screws; U.S. Treasury profits from toxic asset funds; The worst-selling No. 1 albums; A new skill for toddlers
GM's sales in China outstrip sales in U.S.
For the first time in General Motors’ 102-year history, the carmaker last year sold more cars in China than it did in the U.S. GM sold 2.35 million vehicles in China, compared with 2.21 million in the U.S.
USA Today
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
iPhones new tamper-proof screws
Apple technicians are replacing the conventional screws on iPhones brought in for repair with tamper-proof screws designed to prevent users from opening the devices themselves. Apple doesn’t want anyone but its own technicians opening the phone to replace the battery, for which Apple charges as much as $79.
New York Post
U.S. Treasury profits from toxic asset funds
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The funds set up by the U.S. Treasury to take toxic assets off the hands of financial firms have earned a combined 27 percent return, the Treasury said. The funds, run by private managers, spent $5.2 billion of the Treasury’s money on the assets. The assets are now worth $6.3 billion, according to Treasury data.
CNBC.com
The worst-selling No. 1 albums
One week after Taylor Swift’s Speak Now became the worst-selling No. 1 album in 30 years, the record industry hit a new nadir last week. Showroom of Compassion by alternative band Cake topped the chart with even fewer sales—just 44,000.
PublicRadio.org
A new skill for toddlers
Nearly one in five children ages 2 to 5—19 percent—can operate a smartphone application, according to a survey by security-software developer AVG. Only 9 percent of children that age can tie their own shoelaces.
TheAtlantic.com
-
Do smartphone bans in schools work?
The Explainer Trials in UK, New Zealand, France and the US found prohibition may be only part of the solution
-
Doom: The Dark Ages – an 'exhilarating' prequel
The Week Recommends Legendary shooter adds new combat options from timed parries to melee attacks and a 'particularly satisfying' shield charge
-
7 US cities to explore on a microtrip
The Week Recommends Not enough vacation days? No problem.
-
The bottom line
feature Working families continue to struggle; The least-trusted industries; The bestselling vehicle; Mobil device use triples; Global unemployment among the young
-
The bottom line
feature The cost of e-filing; Dipping into nest eggs early; What Americans are drinking; Planning for death; How tax refunds are spent
-
The bottom line
feature Building bigger houses; And tuition at OSU is?; Christmas at McDonald's; Self-gifting at Christmas; Lloyd’s prepares for Hurricane Sandy claims; Google's billions
-
The bottom line
feature Good results for the third quarter; Compensation at financial firms hits a high; Three cities with recovering economies; Good year for car sales; Broadway's best performance ever; Tax bite is less in 2010 than in 1980
-
The bottom line
feature Airlines cut domestic flights; Income up in small cities and rural areas; Bond and Lincoln lift box office earnings; Don't be fooled by Black Friday; The high toll of identity theft
-
The bottom line
feature The gender pay gap; U.S. economic growth; Parents who argue about money; Online subscriptions rise
-
The bottom line
feature Can the U.S. keep up?; Airlines spend billions on runway taxiing; Americans exaggerate their working hours; The Dow Jones's 67.9 percent gain; Success and summer babies
-
The bottom line
feature Consumer confidence jumps; Wall Street cuts jobs, raises pay; Goldman Sachs's muppet hunt; Desktop web searches decline; Pizza Hut scraps debate freebie