A team of Japanese scientists genetically engineered tiny common marmosets to glow in the dark...a nice trick, but a transgenic feat duplicated with piggies, macaques, and beagles. Now a year later, the little marmosets, tagged with a green-glowing protein derived from jellyfish, have given birth to offspring who similarly gleamed green under ultraviolet light – the first time a primate has passed down its modified genes. Researchers say they'll be able to use the same method to introduce genes for diseases like Parkinson's, observe the effects, and try treatments. But animal rights activists condemn the experiment, saying it will lead to colonies of monkeys bred only to suffer illnesses and undergo painful procedures. Some even warn that this will pave the way for genetically enhanced humans.  —DH

North Korea's underground nuclear test was nothing compared to the geo-political shock waves it caused above ground. South Korean and U.S. militaries are on high alert after the North renounced the truce that ended the Korean War. Northern-generated crises have become routine, but the belligerent tone of the country's official statements may hint at a fight to succeed ailing leader Kim Jong-Il, who has reportedly embraced hardliners. All of which may increase the risk for an escalating confrontation. While caricatures of Kim as a buffoonish megalomaniac are popular, some see the Great Leader as a shrewd and rational opportunist. And an analysis in Newsweek asserts that the country's goals are the same: U.S. troop withdrawal and renunciation of regime change. —JB

The marriage between America’s former fertility sweethearts, Jon and Kate Gosselin, unravelled just in time for their season 5 premiere, which TLC heralded with a “Jon & Kate Plus 8” Memorial Day marathon. The parents of twins and sextuplets have raised their kids before cable network cameras, but tales of extramarital carousing, bodyguard intimacy, maternal entitlement, and henpecking didn’t make the script...until now. Tabloids swarmed, the couple snarled back, and ratings roared. The sad result isn’t just 8 eight unhappy kids, but also disappointed kin (including brothers of a reported mistress) and a state labor-law investigation. TLC will let rubberneckers gawk at 40 more episodes. The show is the family's main income, so that makes all involved “complicit" (as Time puts it) in the Gosselins' fates, right to the bitter finale. —VC

"For too long, gay men and lesbians who seek...loving relationships within the institution of marriage have been denied that fundamental right..." That seems an unlikely statement coming from Ted Olson, whose resume includes anti-Bill Clinton legal gadfly and Bush v. Gore advocate for George W. Bush. Now he has joined forces with his former opponent from that pivotal case, David Boies, in a federal lawsuit on behalf of two same-sex couples barred from marrying under California's Proposition 8. Despite the marquee power that the two legal heavyweights bring, gay-rights groups have rebuffed the pair, arguing that another turn at the ballot box, not a court fight, is their best strategy. Still, if the case makes it to the Supreme Court, at least one-half of the legal team has a winning record there. —JB

Helio Castroneves may have become the ninth driver to win the Indy 500 three times, but at the Search box he had to eat the dust of Danica Patrick. While interest in Castroneves—along with his victory in a tax evasion case—jumped, the real fast and furious queries registered for Patrick, who came in third at Indy, the best finish yet for a female. (To be fair, though, no one was searching for Castroneves in a bathing suit.) Meanwhile, Patrick’s success has fueled talks of her making the leap to NASCAR. When asked last week in an interview about the timing of a move, she demurred: "I don't know. Maybe next year. Maybe never. It's contract year and I'm going to evaluate all of my options." The wisdom of a switch, to say the least, is being debated.—JB

For Kavya Shivashankar, victory is spelled “L-A-O-D-I-C-E-A-N." The 13-year-old Kansas girl shadow-scribbled the word on her palm, then gave her final answer to become the 2009 Scripps National Spelling Bee champ. Shivashankar, who hopes one day to be a neurosurgeon, beat 292 contestants for $40,000 in prizes and some serious bragging rights. These days, thanks to a spate of documentaries, plays, and books, the Bee is no longer nerd realm—even ESPN covers the semi-finals. Shivashankar herself was inspired by 1999 winner Nupur Lala of "Spellbound" fame. The contest is also followed by the press the world over, and in one year 33 spellers didn’t speak English as a first language. Expect an even bigger buzz over adorable over-achievers in 2010. —DH

The story of a child’s death is one nobody wants to hear and hits hard for all. Former heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson flew from his Las Vegas home to a Phoenix hospital to be with his four-year-old daughter Exodus, who had suffocated after entangling herself on a treadmill power cord. Despite her mother's CPR attempts, Exodus died hours later. In a troubled life where he has been champ, villain, and convict, Tyson had just emerged on the road to redemption, with a vow to rebuild ties with his children. In interviews about the acclaimed documentary, "Tyson," he said of his monstrous image: “For the first time, I get it,” Now, the man who never knew his own father is in the unwanted, unimaginable role of a grieving parent. The family has thanked the public for their prayers, and has asked for privacy. —VC

Sonia Sotomayor has been dubbed both the riskiest and savviest pick on President Obama's short list to replace Supreme Court justice David Souter. Conservative opposition will likely focus on a handful of potential pitfalls: a speech in which Sotomayor argued that judges' backgrounds affect their decisions; an opinion dismissing a reverse discrimination suit; and Obama’s desire for a judge with “empathy”—code, to some, for liberal. Sniping from anonymous coworkers has also surfaced. Still, fervid opposition toward the court’s first Latina candidate might not be on the Republican agenda. Surprisingly, though, abortion rights advocates have raised concerns—about Sotomayor's upholding of the "global gag rule" and her unknown view on Roe v. Wade. —JB