A judge threw the book at swindler Bernard Madoff with a 150-year sentence. The last chapter, though, has yet to be written as prosecutors zero in on at least 10 people suspected of abetting the largest fraud in Wall Street history. Thousands lost their fortunes—and some took their lives—as the multibillion-dollar scheme unraveled, but strangely enough it’s a mysterious investor, not Madoff, who may have profited the most. In the meantime, Ruth Madoff, who has been widely vilified but claims no knowledge of her hubby’s illicit doings, will be left with $2.5 million and a wide-open social calendar. And in a classic case of too-little-too-late, the SEC released suggestions about how it can improve oversight —nine years after a whistleblower sounded the first alarm about Madoff. —DH (Follow us on Twitter)

SNL alum. Stuart Smalley alter-ego. Antagonist of the right. Now Al Franken can tack onto his resumé the title of U.S. Senator. The Minnesota Supreme Court declared Franken the winner in his eight-month recount battle with incumbent Norm Coleman, giving Democrats control of 60 seats, the first time either party has attained that filibuster-proof number since the '70s. Yet, caution abounds that Franken's vote won't prove a legislative panacea. On the big-prize issue of health care reform, conservative Democrats are recalcitrant, GOP defections unlikely, and Ted Kennedy and Robert Byrd ailing and absent. In the end, any bill's passage may rely more on Democrats' willingness to resort to the filibuster-neutralizing tactic of reconciliation than on Franken. —JB (Follow us on Twitter)

Manuel Zelaya seemed an unlikely antagonist of the business class when elected president of Honduras. But Zelaya took a left turn, raising the minimum wage and joining a Hugo Chavez-led regional trade group. His popularity with the poor rose in inverse proportion to the enmity of the establishment, and the introduction of a nonbinding referendum on whether to consult the public in changing the constitution triggered a crisis. The legality of the referendum is disputed, but the Honduran congress, supreme court, and military opposed it. Zelaya was whisked to Costa Rica while Roberto Micheletti was named interim president. The coup has been denounced by the U.N., O.A.S., and—unlike in the last attempt at toppling a leftist leader—the U.S. Meanwhile, in Honduras, an impasse remains.—JB (Follow us on Twitter)

Millions of Yahoo! searches were telltale signs of a frenetic month. From day one, online lookups tracked the benign to the tragic (reality star Susan Boyle's loss and the Air France Flight 447 crash). Newshounds followed momentous American policy shifts from President Obama's speech to the Muslim world to troop withdrawal from Iraq. The world tuned into the Iranian election protests, and North Korea and Honduras had leadership issues of their own. Less historic Web-compelling stories included the iPhone release and GOP confessions, especially Mark Sanford's tragi-comedy. And death stalked the warm days of June, from David Carradine's startling demise to Michael Jackson's shocking end. Read more on June searches here. —VC (Follow us on Twitter)

For awhile at Wimbledon, a 124th-ranked 17-year-old American named Melanie Oudin was the story, especially after she stunned the former No. 1 Jelena Jankovic in the third round. But with Oudin departed, American tennis fans can content themselves watching three of their countrymen and women in the finals. Venus and Serena Williams will face off in their fourth all-sister Wimbledon finals on Saturday (then join forces for the doubles championship the next day). On Sunday, Roger Federer takes on Andy Roddick in their third finals matchup at the All England Club. Federer is attempting to win his 16th Grand Slam title, which would break a tie with Pete Sampras. And not a Nadal in sight...—JB (Follow us on Twitter)

As American combat troops withdrew from Iraqi cities, leaving security to Iraq's 650,000-member force, the milestone was marred by the deaths of 32 in Kirkuk. In the U.S., some observers are crowing, others are pessimistic, and at least one notable is “concerned.” Iraqis are both celebratory and anxious. Obama press secretary Robert Gibbs set the tone for the administration when he said “I will keep the banner printers from doing anything crazy.” Also downplayed were the remaining U.S. "support" troops, the number of which commanding Gen. Ray Odierno would not specify despite repeated questions. The violence level, while on the rise, is still relatively low. But as Slate writes, “Even at its calmest, 'postwar' Iraq has always been, by normal standards, a hellhole.”—JB (Follow us on Twitter)

Ed McMahon received a last standing ovation at his Forest Lawn burial. Farrah Fawcett's funeral took place—fittingly—at Our Lady of the Angels. Pitchman Billy Mays, who spent his last years in Tampa, will be buried in his Pittsburgh hometown on July 3. Michael Jackson mourners await ticket details of the July 7th memorial, sure to be the biggest since Princess Diana's. Public mourning for that 20th-century creation, the celebrity, may be what an Emory University professor calls "a new kind of sacred attachment." The search for spiritual meaning, values, and "transformation" stem from religious impulses that a secular world has transferred into other areas, including celebritydom. Some might call that idolatry, others a final chance to thank those who shared their gifts. —VC (Follow us on Twitter)