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One of the best years for kids' music in recent memory includes releases from artists with feet firmly in both kid-friendly and adult-oriented worlds. Old favorites went in new directions, while emerging artists gave a glimpse of the future of a genre as diverse and unpredictable as kids themselves.

This has been a strong year for African music, with two big trends emerging: the continuing integration of African music into the U.S. and European mainstream, as well as the ongoing unearthing of treasures from Afropop's "golden era," particularly the '70s.

In Russia, a State TV contest to name the greatest Russians in history ended Sunday with more than 50 million votes cast. First place went to a medieval prince who fended off German invaders. Second place went to a prime minister who fended off revolutionaries. And, despite gulags, famines and purges that killed millions, Soviet dictator Josef Stalin came in third.

When Sesame Street made its TV debut in 1969, it was thanks to Joan Ganz Cooney, co-creater of the show and of the Children's Television Workshop. She laid out the vision, hustled the money and assembled the creative team, including Jim Henson, to create one of the most successful television shows in TV history.

In a significant policy change, the U.S. has concluded there can be no power-sharing government as long as Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe is in power. A State Department official spent days meeting with regional leaders in an attempt to get them to get tougher on the 84-year-old leader.

McCartney and Youth returned to work as The Fireman for their third and latest release together, Electric Arguments. McCartney entered the studio, without any material, and recorded 13 songs in 13 days. The legendary artist reveals how his alter ego allows him the freedom to experiment.

One of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of professional football has died. Sammy Baugh, who played for the Washington Redskins, was 94. Nicknamed Slingin' Sammy, he transformed the quarterback position with his accuracy and long passing.

President-elect Barack Obama is expected to nominate Hilda Solis as labor secretary. The Democratic congresswoman was just elected to her fifth term representing heavily Hispanic portions of eastern Los Angeles County and east L.A. She is the daughter of Mexican and Nicaraguan immigrants.

President-elect Barack Obama is said to have chosen Chicago schools chief Arne Duncan to serve as education secretary. Duncan has run the country's third-biggest school district for the past seven years. He has focused on improving struggling schools, closing those that fail and getting better teachers.

President-elect Barack Obama has vowed to adopt an aggressive approach to global warming and the environment. At a news conference Monday in Chicago, Obama will announce his team to deal with the nation's energy and environmental future. The industrial world is looking to the Obama administration to help get other countries to make environmental changes.