Can We Afford All This?
The $400 billion Medicare benefit is the latest in a string of pricey outlays — and Congress's spending spree is not over. Does it matter, and does anybody care?

Six Questions About The New Medicare Bill

It Flies! (History)
100 years ago this month, the Wright brothers got the aerial age off the ground. Here's how:

10 Questions For Jimmy Carter (Interview)
Jimmy Carter explains why he wrote a novel and assesses Dean's chances


Al-Qaeda's tracks?
Al-Qaeda outsources terror to Turkey

Why Bush Stays Away (Essay)
During wartime, a President cannot take on the role of Mourner in Chief

24 Years Ago In Time (Notebook/Milestones)

Cuddle Up With These

Milestones (Notebook/Milestones)

Influenza Fears: An Early Warning From Colorado

Numbers

Reforming Medicare, The Gingrich Way
Newt's Hand in the Medicare Bill

The Greening Of San Francisco
The rise of mayoral candidate Matt Gonzalez

Verbatim

Letters (Letters)

People (People)

Q&A With Omar Sharif (People)


Dashing Diversification
Roc-A-Fella's Damon Dash conquered rap. Now, without partner Jay-Z, he wants to prove he's no one-note CEO

Knitpicking the Chinese
U.S. efforts to bash Beijing reveal a remarkable ignorance about economics

Realty Rumble
Web brokers say the real estate industry is trying to lock them out, but customers keep knocking

Say Hello to the Next Phone War
Voice-over-IP, a technology that lets phones act like PCs and vice versa, is about to take off

The Kazaa Boys Are at It Again

ESPN's Hot Play Caller
Mark Shapiro has a new a.m. show on his plate and the NFL on his back

Inside "The Wire"
Security breaches. Suicidal detainees. A legal challenge heading to the Supreme Court. Welcome to Guantanamo

Enemies Within?
On the Base: Fear of Spying

The Politics of War
Whisked in secret to Iraq, Bush serves holiday dinner to the troops—boosting G.I. morale and showing he can still pull off a killer photo-op

Losing Hearts And Minds
Unmoved by Bush's visit, Iraqis blame the U.S. for civilian deaths, missing detainees and razed homes


Will Wal-Mart Steal Christmas?
As the retail king slashes prices on toys, its rivals are dreaming up new ways to compete

American Girl: Rise of a Toy Classic (Business/Dolls)


Jack of Hearts (Movies)
In his new film, the King of Cads falls for an oldish woman. It's a fantasy

Love Among the Ruins (Movies/Cinema Sex)

Found in Translation (Movies)
Tom Cruise leaves the American frontier for the exquisite ways of old Japan in The Last Samurai

Cruel Yule (Movies)
St. Nick is nefarious in a very unjolly Bad Santa

The Princess of Queens (Music)
Alicia Keys' first CD sent her into the stratosphere. But for her second, she refuses to put on any airs

A Divine Entry Into Paradise (Television)

Heaven on Earth (Television)
In the dazzling HBO mini-series Angels in America, the politics and crises of the '80s feel close to home


Practice, Practice (Your Time: Health)
Experienced surgeons do a better job. Check on yours before your operation

A Big Boost For The Littlest Babies (Your Time/Health)
Preemies thrive on nitric oxide

An Almond Surprise (Your Time/Health)

Smoking Hits Women Harder (Your Time/Health)

Striking Back At Credit Thieves (Your Time/Money)

Teen Travels (Your Time/Money)

The Real Fund Rip-Off (Your Time/Money)
Mutual-fund scandals grab headlines, but the bigger bite is heavy-duty fees

Tomorrow's Kitchen (Your Time/Tech)
One family test-drives a cutting-edge room full of really smart appliances

How Dell's Answer To The iPod Stacks Up (Your Time/Tech)

3-D On Your Laptop (Your Time/Tech)