The Passion of the Pope (Religion)
With his blunt talk on Islam, Benedict XVI is altering the debate between the Muslim world and the West. On the eve of his visit to Turkey, TIME looks at the roots of the Pope's views--and how they may define his place in history

What the Pope Gets Right ... (Viewpoints)
By decrying the use of violence in the name of God, Benedict is challenging Muslims to confront hard truths

... And Where He's Still in the Dark (Viewpoints)
Benedict's definition of what it means to be European ignores the positive contributions of Islam


Terror's Playground
More than a decade after U.S. troops pulled out, Somalia has fallen to Islamic fundamentalists. Here's why it could become the world's next nightmare


What Ails The CDC (Health)
Staff turnover, morale problems and charges of mismanagement couldn't have come at a worse time for the guardians of U.S. public health


Escaping Washington, But Not Escaping Iraq (White House Diary)
Touring Vietnam, a chastened Bush finds parallels to the present hard to avoid

What's Next

Verbatim

Smile, Class of 2006!

Punchlines

Not So Silly String In Iraq

In-Flight Incentives

Making the Best of It

Numbers

Imports Who Strike Out

Milestones

G.O.P. Explorers (Campaign 2008)

There's Trouble--Lots Of It--in Paradise (Letter From Miami)
Restless locals call Miami a corrupt, exorbitant mess, and many are leaving

Did Nancy Pelosi Get The Message?
She followed up her victory with a self-defeating blunder. Now people are asking, Is Pelosi up to the job?

The Revival of Trent Lott
Mississippi's junior Senator returns to leadership--and to wars with Democrats and the White House


How to End the Math Wars (Education Viewpoint)
We have a new formula for teaching kids. Don't let ideology ruin it this time


Now Arriving: Mergers
US Airways' play for Delta could force struggling legacy airlines to link up--or go the way of TWA

How Sony Got Game?
CEO Howard Stringer has had a rough year, but the PS3 could make it right

Milton Friedman, Freedom Fighter (Appreciation)


The Great China Sale
Foreign collectors want them. Newly minted local millionaires want them. The rise and rise of the country's modern artists

Hip Hymns Are Him (Music)
Most people have never heard of Chris Tomlin, yet millions sing his songs every week

Hollywood Plays Rough With Diamonds (Cinema)
The Warner Bros. film, Blood Diamond, has the diamond industry concerned that moviegoers may walk out of cinemas with the idea that all diamonds are tainted

So, Should You Buy a Diamond? (Cinema)

6 DVD Sets To Get (Worth Your Time)
From a three-disc pack to a 50-disc feast, these sets provide 80 years of movie epiphanies


Hitchhiking In Cyberspace (Travel)
The joys--and dangers--of finding a ride home on the Web

How Foods Can Affect Cancer (Health)
Good news for soy-based foods, bad news for T-bone steaks


10 Questions for Emilio Estevez (Interview)

People


My Person Of The Year

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Ugly, the American
On TV, the immigration wars aren't as simple as politicians make them sound