Table of Contents: Aug. 16, 2004

10 QUESTIONS: Mark Spitz on Michael Phelps and post-Olympics life 8

LETTERS 9

NOTEBOOK

The Iraq insurgency gets organized; why Che is hot; science film a sleeper hit 19

MILESTONES: Rick James dies; Smarty Jones retires 25

IN THE ARENA: Joe Klein on red and blue America 27

WORLD

CASING THE U.S. An exclusive look at what investigators have discovered about al-Qaeda's plans of attack 28

THE TARGETS: Raw data from the terrorists' own files 32

THE HUNT: Tracking jihadist suspects on U.S. soil 34

NATION

THE POLITICS OF ALERTS A TIME poll shows Bush's advantage on fighting terrorism is waning and voters have other issues on their minds. But both his and Kerry's campaigns were thrown off by the alert 38

WHAT DO YOU DISCLOSE? Israel and France, for instance, have different ideas about what to tell the public about terrorism threats 43

SCIENCE

THE WEST DRIES UP Fire-causing droughts may last for decades to come 46

RELIGION

PROTESTANTS Why are they losing their majority? 53

BUSINESS

HOPE ON WHEELS The hip 300C gives Chrysler a badly needed hit 54

SOCIETY

SPLASH 'N' CASH Upscale homeowners jump into the $30K-plus pool 56

OLYMPICS 2004

PAGING DR. RUNGOOD How medical advances can help athletes cheat 58

GYMNASTICS: The U.S. team's Iron Curtain secrets 64

WRESTLING: For the women, taking down sexism was the first match 66

ARTS

HOLLYWOOD AND DIVINE Churches lead the multitudes to the multiplex 70

STRANGE BREW: Susanna Clarke's bewitching grownup fantasy 74

PETER KRAUSE: Torment master 76

YOUR TIME

LIVING: Toyota's Scion brand gets a makeover; flying safely with kids 79

HEALTH: A possible link between prenatal flu and schizophrenia 80

TECHNOLOGY: For iTunes and iPods, new iRivals; a skinny Sidekick 82

PEOPLE: Hilton vs. Duff--who Screwed whom?; Bushbashapalooza 85

APPRECIATION: James Nachtwey on Henri Cartier-Bresson 86

COVER: Photograph by David Grossman--Getty Images