NATION

McCain's Moment (Campaign 2000)

The G.O.P. party crasher upset the plans for a Bush coronation. Can he sustain his amazing surge once the Empire strikes back?

How Conservative Is McCain? (Campaign 2000)

Plenty conservative. He isn't the Clinton clone Bush makes him out to be--or the muckraker he likes to play on the stump

Stretching the Fabric (Campaign 2000)

Al Gore bends the truth like his mentor Bill Clinton, but for a different reason

The Fall Of Flight 261

A crash raises questions about an airline already being investigated for its maintenance practices

Gore's Gun Problem (Campaign 2000)

The Veep casts himself as the hero of gun control, but didn't he use to be the NRA's good friend?

WORLD

Meet The New King

An inside look at the life of Jordan's young royal--and at his ambitious plans to remake the nation he rules

SCIENCE

Stormy Weather

Raining particles and radiation on an increasingly tech-dependent Earth, the sun's upcoming max may zap everything from cell phones to power grids

HEALTH & MEDICINE

The Bad and the Good (Medicine)

Fresh doubts are cast on a troubled gene-therapy treatment even as the French hint at new advances

SOCIETY

The Love Machines (Lifestyles)

Valentines may now be wired, but online dating is also fostering some very 19th century courtship

BRIEFING

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

Appalachian Apostle (American Scene)

A county is abuzz over an inspiring stranger who looks like you-know-who

BUSINESS

Mend that Gap

Drab compared with offspring like Old Navy, the mother ship turns up the steam

A Vodacious Deal

An intrepid European telecom merger clocks in at a record $190 billion--and signals a revolution

EDUCATION

The Tuition Tamers

After years of sharp increases, some colleges are trying to ease the burden on middle-class families

LAW

Lock 'Em Up!

Minority youths are more likely to face trial as adults

Legal Tender

Web start-ups raid law firms, running up salaries

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Books: Pursuing the Old One (The Arts / Books)

Einstein, Wittgenstein and doubting priests people E.L. Doctorow's masterly City of God

Books: In the White Room (The Arts / Books)

Rupert Thomson's The Book of Revelation hauntingly recounts a bizarre captivity

Music: BTTB (The Arts / Short Takes)

Ryuichi Sakamoto

YOUR TIME

Other Kids' Rules (Personal Time / Your Family)

What do you do when another family lets your child play with pocketknives and BB guns?

Happy 107th (Personal Time / Your Money)

An exclusive interview with the economy in which we gingerly ask, How long can this last?

Upgrade from Hell (Personal Time / Your Technology)

Beware of geeks bearing gifts--especially when they require a quick yes-or-no answer

Second Opinions (Personal Time / Your Health)

When and how should you ask for another physician's advice? Here are some guidelines

PEOPLE

LETTERS