NATION

Speeders, Say Cheese

Can a picture tell a lie? Supporters say red-light cameras save lives. Opponents say they're a scam

Humorist: David Sedaris: Wry Slicer (America's Best / Humorist)

Neurotic, self-absorbed and laugh-out-loud funny, David Sedaris takes readers on a wild ride through his improbable life

Chef: Captain Cook (America's Best / Chef)

Thomas Keller of the French Laundry in the Napa Valley doesn't have to try too hard to impress. He just cooks really, really well

Baby Speedster (America's Best / Amateur Athlete)

When he became the fastest high schooler in history, Alan Webb made us care about track again

Feminist: Body Bard (America's Best / Feminist)

With her hit play The Vagina Monologues, Eve Ensler taught the nation to say the V word without pausing and brought a little joy back to feminism

Philanthropist: Quiet Giver (America's Best / Philanthropist)

After five decades of outsize charitable giving, Bostonian Tom White is down to his last few million--and still giving

Social Critic: Civic Booster (America's Best / Social Critic)

Scholar Andrew Delbanco is a patriot who doesn't wave the flag but uncovers its hidden meanings in America's greatest works of literature

Mary Catherine Swanson: The Upgrader (America's Best / Teacher)

By targeting the kids most schools allow to float by, Mary Catherine Swanson has turned thousands of average students into college scholars

Straight Talker (America's Best / Advice Columnist)

Forget those boring bromides. Carolyn Hax is the wise, tough friend everyone could use

Campus Crusader (America's Best / University President)

Like university presidents of an earlier era, Ruth Simmons is the moral compass of the school she governs

Pro Athlete: Little Big Man (America's Best / Pro Athlete)

With blinding speed and a new belief in team play, ALLEN IVERSON is simply unstoppable

Curator: The Exhibitionist (America's Best / Curator)

If you follow photography, where Anne Wilkes Tucker is going next is something you need to know

Home Economist: Clean Queen (America's Best / Home Economist)

With her book Home Comforts, Cheryl Mendelson has legitimized finding joy in the art of keeping house

Devils' Angel (America's Best / Coach)

By turning his basketball team into a family, Mike Krzyzewski has made the Duke Blue Devils perennial winners, on and off court

Spirit Raiser (America's Best / Preacher)

He is a virtuoso, a prodigy. The only thing more exhilarating than the style of T.D. Jakes' sermons is their rigor and compassion

Bush's (New) Go-To Guy

Once overlooked, DENNIS HASTERT is now seen as key to the President's agenda--and even his survival

Nest Maker (Interior Designer / Interior Designer)

So deep is the talent of Sheila Bridges, she can refine the lives of hip-hop entrepreneurs and former Presidents

How Much Does The Preaching Matter? (America's Best / Preacher)

In mainline white churches, it was a lost art for a generation, but there are signs that the sermon may be having a revival all its own

WORLD

Inside The Outsider

Japan is desperately pinning all its hopes on the strangest politician the country has ever seen

The Shame of Belfast

On the streets of Northern Ireland, children learn bigotry from those old enough to know better

SOCIETY

BRIEFING

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

BUSINESS

Microsoft Uncut

Justice says it won't try to bust up Gates & Co. Critics now fear a remedy that will be toothless

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Legend Of Dylan (The Arts / Show Business)

The grand old man of rock's latest album adds a rollickingly good chapter to the

Television: Manly Pursuits (The Arts / Television)

Goodbye, stoic and silent. This fall a slew of series is out to show that guys can have real feelings too

Music: A New Kind Of Beach Boy (The Arts / Music)

California's Jack Johnson may be the world's least driven--and therefore most qualified--surf-folkie

The King Of Pop And Schlock (The Arts / Show Business)

At his self-thrown tribute concert, Michael Jackson reminds everyone why he's great--and unbearable

Junkyard Wars (The Arts / Short Takes)

TLC, Wednesdays, 9 p.m. E.T.

YOUR TIME

Downsizing At The Dinner Table (Personal Time / Your Family)

It takes guts to show kids exactly how badly the family budget is faring, but it can yield unexpected rewards

The Dollar Dilemma (Personal Time / Your Money)

A weaker greenback helps manufacturers--but not the stock market. Prepare to defend your portfolio

Hard Ball: The Coastal Defense (Your Business / Hard Ball)

A global wine war is looming, and California's central coast has become strategic territory

SPECIAL SECTION

Net Net: Wi-Fi Gets Going (Time Bonus Section / Your Business)

Tired of tripping over those PC cables and leads? Salvation is near. Get ready to go wireless

Cash For Certain (Time Bonus Section / Your Business)

As stocks stumble, fixed annuities are suddenly hotter

Diversity's New Flavor (Time Bonus Section / Your Business)

This isn't your padre's Hispanic community. It's changing fast, and so are companies that serve it

Corporate Parent: Pumping It Up (Time Bonus Section / Your Business)

Mothering and work don't mix. Or do they? More companies are meeting new moms' need to feed

Put a Sock in It (Time Bonus Section / Your Business)

Think anger will get you what you want? Think again, says one veteran hotel manager

PEOPLE

LETTERS