COVER

NATION

Bush's Cool Operator

Bill Frist is the President's crafty Senate warrior with much on the line. Can the G.O.P. leader deliver?

The Cuffed One

Michael Jackson puts a comeback on hold after he is arrested on allegations of child molestation

Popping The Question

Now that a Massachusetts court says gays can wed, will it go national? Not if conservatives can stop it

WORLD

When No One Is Truly Safe

As the attacks on innocents in Muslim countries show, the terrorists inspired by al-Qaeda are upping the stakes of their jihad

Vengeance Has Its Day

Lawlessness takes on a new meaning as Iraqi gangs launch a killing spree against Saddam's Old Guard

SOCIETY

Volunteer Army (Time Bonus Section December 2003: Generations)

Retirees take tough volunteer posts abroad--and help themselves in the process

A Hit Man's Life (Time Bonus Section December 2003: Generations)

From Annie to The Producers, Thomas Meehan, 72, continues to spin Broadway gold

BRIEFING

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

Alzheimer's In The Family (Health)

Something in the Weisses' DNA seems to put them at risk, but new hope could spring from their burden

In the Orbit of Genius (Essay)

Even before celebrity culture, life with a star had a dangerous gravitational pull

BUSINESS

Air Support

Should the U.S. keep bailing out airlines? Here's a post-9/11 success story--plus a cautionary tale

Conrad's Black Eye

A loud and powerful newspaper baron steps down under fire. What happens to the empire he built?

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Books: Kindred Spirits (Books)

Mario Vargas Llosa weaves a vivid tale of Gauguin's and his grandmother's lives

Movies: Tumbledown Hopes (Movies)

Simultaneously comic and sad, In America captures the dreams of the modern-day immigrant family

YOUR TIME

Pomegranate Power (Lifestyle)

The sweet, tart red fruit has ancient roots. Can it make a modern splash?

Health: Watch the Salsa (Health)

A batch of bad scallions at a Chi-Chi's restaurant puts the focus on hepatitis A

SPECIAL SECTION

PEOPLE

LETTERS