COVER
The New Liberal Order (The Well / Nation)
The Obama presidency is just the beginning. Why shifting attitudes about government could make Democrats the ruling party for a generation
NATION
The Transition: What Change Will Look Like (Cover Story)
With the election won, the Obama team faces the realities of governing. What the transition reveals about the kind of President Obama will be
Obama and the Myth of the Black Messiah (The Well / Commentary)
Americans hope Obama's election can save the black community. But we're saving ourselves
ESSAY
What a New Energy Economy Might Look Like (Commentary / In the Arena)
Obama says his top priority will be creating a new energy economy. Here's how he could do it
Please Help Joel Stein Name His Baby! (Commentary / The Awesome Column)
To save his unborn son from his own tragically bad taste, Joel asks America to pick a name
How Presidents Pass the Torch
The Bush-Obama handover has been notably civil. (F.D.R. considered his predecessor a fat capon)
WORLD
At the Blue Man Group's School, Kids Rule (Postcard: New York City)
They've played Vegas, Tokyo and Chicago. Now the Blue Man Group faces a tougher crowd. The guys with blue heads have opened a grade school
The Suffering Of Somalia (The Well / World)
High-seas pirates, starving refugees and al-Qaeda-linked terrorists: how a failed East African nation's problems are spreading beyond its borders
Photos: Somalia's Face of Modern Piracy
Photographer Jehad Nga gets a rare glimpse of the men who plunder the shipping lanes off the east coast of Africa
BRIEFING
The Moment
11/10/08: Wasilla
The World
10 ESSENTIAL STORIES
Verbatim
A Brief History Of: The Oval Office
The Skimmer
Pop Chart
Drawing Room
Milestones
Miriam Makeba
Michael Crichton: A Master Storyteller of Technology's Promise and Peril
It was the Jurassic Park novelist's professional achievements that made him such an imposing figure
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Outliers: Malcolm Gladwell's Success Story (Profile)
Upending conventional wisdom has made Malcolm Gladwell famous and successful. In his new book, Outliers, he asks, Why on earth did that happen?
Quantum of Solace: Bourne-Again Bond (Movies)
In the fast-paced Quantum of Solace, 007 is a glum stud out to settle a score
A Fitting End for The Shield (Television)
As The Shield ends its run, a corrupt, effective cop's ways catch up with him--and us
The Broken Book (Books)
Roberto Bolaño's 2666 is bizarre, enigmatic, 898 pages--and the year's most exciting novel
Short List
TIME's PICKS FOR THE WEEK
BUSINESS
Will Washington's Stimulus Plan Work? (The Well / The Curious Capitalist)
Washington is gearing up to spend hundreds of billions to boost the economy. Will it work?
Is General Motors Worth Saving? (Autos)
The automaker may not deserve a bailout, but losing it could wreck the economy
SCIENCE
Forty Years Later, It's Moon Race 2.0 (Space)
Forty years after the first manned lunar landing, the race is on to return. This time, the U.S. faces more competition than just the U.S.S.R. of old. How about China, India and Google for starters?
SOCIETY
Home Cooks, Meet Molecular Gastronomy (Life / Food)
Home cooks, meet molecular gastronomy
Drive-By Flu Shots (Life / Health)
More hospitals are offering curbside vaccinations. Sure, it's convenient, but is it safe?
Go Western, Young Man (Life / Education)
The best relatively cheap university you've never heard of. (Hint: it's only online)
SPECIAL SECTION
Heparin's Deadly Side Effects (Global Business / Pharmaceuticals)
A TIME investigation of China's drug industry shows that in the fight for profits, safety suffers
Extracting Good from Good Works (Global Business / Top Business Teams)
Corporates for Crisis applies a new twist to operating in difficult environments
TO OUR READERS
Marking History
At epochal moments, people rely on TIME to commemorate and cover them. Here's how to get our special issue and upcoming book