COVER
Inside Bush and Cheney's Final Days (The Well / Cover Story)
A TIME investigation reveals the dispute that split George W. Bush and Dick Cheney as they left the White House — and shows why the struggle over their legacy is just beginning
NATION
Why the Blue Dogs Are Slowing Health-Care Reform (The Well / Nation)
Why moderate Democrats are putting the brakes on health-care reform
ESSAY
Don't Worry So Much About Iran's Nukes (Commentary / In the Arena)
Obama should keep pressuring Tehran on its nuclear program. But he shouldn't obsess about it
Going Too Far with Assisted Suicide?
An elderly British couple's suicide pact is a beautifully romantic act — and a troubling one
WORLD
Can a Team of (Bitter) Rivals Heal Zimbabwe? (The Well / World)
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai wants to leave the past behind. President Robert Mugabe, 29 years in power, still lives there. Can Zimbabwe be saved?
The Dying Art of the Sari (Postcard: New Delhi)
As the popularity of the traditional Indian garb has plummeted in India's cities, so has work for the tens of thousands of weavers who make them
BRIEFING
The Moment
7|14|09: Peoria, Ill.
The World
10 ESSENTIAL STORIES
Spotlight: The Rio Tinto Scandal
Verbatim
The Minimum Wage
Wage earners will take home an extra 70 cents an hour starting July 24. The federal minimum wage began as a bulwark against the Great Depression.
The Skimmer
Book Review: The Wilderness Warrior:: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America by Douglas Brinkley
Walter Cronkite, a No-Nonsense Newshound
The most trusted man in America
Frank McCourt, Author of Angela's Ashes, Dies (Milestones)
Frank McCourt's career was teaching, and then, late in life, his storytelling blossomed and he became the author of an immensely popular book about his childhood
Natalya Estemirova (Milestones)
TO OUR READERS
History and Health
We take you inside the rift between Bush and Cheney--and we collaborate with the Aspen Institute on a health-care forum
LETTERS
Inbox
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Science Feels Sexy in The Age of Wonder (Books)
Evoking an era when science was both glamorous and dangerous, The Age of Wonder is the most fascinating book of the year
Falling Out of Love with Romantic Comedies (Movies)
Three new comedies milk formula for romance. You may fall hard — for the sound tracks
Are You There, Judy Blume? It's Me, Lizzie (Books)
A critic revisits the classics of her girlhood and finds much to love
Short List
TIME'S PICKS FOR THE WEEK
BUSINESS
Too Much Profit at Goldman and Morgan? (The Well / The Curious Capitalist)
Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are raking it in because they're good — if not virtuous
SOCIETY
Mourning the Death of Handwriting (The Well / Society)
Don't blame computers for my chicken scratch. A shift in educational priorities has left an entire generation of Americans with embarrassingly bad penmanship. How much does it matter?
Home Exchange: Trading (Vacation) Places (Life / Travel)
More families are swapping homes with strangers
Open-Mike Night for Entrepreneurs (Life / Ideas)
In search of support (moral and financial), idea people take to the stage
Bloblive: Open-Mike for Start-ups
Entrepreneurs take the stage in Philadelphia to pitch their business ideas and get instant feedback
Better Bulbs (Life / Going Green)
High-tech lighting is getting more energy-efficient and more aesthetically pleasing too
Go Organic, Literally (Life / Food)
Oh Crap! My Parents Joined Facebook (Life / Web watch)
There's no buzzkill quite like getting a friend request on Facebook from Mommy and Daddy dearest
HEALTH & MEDICINE
Trying to Solve the Preemies Problem (The Well / Health)
Why do infants die more often in America than in almost every other industrialized country? A search for clues
Infant Fatality Rate Declines
Graphic: The number of infants in the U.S. dying in their first year has fallen steadily but the U.S. still struggles to keep up with much of the developed world.
SPECIAL SECTION
Stretching a Contract (Global Business / Africa)
Liberia and Firestone go way back. A revised deal gives a wrecked nation new hope
Brainiac (Global Business / Software)
QlikTech's approach to finding and analyzing data makes connections the way your brain does