COVER
Why Washington Is Tied Up in Knots (Cover)
Discontent with government is at its highest level in more than a decade — making it harder to solve the country's biggest problems. A breakdown of how Washington stopped working, and what to do about it
Newt Gingrich: It's Time to Team Up (Commentary)
Cooperation is an opportunity for both Obama and the GOP, says the former House Speaker
Why the Tea Party Movement Matters (Nation)
The Tea Party is not a political party but a grass-roots movement that expresses a vast discontent unsettling Americans. What the Tea Partyers share — and why they're a potent force
Portraits of the Tea Party Movement
Photographer David Walter Banks takes the pulse of the nascent conservative movement
Video: Meet the Tea Party
TIME meets Tea Party members at the movement's first national convention in Nashville, headlined by Sarah Palin
ESSAY
Unraveling the Middle East Muddle (Commentary / In the Arena)
Obama's push for an Arab-Israeli peace is floundering. It's time to focus on what's actually achievable
Reluctantly, Joel Stein Discovers His Roots (The Awesome Column)
Thanks to Lisa Kudrow's genealogy prowess, I now know my roots are in Russia. Or Poland
WORLD
The Rise of Extremism in Somalia (World)
Remember Black Hawk Down? The Horn of Africa has long been a haven for extremists, and now it's back in the news
TO OUR READERS
Our Broken Government
TIME and CNN are taking an in-depth look at the problems with Washington and what can be done to fix them
BRIEFING
The Moment
2|17|10: Vancouver
The World
10 ESSENTIAL STORIES
Spotlight: Fighting the Taliban
Verbatim
Brief History: Benefit Songs
For the 25th anniversary of "We Are the World," the song is being rerecorded and released to benefit Haitian earthquake victims. A look back at the biggest charity-single smashes
We Are the World, Again: The Top Benefit Songs
A new version of "We Are the World" for the victims of the Haiti earthquake is recorded 25 years after the original song. It's the latest in a decades-long string of benefit songs
Photos: A Brief History of Charity Records
The Skimmer
Book Review: We've Got Issues: Children and Parents in the Age of Medication by Judith Warner
Alexander McQueen (Milestones)
Fred Morrison (Milestones)
Nodar Kumaritashvili (Milestones)
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Kathryn Bigelow: The Front Runner (The Well / Profile)
Kathryn Bigelow, director of The Hurt Locker, is poised to make Oscar history. It's just one more stop on a career-long wild ride
Shutter Island: Engrossing, Not Enthralling (Movies)
Martin Scorsese offers a cerebral thriller about a search for truth on an island of the insane
La Vie en Rose (Exhibitions)
The work of Renoir's later years is a bit too scrumptious for modern taste. A new show insists we're missing the point
Short List
TIME'S PICKS FOR THE WEEK
HEALTH & MEDICINE
Does Obesity Rehab for Kids Work? (Health / Health)
More than one-third of U.S. teenagers are overweight. A boarding school is trying to change that, one child at a time
Obesity Rehab: The Teens of Wellspring Academy
Multimedia: Two students at a weight-loss program for teenagers discuss what it's like to be obese and why they adopted a healthy lifestyle
SOCIETY
Neural Advertising: The Sounds We Can't Resist (Life / Marketing)
Neural advertisers are planning a stealth attack — on your ears
Video: Why a Baby's Laugh Will Make You Buy
Martin Lindstrom, author of the new book Buyology, talks about the different ways brands can use sounds to better market products
Sous-Vide Home Cooking: Really Slow Food (Life / Food)
Fancy sous vide cookers are targeting home chefs. But is a 24-hour steak worth the wait?
Sous Vide: Your Food Takes a Bath
TIME's Stephen Gandel attempts to take his chicken to a new culinary level using the immersive food preparation technique known as sous vide
Shout Hallelujah, Come On, Get Appy (Life / Techland)
Microsoft unveils a smarter operating system for smart phones
Why Energy-Efficient Bulbs Don't Necessarily Save (Life / Cash Crunch)
Beware of energy binges. Buyers of efficient bulbs and appliances often save less cash because they start leaving the lights on
I'll Trade You My Tax-Code Knowledge ... (Life / Cash Crunch)
PEOPLE
10 Questions for Aretha Franklin (10 Questions)
The Queen of Soul talks about giving Detroit a little respect. Aretha Franklin will now take your questions