COVER
How to Restore the American Dream (Cover)
Technology and globalization are shattering the middle class. With the midterms around the corner, the good news is that a bipartisan policy agenda can return the U.S. to prosperity. But no one says it will be easy
ESSAY
Ted Kaufman, the Temporary Senator (Commentary / In the Arena)
Ted Kaufman never wanted to be a Senator. Maybe that's why he was so good at it
The Robosigning Scandal: Foreclosing on Recovery? (Commentary / The Curious Capitalist)
The fiasco over defaulted mortgages might not hurt banks. But it will slow an economic rebound
Guns Blazing (Commentary / The Awesome Column)
The GOP has its Young Guns. Who better than me to help the Democrats get hip?
NATION
City Centered (The Well / Viewpoint)
To double exports and create jobs, the U.S. has to invest more in its metro areas
Why Cities are Key to American Success
Video: Bruce Katz from the Brookings Institution explains why cities shape the global economy — and what the U.S. can do to keep up
The Power of Cities
Photos: Four metros unleash their creative and technological energy
Narcocorridos: The Balladeers of Mexico's Drug Wars (The Well / Society)
The Mexican craze for songs glorifying the violent lives (and deaths) of drug lords has crossed the border. Are narcocorridos the Latin gangsta rap?
Singing Songs of Drug Violence
Video: In America, a growing culture of music and movies glorifies Mexico's drug violence, with drug lords even demanding made-for-order songs from well-known musicians
Are Narcocorridos the Latin Gangsta Rap?
Photos: The classic Mexican ballad — amped up and updated to tell tall tales about drug kingpins — is gaining popularity both south and north of the border
Collateral Damage: The Death of a Small Town Bank (The Well / Nation)
How the failure of one community bank destroyed a Georgia town's faith in government, the economy and itself
WORLD
Postcard from Sells, Ariz (Postcard)
With long stretches of border to keep track of, one tribe is forced to enter into an uneasy partnership. The unique dilemma of the Tohono O'odham
How the Miners' Rescue Raised Up Chile's President (The Well / World)
Chilean President Sebastián Piñera has used the rescue to burnish his country's image as a developed nation — and his own as a compassionate conservative
PEOPLE
10 Questions for Roger Goodell (10 Questions)
The NFL commissioner on football's future and why players are wearing pink. Roger Goodell will now take your questions
LETTERS
Inbox (Inbox)
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Can These Guys Be Serious? (Television)
Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert want to restore reason to public life
The Voices of Reason and Truthiness
How two hosts went from faking news to making news
Get Back (Exhibitions)
A new look at Europe after the First World War, consoling itself with dreams of antiquity
Chaos and Classicism
Photos from a new exhibit at the Guggenheim Museum of Art
Hereafter Review: Where Do We Go from Here? (Movies)
Clint Eastwood ponders the afterlife in the not-so-sweet Hereafter
Actor-Author Michael Caine (Q&A)
Michael Caine spoke to TIME about accents, starring in the worst Jaws film and the secret of Inception
Short List
TIME'S PICKS FOR THE WEEK
HEALTH & MEDICINE
Keeping Young Minds Healthy (Time Health)
Too many kids suffer psychological ills, but there are more ways than ever to help
Smart Parents, Happy Kids (Time Health)
Mental health is like physical health: wise guidance from Mom and Dad can go a very long way
SPECIAL SECTION
Learning Curve (Global Business / Education)
American universities are rushing to set up shop in India. But local entrepreneurs have the inside track
Neighboring Technologies (Global Business / Small Business)
A new smart-grid idea was born when two firms found they had common interests
This Time for Africa? (Global Business / Investment Horizon)
A continent on the rise is attracting the smart money
Business Books (Global Business)
How good are you when the heat is on? Why you crack or conquer when the going gets tough
SOCIETY
Bank Shot (Life / Cash Crunch)
One way to get people out of check-cashing stores and into savings accounts: 2-for-1 matching contributions
Here Come the New Internet-TV Boxes (Life / Technologizer)
Watch out, cable companies: these wireless gadgets deliver movies, shows and more to the living room, starting at just $60
Should Tennessee Firemen Have Let the House Burn? (Life / Case Study)
Some conservatives are praising a bunch of rural Tennessee firemen for letting a house burn down. But what does it say about our country?
BRIEFING
The Moment
10|19|10: Paris
The World
10 ESSENTIAL STORIES
For GOP and Dems, Time to Manage Expectations (Washington: The Politics Page)
Both the Democrats and the Republicans are using the final days before the midterm elections to rally, goad or reassure their bases. Don't believe the hype
When Campaign Cash Is Left Unspent (Washington: The Politics Page)
When Campaign Cash Is Left Unspent
West Virginia (Election Preview)
A popular Democratic governor fights the Tea Party headwind
Lab Report: Health, Science and Medicine
Verbatim
Benoît Mandelbrot (Milestones)
Barbara Billingsley (Milestones)
Jamil Hamad (Milestones)
Tom Bosley (Milestones)
Brief History: Presidents and Pop Culture
Marzieh (Milestones)
The Skimmer
Book review: The Mind's Eye by Oliver Sacks