COVER
Palin in Progress: What Does She Want? (Cover)
Is Sarah Palin running for President? Or to be America's leading conservative celebrity? The former Alaska governor spent most of 2010 having it both ways. How long will she keep everyone guessing?
Sarah Palin's Crew
Palin oversees an unusual galaxy of conservative aides and advisers spread out from Anchorage to England. Most worked for McCain or Bush. Each is dispensable — except the First Dude
ESSAY
Fighting and Feasting: On the Ground in Afghanistan (Commentary / In the Arena)
A protracted battle to open a school and oust the Taliban reveals the muddle of the Afghan war
The Year of the Leak (Commentary)
From the BP mess to the document dumps, 2010 was a year of more spills than thrills
NATION
Can He Win By Losing? (The Well / Nation)
Obama cuts a tax deal with the GOP and tries for another stimulus. Will it revive his presidency?
Dollar Stores: Getting More Bang From the Buck (The Well / Cash Crunch)
Dollar stores won Walmart customers during the recession — and plan to keep them
The Miracle Worker: Chicago Chef Grant Achatz (The Well / Profile)
After radical cooking got him three Michelin stars and tongue cancer nearly killed his sense of taste, Grant Achatz is opening a new kind of restaurant — but you'll need a ticket to get in
The Culinary Miracle Worker
Photos: The award-winning restauranteur has created a culinary laboratory at his Chicago restaurant Alinea. His dishes are not only mind-blowingly delicious, but beautiful to look at as well
WORLD
Afghan Radio Wars: Combating the Taliban's Message Machine
To combat the increasingly sophisticated Taliban message machine, the U.S. is employing its own band of hardy radio DJs
Palestinians, Contained (World)
The Wall has made it much harder for young Palestinians to know Israel--and understand its people
Growing Up Palestinian in the Age of The Wall
The separation barrier between Israelis and Palestinians has made it harder for young people to know Israel and understand its people
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
The Best Of 2010 (The Best Of 2010)
In 50 wide-ranging lists, TIME surveys the highs and lows, the good and the bad, of the past 12 months
The Cultural Stars of 2010
A portfolio of portraits by Christian Weber
The Best TV Series Of 2010 (The Best Of 2010)
The Best TV Episodes of 2010
The Best Movies Of 2010 (The Best Of 2010)
The Best Fiction Books Of 2010 (The Best Of 2010)
The Best Nonfiction Books of 2010
The Best Albums Of 2010 (The Best Of 2010)
The Best Songs of 2010
The Best Theater Of 2010 (The Best Of 2010)
The Best Tech Of 2010 (The Best Of 2010)
PEOPLE
10 Questions for Carrie Fisher (10 Questions)
The writer-actress brings her one-woman show Wishful Drinking to HBO
LETTERS
Inbox (Inbox)
BRIEFING
Elizabeth Edwards: Public Life, Public Death (Appreciation)
You may not remember, given all that has happened since, but when Elizabeth Edwards arrived on the Washington scene some 10 years ago, she was golden
Verbatim
The World
10 ESSENTIAL STORIES
Elaine Kaufman (Milestones)
Samuel Cohen (Milestones)
Milestones (Milestones)
Lab Report: Health, Science and Medicine
Clean Credits, Dirty Subsidies, Congress' Choice (Washington: The Politics Page)
Tax credits should be extended for renewable energy projects — but not for ethanol
Why WikiLeaks Is Winning Its Info War (Washington)
In the spectacle of Julian Assange's asymmetrical war on government secrecy, the more he is attacked, the greater the power and reach of his movement becomes
Earl Reum (Milestones)
The Moment
12|7|10: London