COVER
The Real Lesson of the Tucson Tragedy (Cover)
On Jan. 8, a man at war with "normal" unleashed other forces also at war with normal, people who are turning our politics into a freak show for their own cynical or sanctimonious reasons
The Troubled Life of Jared Loughner (The Tucson Tragedy)
Suspect Jared Loughner seems to have broken with reality before the Tucson shootings. But did political rhetoric push him over the edge? Psychological research shows that's highly unlikely
Tucson Tragedy: Is Gun Control a Dead Issue? (The Well / The Tucson Tragedy)
You might think attacks like the one in Tucson would lead to tougher gun restrictions. But you'd be dead wrong
Are We Becoming An Uncivil Society? (The Tucson Tragedy)
The debate about charged political rhetoric preceded the tragedy in Tucson — and then was revived by it. TIME posed the question above to leaders and thinkers on the right and left. Here are their responses
New Ways to Think About Grief (Society)
As the nation mourns those killed in Tucson, a new look at the science of loss shows we're more resilient than we thought
ESSAY
The Dangerous Chip on China's Shoulder (Commentary / Worldview)
China's long-dormant People's Liberation Army may be muscling into American-Chinese relations. That can't be good
Point: Arms and the Unbalanced (Commentary / In the Arena)
Heated rhetoric doesn't help, but the real need is to reassess policy on guns and the mentally ill
The Mess Manifesto (Commentary)
Why we need to stop worrying and learn to love digital disorder
SOCIETY
Weight Watchers Dieters Can Have a Free Lunch? (Life / Food)
Why Weight Watchers is letting people eat fruit with abandon
Apple Beware: Enter the New iPad Rivals (Life / Tech)
Apple's breakthrough gadget, the iPad, finally has competition — lots of it. But the tablet wars are just beginning
Cash for Jobs: Job Seekers Open Their Wallets (Life / Money)
Out of work? A new site encourages you to offer cash to anyone who helps you land a job
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Meet the Decemberists, Rock's Nerdy Superstars (Music)
Portland folk rockers the Decemberists are bookish, mature and nobody's idea of pop superstars. That's just how they like it
Generation XXX: MTV Tries to Get Real with Skins (Television)
MTV's parental nightmare Skins has sex, drugs and cheek to spare but needs to find a voice
Green Hornet: Sting like a B (Movies)
Seth Rogen plays bumbling superhero to Jay Chou's dashing sidekick in The Green Hornet
Q&A: Piers Morgan, the Man Stepping into Larry King's Seat (Q&A)
With his stint as the new King of CNN due to start on Jan. 17, Piers Morgan talks to TIME about his ambitions to beat Fox News, the scandal that made him a household name and interviewing Oprah for his debut show
Short List
TIME'S PICKS FOR THE WEEK
PEOPLE
10 Questions for Jimmy Wales (10 Questions)
The Wikipedia founder celebrates his website's 10th anniversary Jan. 15. Jimmy Wales will now take your questions
TO OUR READERS
After Tucson
The shootings in Arizona have prompted a national conversation on guns, mental illness and the state of our political discourse
LETTERS
Inbox (Inbox)
BRIEFING
The Moment
1|12|11: Haiti
Milestones (Milestones)
The World
10 ESSENTIAL STORIES
The Big Questions: By Mark Halperin (Washington: The Politics Page)
Twitter Fights Wiki Case; Tech World Takes Notice (Washington: The Politics Page)
The White House: Obama's New Inner Circle (White House Memo)
In a targeted makeover, Obama brings in Chicagoan Bill Daley and nods to Big Business
Lab Report: Health, Science and Medicine
Verbatim
Brief History: Playboy
The Skimmer
Book review: Alone Together by Sherry Turkle
Hmong Leader Vang Pao Dead at 81 (Milestones)
Vang, who was 81, was a key, if controversial, American ally and the symbolic father of a persecuted people