NATION

Up In Smoke

The tobacco bill almost made it until the Republicans decided to blow it off

WORLD

The China Summit: The Pulse Of China (The China Summit)

As unstoppable as the flow of the Yangtze, currents of change sweep through a nation determined to succeed in the eyes of the world

The China Summit: How Bad Is China? (The China Summit)

Beijing deserves much of the bad rap it gets, but U.S. politics have amplified the confusion over how to deal with a changing nation

SCIENCE

Venter's Bold Venture

A biologist's rush to map human DNA stirs fears that he could become the Bill Gates of biotech

Caught in The Act

A striking 3-D snapshot of the AIDS virus reveals weak spots in its armor

SOCIETY

A Precarious Genius (Crime)

Michael Laudor was a role model for those stricken with schizophrenia--then he fell from grace

Feminism: Girl Power (Feminism)

For the next generation, feminism is being sold as glitz and image. But what do the girls really want?

BRIEFING

The Food Chain (Notebook / The Scoop)

Holbrooke Appointed; Harmony Reigns

The Cosby Case (Notebook / The Scoop)

Another Crime, Another Cap, a Familiar Question

The Vatican (Notebook / The Scoop)

The Pope Lays Plans For a Trip to Iraq

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

The Lies Must Stop (Essay)

A loyal New Yorker finally punctures all those rumors about his redoubtable mayor

BUSINESS

Chainsaw Al Dunlap Gets The Chop

Sunbeam's tumbling stock price and the problems behind it spur the company's board to Dunlap the man whose name means to lay off

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Cinema: They've Gotta Have It (The Arts / Cinema)

What Spike Lee's film did for African Americans, Smoke Signals aims to do for Native Americans

Art: Sculptural One-Liners (The Arts / Art)

Charles Ray's conceptual works project a portrait of the artist as smart, nerdy and passive-aggressive

Books: Old Ground (The Arts / Books)

Rick Bass stays too close to home in his first novel

Books: What's in a Name? (The Arts / Books)

For this Hemingway, it's a love of fly-fishing, a weakness for drink, and a fine way with words

YOUR TIME

New Sunscreens (Personal Time: Your Health)

They help block both types of harmful rays. But don't rely only on potions for your protection

Big Little Discs (Personal Time: Your Technology)

Running out of space on your hard drive? Ultra-high-density floppies let you take a load off

Why's It On Sale? (Personal Time: Your Money)

Here's how to tell which stocks are the real bargains and which ones are damaged goods

PEOPLE

LETTERS