COVER

Polio and Politics (Medicine)

A great scourge might soon be gone, but war, mistrust and even the death of Osama bin Laden could get in the way

BRIEFING

India's Shame (Dispatch)

A brutal rape spotlights a culture of hostility toward women

UNITED STATES

Cliff Dweller (Fiscal Cliff)

A precarious balance of power between President Obama and Republicans in Congress means the U.S. will face a cascading fiscal crisis in 2013. Get used to life on the edge

What Choice? (Abortion)

Abortion-rights activists won an epic victory in Roe v. Wade. They've been losing ever since

VIEWPOINT

INTERVIEW

10 Questions for Ratan Tata

He led India's biggest conglomerate for 21 years. Ratan Tata on corruption, growth and being young in California

THE CULTURE

LETTERS