NATION

How The Little Guy Gets Crunched (Big Money & Politics / Who Gets Hurt?)

When powerful interests shower Washington with millions in campaign contributions, they often get what they want. But it's ordinary citizens and firms that pay the price--and most of them never see it

How to Become a Top Banana (Big Money & Politics / Who Gets Hurt?)

When a fruit baron wanted to conquer more of the European market, he got Washington to launch a trade war for him. The victims of the cross fire? A bunch of ordinary Americans who never saw it coming

Send in the Grandmas

Elian's abuelas shuttle between Washington and Miami but still can't take the boy back to Cuba

WORLD

Leading God's Army

The bizarre tale of boy twins with reputed mystical powers who command a rebellion

Bin Laden's Boys?

Investigators have little luck connecting a clutch of Algerian suspects to the Saudi terror nemesis

HEALTH & MEDICINE

Pros And Cons (Medicine)

Hormone therapy can do wonders for women, but a new cancer study underscores the risks

Watchdogs Who Bite (Health)

Nutrition activists attack everything from milk to fettuccine Alfredo. Who are these food police?

TECHNOLOGY

Hangin' with the Sims

A new game from the creator of SimCity lets you design--and control--your own dysfunctional family

BRIEFING

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

Harlem's Chess Kings (American Scene)

Pint-size prodigies win national tournaments--and improve their grades

BUSINESS

EDUCATION

LAW

Dirty Little Diagnosis?

A doctor is on trial for calling an illness by a more insurable name, casting light on a common practice

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Books: Dave Eggers' Mystery Box (The Arts / Books)

With a curious journal and an ambitious new memoir of orphanhood, this young editor and writer opens a package of literary surprises

Camp in the Classroom (The Arts / Show Business)

Those scary, goofy mental hygiene films of the '50s are back to captivate a generation of cynics

YOUR TIME

Kids' Crash Test (Personal Time / Your Family)

Most of us still don't properly secure our children in the car. Here's how to do it right

Dangerous Merge (Personal Time / Your Money)

As takeovers grow more speculative, stick with companies focused on their core business

Parental Controls (Personal Time / Your Technology)

Want to give your kids online access, but within limits? The devil, it turns out, is in the details

Trouble Brewing (Personal Time / Your Health)

A steaming cup is a great comfort, but consider the effects of unfiltered coffee on the heart

PEOPLE

LETTERS