NATION

Election 2000: Prime-Time Battle (Election 2000)

How the two camps plotted their strategy: Gore to keep the clock ticking, Bush to call the contest over and declare victory

WORLD

King Of The Jungle

Trained as a drug-gang enforcer, Carlos Castano is decimating Colombia's rebels with his bloody in-your-face tactics. TIME visits him mid-battle

Hard Times, Hard Man

Ariel Sharon built a reputation as one of Israel's canniest generals and gutsiest soldiers. Now, an inside look at his latest daring grab for political power

SCIENCE

Law: Should John Penry Die? (Science And Society / Law)

The court stays the execution of a mentally retarded man and reopens a death-row debate

HEALTH & MEDICINE

The State of the Heart (Health)

If you thought cholesterol was all you had to worry about, better think again

SOCIETY

The L.A.P.D. Blues (Crime)

In another blow to the city's police, three cops are convicted of going too far in the war against gangs

BRIEFING

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

BUSINESS

Stalking The Bull

The election isn't the real story. Slow tech spending and a reverse wealth effect are voting stocks down

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Music: Where The Boys Are (The Arts / Music)

With Black & Blue, Backstreet does a little growing up. Can the group be more than a teen sensation?

Theater: Tallulah Times Three (The Arts / Theater)

What becomes a legend most? A sudden rash of stage tributes to her divinely dissolute career

Books: Birds In The Hand (The Arts / Books)

Two nifty field guides offer introductory and advanced courses on our feathered friends

YOUR TIME

A Woman's Web (Personal Time / Your Money)

Money doesn't distinguish between the sexes, but there are women's sites worth a visit

Magic Music Box (Personal Time / Your Technology)

I set out to put 200 CDs and 700 MP3 files on a single digital jukebox. Did it work? Sort of

Now Read This (Personal Time / Your Health)

Having trouble with the fine print? Inexpensive drugstore reading glasses may be all you need

SPECIAL SECTION

India's New Incarnation (Time Select / Global Business)

As the Internet bridges distances, a protectionist nation seizes the chance to deliver skills to market

The Plane Spotter (Time Select / Americans Abroad)

Air Canada chief Robert Milton raises hackles across the country as he reorganizes the world's 11th largest airline

A Little Guy's Marketplace (Time Select / Global Business)

Internet business-to-business exchanges are saving small companies lots of money by letting them behave like bigger guys

Vintage 21st Century: Frescobaldi (Time Select / Global Business)

The House of Frescobaldi has owned vineyards for 700 years; now it's using modern methods to keep the business from going sour

PEOPLE

LETTERS