NATION

Odd Man Out

Colin Powell is a global eminence. Yet on the Bush foreign policy team, his star somehow shines less brightly than expected. Why?

Bush's Fuzzy Science?

His calculation of viable stem-cell lines has critics--and scientists--seeing politics at work

The Trouble With Reno

She wants to battle Jeb Bush to be Governor. Why aren't more Florida Democrats dancing?

WORLD

The Pressure On Sharon

Buffeted by competing forces, burdened by the past, an old man looks to an uncertain future

SCIENCE

HEALTH & MEDICINE

SOCIETY

SPORT

The Bronx Bummer

It was the season's saddest scandal: a boy who was a little too good, and a little too old, for Little League

BRIEFING

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

In Praise Of Laziness (Essay)

Sure, summer is over, but that's no reason to become a working stiff again

BUSINESS

Working A Double Shift

The Teamsters are back in the center of Washington battles, playing both sides of the aisle

Jack Who?

Meet Jeff, as in Immelt, General Electric's new boss, who can't wait to make a name for himself

EDUCATION

Welcome, Freshmen! (TIME's Colleges of the Year)

As a huge wave of first-year students surges into dorms, TIME honors four colleges that know how to help newcomers survive and thrive

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Books: Great Expectations (The Arts / Books)

Jonathan Franzen thought serious fiction was dead. Now he gives it new life in one of the year's best books

Cinema: O (The Arts / Short Takes)

Directed by Tim Blake Nelson

YOUR TIME

Stopping Those Pop-Up Ads (Personal Time / Your Technology)

Online advertisers want us to click and buy, but you have ways to fend off the blitz at the tip of your fingers

Some Schooling On Backpacks (Personal Time / Your Health)

Doctors are concerned that looking cool could be hurting kids. Here are some ideas to avoid injury

PEOPLE

LETTERS