NATION

Tripped Up By History

G.O.P. leader Trent Lott's remarks on race raise a storm and a hot question: Have Republicans really outgrown their past?

The End of Rule by Law

Burned by the scandal of predator priests, Boston's Cardinal steps down. His church's problems go on

WORLD

Iraq: The Great Scud Hunt (Iraq)

In the last war against Iraq, the U.S. did a poor job of destroying Scuds. If another war comes, the American military aims to do it better and smarter--with Israeli help

Iraq: The Missile Front (Iraq)

In a war with Iraq, the U.S. would probably bring out its new Patriot surface-to-air missile, the PAC-3, which improves upon the flawed PAC-2 used during the Gulf War. The new model promises greater p

SCIENCE

The Beluga Blues (Environment)

America's craving for salty, sexy caviar has pushed an ancient sea creature to the brink of extinction

SOCIETY

BRIEFING

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

BUSINESS

Have It Your Way

From lipsticks to cars, a growing array of products can be custom-made to your own taste--and waist

EDUCATION

Crunching the Numbers

Would-be masters meet their match in the Putnam Competition, the world's toughest math test

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Holiday Movie Preview: The Pianist (Holiday Movie Preview)

STARRING: Adrien Brody, Frank Finlay, Emilia Fox, Maureen Lipman, Thomas Kretschmann, Julia Rayner DIRECTED BY: Roman Polanski

Tilting at Windmills (Books)

In a new novel, Annie Proulx casts her sharp eye on her beloved and bedeviled Panhandle country

Islam's Prophet Motive (Television)

PBS's Muhammad paints a too rosy picture of a humanitarian faith and its founder

Catfight! (Theater)

Broadway resurrects a famed literary spat

YOUR TIME

One-Minute Photo

Smile! Cell phone--camera combos are here. Just don't expect perfect pictures

A Smallpox Shot?

The vaccine works but carries real risks. How to tell if you should take it

SPECIAL SECTION

Speed Reader (Time Bonus Section / Global Business)

New software instantly connects key bits of data that once eluded teams of researchers

Energy: Black Gold (Time Bonus Section / Global Business)

The U.S. is becoming less reliant on Middle Eastern oil, thanks to West Africa

Tobacco: Smoke Screen? (Time Bonus Section / Global Business)

A new lawsuit says cigarette smugglers had a friend in R.J. Reynolds

Fishing for Yield? (Time Bonus Section / Global Business)

Smart investors are buying a class of stock that acts much like a bond, only with more income

CEOs as Pilots (Time Bonus Section / Global Business)

Weary of airline delays and traffic jams, more executives are learning to fly their own planes

PEOPLE

LETTERS