SPECIAL SECTION

Dropout Nation (Special Report / Dropout Nation)

The number of high school students who leave before graduating is higher--much higher--than you think. Inside one town's struggle to reverse the tide

Does a GED Really do the Job? (Special Report / Dropout Nation)

Researchers fear that America's favorite second-chance exam may be exacerbating the dropout problem

Teacher's View: The Human Touch (Special Report / Dropout Nation)

In today's digital age, teachers still provide the one-on-one interaction needed to help students graduate

SCIENCE

Our Cousin The Fishapod

An ancient fish with primitive fingers fills an evolutionary gap and shows Darwin's theory in action

BRIEFING

Deal or No Deal? (Notebook / SPEED READ)

A bipartisan immigration-reform deal fell apart last week, delaying plans for illegal immigrants

YOUR TIME

How Iowa Got the Mumps (Health)

The largest outbreak to hit the U.S. in nearly 20 years is spreading to other states

PEOPLE

LETTERS

ESSAY

NATION

Inside Tom DeLay's Head (Washington Memo)

As he exits Congress, the troubled Texan speaks of pride, sin and grinning

Why Iraq Was a Mistake (Viewpoint)

A military insider sounds off against the war and the zealots who pushed it

WORLD

Photo Essay: The Long Walk Home (Photo Essay)

Six months after the devastating earthquake in Kashmir, thousands are still living on the edge. An intimate look at their extraordinary fight to survive

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT