COVER

The Passion of the Pope (Religion)

With his blunt talk on Islam, Benedict XVI is altering the debate between the Muslim world and the West. On the eve of his visit to Turkey, TIME looks at the roots of the Pope's views--and how they may define his place in history

What the Pope Gets Right ... (Viewpoints)

By decrying the use of violence in the name of God, Benedict is challenging Muslims to confront hard truths

WORLD

Terror's Playground

More than a decade after U.S. troops pulled out, Somalia has fallen to Islamic fundamentalists. Here's why it could become the world's next nightmare

SCIENCE

What Ails The CDC (Health)

Staff turnover, morale problems and charges of mismanagement couldn't have come at a worse time for the guardians of U.S. public health

BRIEFING

NATION

The Revival of Trent Lott

Mississippi's junior Senator returns to leadership--and to wars with Democrats and the White House

SOCIETY

How to End the Math Wars (Education Viewpoint)

We have a new formula for teaching kids. Don't let ideology ruin it this time

BUSINESS

Now Arriving: Mergers

US Airways' play for Delta could force struggling legacy airlines to link up--or go the way of TWA

How Sony Got Game?

CEO Howard Stringer has had a rough year, but the PS3 could make it right

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

The Great China Sale

Foreign collectors want them. Newly minted local millionaires want them. The rise and rise of the country's modern artists

Hip Hymns Are Him (Music)

Most people have never heard of Chris Tomlin, yet millions sing his songs every week

Hollywood Plays Rough With Diamonds (Cinema)

The Warner Bros. film, Blood Diamond, has the diamond industry concerned that moviegoers may walk out of cinemas with the idea that all diamonds are tainted

6 DVD Sets To Get (Worth Your Time)

From a three-disc pack to a 50-disc feast, these sets provide 80 years of movie epiphanies

YOUR TIME

PEOPLE

LETTERS

ESSAY

Ugly, the American

On TV, the immigration wars aren't as simple as politicians make them sound