COVER
Bush Looks for an Exit (Nation)
The President is about to get a very public intervention from the Baker Commission. Will Bush listen to an old family friend, or will stubbornness prevail?
What We Would Leave Behind (Viewpoint)
If the U.S. goes, the Iraqis won't stop shooting. They'll still have each other
Iraq: The War Without Honors (Nation)
U.S. troops are fighting and dying with valor. So why have so few received the military's top awards?
NATION
What I Did On My Travels
Two weeks of globetrotting gives the President a chance to see the world--and escape from gloating Democrats
WORLD
Moscow on the Thames (Letter From London)
Lots of Russians — not just spies — are calling London home.
Losing Lebanon
Once a beacon of democracy in the Middle East, Lebanon is veering toward civil war. Here's what went wrong
BUSINESS
The Hospital Wars (Health Care)
Surgery and imaging centers owned by doctors are swiping patients from traditional hospitals. Competition is good, right? Not always in health care, where an arms race keeps the costs rising
Extra: Newspapers Aren't Dead
Some predict their imminent demise, but the dailies remain profitable, popular and powerful. Here's why they'll survive
SCIENCE
What's Toxic In Toyland (Health)
San Francisco's ban on toys like these has sparked a sharp debate about the dangers of plastic contaminants
ESSAY
God's Inbox
SOCIETY
Middle America's Crime Wave (Crime)
Violent offenses are rising in midsize cities for the first time in a decade. A look at what's behind the surge — and why it won't be slowing anytime soon
BRIEFING
Milestones Dec. 11, 2006 (Notebook)
What's Next: Dec. 11, 2006 (Notebook)
Verbatim: Dec. 11, 2006 (Notebook)
Enter The Fandom (Notebook)
A Prayer and an Olive Branch (Notebook)
What's in a Name: Money (Notebook)
Punchlines: Dec. 11, 2006 (Punchlines)
The Absurdity of it All (Notebook / In the Arena)
Bush's summit with al-Maliki had all the makings of a dramatic turning point. Instead it was a farce.
Numbers: Dec. 11, 2006 (Numbers)
How Well do You Know America? (Notebook)
The Abortion Pill Could Prevent Cancer (Notebook)
LETTERS
My Person of the Year (Forum)
To help us make this year's selection, TIME asked cover subjects and previous Persons of the Year for their 2006 nominations. A sampling:
Letters: Dec. 11, 2006
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Books: Bring Back the T. Rex (Books)
Crichton's latest scientific nightmare is full of out-of-control geneticists and their mutant creations. Yawn
The Maya Are Us (Movies)
Mel Gibson's latest film has a lot on its mind
Robert DeNiro in the Director's Chair (Movies)
The actor's second directorial effort, The Good Shepherd, took 8 years to make. In an exclusive Q&A he explains why, gives a few one word answers and examines weaponry in a completely non-menacing way
Movies: In the Heat of the Noir (Movies)
The Good German is long on style, short on thought
Culture Complex: The Civil War Behind Civil War (Culture Complex)
How two words illuminate the shift of power from the media to the people
Viewpoint: Why I'm Good with the N Word (Viewpoint)
It does the job of marking the ascendancy of black Americans
7 Books Kids Will Love (Worth Your Time)
What's the secret of great stories for children? Making sure parents enjoy them too
YOUR TIME
A New Breast Cancer Test (Health / Health)
Life After Work: What's Wrong With This Club? (Money)
PEOPLE
10 Questions for Charles Rangel (Interview)
People: Dec. 11, 2006 (Cover)
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
Meet the Real Santas (Time Bonus Section December 2006: Connections)
Real beards, real bellies. But what kind of guy wants to look like St. Nick?
A Better House Blend (Time Bonus Section December 2006: Connections)
When the kids are yours, mine and ours, it takes wisdom and work to treat everyone fairly
Q&A Ms. Manners (Time Bonus Section December 2006: Connections)
There's nothing funny about rude behavior, says comedian Whoopi Goldberg in a new kids' book
Cooled By Sun And Salt (Time Bonus Section January 2007: Global Business / Tech Pioneers)
PER OLOFSSON
DAVE SIFRY: Searchlight For the Blogosphere (Time Bonus Section January 2007: Global Business / Tech Pioneers)
DAVE SIFRY
KIP KOKINAKIS: A New Glimpse of Reality (Time Bonus Section January 2007: Global Business / Tech Pioneers)
KIP KOKINAKIS
JOY WEISS: Connecting The Dots For Sensors (Time Bonus Section January 2007: Global Business / Tech Pioneers)
JOY WEISS
SATYAN MISHRA: Linking To Rural India (Tech Pioneers)
SATYAN MISHRA
SELINA LO: The Wizards of Wireless (Time Bonus Section January 2007: Global Business / Tech Pioneers)
SELINA LO
Looking To the Future (Time Bonus Section January 2007: Global Business / Tech Pioneers)
Paper batteries? Solar trash cans? Some surprising new tech that could change your life
GEORGE ADAMS: Find the Bad Protein; Then, Fix It (Time Bonus Section January 2007: Global Business / Tech Pioneers)
Dr. Neil Cashman came up with a diagnostic kit usable by blood banks everywhere to detect VCJD, and approched George Adams to bring it to market
JARNE ELLEHOLM: Saving Lives And Limbs With a Weed (Tech Pioneers)
Jarne Elleholm is trying to get a genetically modified weed to grow bigger to potentially save thousands of lives
TING CHOON MENG: A Relentless Watch on Your Pulse (Time Bonus Section January 2007: Global Business / Tech Pioneers)
A black wristwatch may be able to cut heart attacks and stroke globally, and also collect remarkable amounts of data
MARK CROSIER: The Shape Of Things To Come (Time Bonus Section January 2007: Global Business / Tech Pioneers)
DeepStream Technologies CEO Mark Crosier and his core team created their own business in pliable, flexible sensors
JIM POSS: Bringing Sunshine to Trash (Time Bonus Section January 2007: Global Business / Tech Pioneers)
JIM POSS
JAAKO HAPPONEN: Flat Battery: It Works On Paper (Time Bonus Section January 2007: Global Business / Tech Pioneers)
Enfucell has a battery that will help people make a difference by cutting down on all the metal, lithium and alkaline that leaks from conventional cells