COVER
The End of Excess: Is This Crisis Good for America? (The Well / Cover Story)
Our 30-year winning streak couldn't last forever. Now we're sobering up. How a reset can make America a saner, better place
NATION
Detroit Tries to Get on a Road to Renewal (The Well / Nation)
Amid old Detroit's ruins, urban visionaries are plotting the city's comeback
Photographer Sean Hemmerle finds an elegiac sign of America's fading industrial might in the crumbling urban ruins of the Motor City
Max Baucus Is Mr. Health Care (The Well / Nation)
An unlikely champion of reform takes the lead in the Senate
ESSAY
Obama on the World Stage: What Power Means (Commentary / In the Arena)
Obama needs to throw his weight around on the world stage — but be ready when things don't go his way
Obamathon: Is the President Overexposed? (Commentary / Tuned In)
Pundits say the President is overexposed. But in today's media, that's the only kind of exposure that works
Moving On Up: The Senate Shifts Offices (Commentary)
When the Senate shifts offices, someone needs to carry all that valuable stuff. Not me — but someone
WORLD
Watching for Immigrants Off California's Coast (Postcard: San Diego)
As the U.S. cracks down on its southern border, the Pacific has become an attractive route for human smugglers. A cat-and-mouse game on the high seas
High Seas Border Patrol
Photos: From the sea and the air, agents are guarding the waters off San Diego
Illegal Immigration by Sea
Video: Beach landings are part of a recent spike in illegal immigration by sea to the San Diego area from Tijuana
Gordon Brown: 'Sometimes a Crisis Forces Change' (The Well / An Interview With Gordon Brown)
The British Prime Minister talks about the global economic crisis and the upcoming G-20 meeting
A World of Troubles (The Well / The Economy)
Political leaders will meet in London to try to rescue a global economy in its worst shape in decades. A look at how four countries are hurting
Ireland (The Well / The Economy)
The Celtic Tiger grew frisky with foreign firms. They're leaving
Singapore (The Well / The Economy)
The city-state did everything right. Too bad that wasn't enough
Spain (The Well / The Economy)
A property boom went bust, and now good jobs are few and far between
Taiwan (The Well / The Economy)
Who will benefit from the high-tech crash? Maybe China
BRIEFING
Milestones (Milestones)
White House Renovation
Remembering Gianni Giansanti (Milestones)
A tribute to the late photographer who chronicled the life of Pope John Paul II
The World
10 ESSENTIAL STORIES
Jade Goody (Milestones)
Verbatim
The Moment
3|25|09: Mexico
Pop Chart
The Skimmer
Book Review: The Thoreau You Dont Know by Robert Sullivan
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Here's to the Death of Broadcast (Television)
As ER exits, big networks are flatlining — and it's helping good TV thrive
ER's Long Goodbye
Photos: After years of personal triumphs, steamy love affairs and extraordinarily complicated surgeries, NBC's award winning drama series comes to a close
Banshees (Music)
Ida Maria and PJ Harvey have voices that could raise the dead. But what can they do for the living?
Darkness Visible (Books)
A new biography shows John Cheever in unflinching detail and makes the case for his comeback
Short List
TIME'S PICKS FOR THE WEEK
BUSINESS
Separating Toxic Assets from Legacy Assets (The Well / The Curious Capitalist)
Treasury's asset-purchase program may identify the good banks — and doom the crippled ones
EDUCATION
Colleges Face a Financial-Aid Crunch (The Well / Education)
This admissions cycle, families need more help than ever. But with budgets pinched, how much can colleges afford to offer? A look inside one school's calculus
What Public Boarding Schools Teach Us (Life / Education)
Can public boarding schools help at-risk kids excel?
A Look Inside a Public Boarding School
Photos: Life at Washington DC's SEED School is rigorous and challenging, but the kids get into college
HEALTH & MEDICINE
Wrong Prescription (The Well / Viewpoint)
Digital medical records aim to cut health-care costs. They could end up doing the opposite
Dealing with Brain Injuries (Life / Health)
The Natasha Richardson tragedy shows how fast a small accident can become a crisis
SOCIETY
Mind over Chocolate (Life / Food)
Infused with positive intentions via prayer and music, "embedded" food wants to make us happy
SPECIAL SECTION
The TIME 100
To help select the world's most influential people, leading newsmakers offer their nominations when asked, Who should be on this year's list?
The 2009 TIME 100 Finalists
Cast your vote for the leaders, artists, entrepreneurs and thinkers who deserve a spot on this year's TIME 100
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
Spas Are So Yesterday (Wellness / Body and Spirit)
At the new breed of wellness centers, you can get a rubdown for your soul
Spas Go Holistic
Video: Joel Stein achieves inner calm and glowing skin at the Amrit Davaa Wellness Center.
A Primer for Pessimists (Wellness / Optimism)
Yes, you can learn to see every silver lining — and be happier — even if you're a born cynic