August 2, 2010 | Vol. 176 No. 5

Cover Credit: Illustration by C.F. Payne for TIME
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Cover Credit: Photograph by Ambroise Tezenas for TIME
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Cover Credit: Photo-Illustration by Cecelia Wong for TIME
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COVER

The Case Against Summer Vacation (Cover)

It's an outdated legacy of the farm economy. Adults still romanticize it. But those months out of school do the most damage to the kids who can least afford it

Summer Programs Keep Kids' Minds Sharp

Photos: Programs in Indianapolis and Baltimore help fight against "summer learning loss"

ESSAY

Apocalypse Not: Are the Dems Really Facing Doom? (Commentary / In the Arena)

The capital is crawling with prophets of doom for the Democrats, but they may be overstating the case

With Stocks, It's Not the Economy (Commentary / The Curious Capitalist)

Companies are no longer tied to their home GDPs. Yet we still invest that way

Tony Robbins Kissed My Hand and I Liked It (Commentary)

In which master motivator Tony Robbins shows me the path to my better self

NATION

Stopping The Oil Spill (The Well / Nation)

As BP shows some success capping its runaway well, Time goes on board the drilling rigs that are faced with the challenge of fixing the disaster once and for all

Drilling the Relief Well

Photos: TIME gets on board the drilling rigs that will fix the Deepwater Horizon disaster once and for all

Can Jerry Brown Make One More Comeback? (The Well / Nation)

How do you want us to tell the Jerry Brown story? As a comeback tale? A mystery? A quest? A love story? A little-guy-makes-good story?

The Unorthodox Political Career of Jerry Brown

Photos: The man nicknamed Governor Moonbeam during his first stint as California's boss hopes to return to Sacramento again

Detroit's Hair Wars: Part Art, Part Trade, All Attitude (The Well / Assignment Detroit)

An annual showcase of hairstylists in Detroit highlights the creative spirit of a city that might be down, but refuses to be out

Detroit's Hair Wars

Photos: In a city where hairstyling is big business, the annual display of salon talent is part art, part entertainment and all attitude. Here is a selection of the best from Hair Wars 2010