COVER
Encountering Anguish and Anxiety Across America (Cover)
On a road trip across the U.S., Joe Klein encounters frustrated voters and a unanimous sense that Washington is broken beyond repair
Scenes from a Midterm Election Roadtrip
Photographer Peter van Agtmael accompanies TIME's Joe Klein on a cross-country trip to take the political pulse of the electorate prior to the 2012 midterms
Joe Klein: In the Old Southwest, it's Concerns Over the Economy
On his midterm election road trip across the country, TIME political correspondent Joe Klein talks to opinion leaders in Arizona and visits a state fair in Nevada, where he meets Brian Sandoval, the GOP gubernatorial candidate
ESSAY
The Uncertainty Principle (Commentary / The Curious Capitalist)
Business blames the lack of hiring on a lack of clarity in federal policy. That's nonsense
Joel Stein: What's So Bad About Bedbugs? (Commentary)
My wife's infectious bedbug paranoia gives a whole new meaning to homeland security
NATION
Meet Fred Davis: The GOP's Hottest Mad Man (The Well / Nation)
Political spots have taken a strange and entertaining turn now that Fred Davis, a guy based in Hollywood with a penchant for animals and inflatable heads, has become the go-to Republican adman
Inside the Mind of Political Ad Guru Fred Davis
Fred Davis' attention-grabbing political videos, featuring demon sheep, Britney Spears and Barack Obama, have made him the most sought-after ad maker for conservative candidates in this season's midterm elections
When Bullying Turns Deadly: Can It Be Stopped? (The Well / Technology)
In the past four weeks, four teenagers killed themselves after being harassed by schoolmates. Technology is quickly changing how kids bully one another. Here are some ways to stop the problem
WORLD
The Real Challenge from China: Its People, Not Its Currency (World)
Forget that currency row over how China undervalues the renminbi. The real story is that China is now investing in its people
'The Wish and Will of the People Are Not Stoppable' (World)
On Oct. 3, Fareed Zakaria spoke to Premier Wen Jiabao on his CNN program Fareed Zakaria GPS. Excerpts:
Pakistan's Army Flexes Its Muscles (World)
As the civilian government dithers, the armed forces are once again calling the shots
LETTERS
Inbox (Inbox)
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Lennon Lives (Music)
The former Beatle's 70th birthday is marked by films, albums, concerts and more. Why we still can't let John go
Behind the Camera with The Beatles
Multimedia: On the 70th anniversary of John Lennon's birth, photographer David Hurn recalls his remarkable experience with the Fab Four on the set of A Hard Day's Night
Celebrating Lennon's Birthday
How Wall Street Fleeced the World (Movies)
The searing new doc Inside Job indicts the bankers and their Washington pals
Two Takes on the Schools Crisis (Tuned In)
This fall, a pair of new reality shows tackle the public-education crisis — one with makeovers, one with Tony Danza
LeCarre's Latest: Recession-Era Thriller (Books)
John le Carré's new novel is a recession-era thriller steeped in Cold War nostalgia
Bill Bryson (Q&A)
Short List
TIME'S PICKS FOR THE WEEK
SOCIETY
Week-On, Week-Off Parenting: Does It Work? (Life / Family)
Revisiting a radical experiment in work-life balance
Between The Sheets (Life / Behavior)
A new sex study indicates unmarried boomers behave more recklessly than teens
Power of One (Life)
Using worms, molasses and engineering expertise, Richard Fuller is cleaning up toxic pollution in the developing world
SPECIAL SECTION
Cultural Assets: Banks Stock Up on Art (Global Business / Collectibles)
Before the financial crisis, banks loaded up on contemporary art — an asset class still worth something
The Eurotunnel Back on Track (Global Business / Railways)
Eurotunnel, once a paragon of bad projects, sees light in Europe's deregulating railroad sector
A National Economy — Without the Nation (Global Business / The Middle East)
West Bank entrepreneurs are building businesses in case peace breaks out
PEOPLE
10 Questions for Thierry Henry (10 Questions)
The soccer star crossed the Atlantic to join the New York Red Bulls. Thierry Henry will now take your questions
TO OUR READERS
Richard Stengel: Voice of Influence
Fareed Zakaria, one of the world's most agenda-setting thinkers, joins TIME as a regular columnist and cover-story writer
BRIEFING
The Moment
10|5|10: Paris
The World
10 ESSENTIAL STORIES
Does Rahm Emanuel Have a Chance in Chicago? (Washington: The Politics Page)
Obama's Would-Be Watchdog Picks His Battles (Washington: The Politics Page)
Texas Showdown (Election Preview)
In this race, an unlikely outsider has the inside track
Lab Report: Health, Science and Medicine
Verbatim
Brief History: Secret Medical Testing
The Skimmer
Remembering Tony Curtis: The Best of Everything (Milestones)
The slick, sophisticated star of Sweet Smell of Success and Some Like It Hot was a driven actor who never gave up the game