COVER
The Geeks Who Leak (Nation)
The President calls them a threat to national security. The Internet calls them heroes. A new wave of hacktivists is changing the way we handle secrets
COMMENTARY
Hail, President. Well Met (Worldview)
In small but important ways, Obama and Xi moved the needle on U.S.-China relations
Cleaning Up China (The Curious Capitalist)
This activist is taking on government-backed polluters with a new playbook for change
FEATURES
The New American Way of Death (Society)
By 2017, 1 out of 2 Americans will choose cremation over burial. Our changing attitude toward this final rite of passage says everything about the way we live now
The NSA's Big Data Problem (Nation)
Security agencies are tracking us, but the real challenge is making sense of it all
The Deciders (Nation)
As courts wrestle with speech and privacy rights, tech giants matter the most
The Dealmaker (Nation)
Once the Democrats' top knife fighter, Chuck Schumer became a force on Capitol Hill by learning the art of compromise
THE CULTURE
Interning With the Stars (The Awesome Column)
Ahem. Beyoncé isn't the only celebrity who can attract a paying intern
Total Immersion (Theater)
In more new shows, the passive theatergoer is passé
Prism of Interest (Tuned In)
Prime time has long had its eye on the surveillance state
The Illusionist (Books)
In his new novel, Neil Gaiman conjures up dark magic for adults
10 Questions for Ahmir 'Questlove' Thompson (10 Questions)
The Roots' drummer Ahmir 'Questlove' Thompson on hair, human pyramids and teaching the hip-hop canon
Pop Chart
Can Pixar Still Go Up? (Movies)
The legendary studio plays it safe with a prequel
BRIEFING
Briefing
Rising Spirits (Business / Small Business)
Appalachia's moonshines are booming, and Big Whiskey wants in
Defending the Waterfront (Nation)
The plan to stop the next Sandy
Rafael Nadal (Milestones)
Eighth French Open title
Caveat Sharer (Business)
Regulators clamp down on room-rental and car-sharing services
Talking Heads (Tech)
The maker of Roomba creates a roboboss. There's no place to hide
World
Milestones (Milestones)
More Pain for Painkillers (Health)
Heart risks complicate the decision to take some common drugs
Tower of Power (Business / Breakthrough)
With the California desert as its testing ground, Ivanpah, set to be the biggest solar-thermal plant in the world, is out to prove that renewable energy can work on a massive scale
Where States Stand on Expanding Medicaid (Nation)
Esther Williams (Milestones)
The mermaid of MGM musicals
The View From China (Conversation)
Ai Weiwei's "stunning" art and an inside look at a bolder nation