NATION

On Second Thought (Supreme Court)

By selecting Breyer as his nominee, Clinton bypassed his favorites and opted for a quick confirmation

Waste Not, Want Not (Cities)

The new breed of big-city mayor acts like a CEO, cutting almost every cost except the police budget

WORLD

No Longer Fenced In (Iraq)

Saddam is back in business as usual, wriggling out of the international embargo and rebuilding his weapons-procurement network

Haiti: Shadow Play

As the military strongmen try to outmaneuver him, Clinton weighs all the options: sanctions, negotiations, even invasion

Splitting At the Seam (Yemen)

A two-man rivalry escalates into war, threatening the four-year-old union between the North and South

WAR & TERRORISM

SOCIETY

A Twist Before Dying (Crime)

A snafu at the execution of a serial killer inflames the debate about humaneness and capital punishment

TECHNOLOGY

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

BUSINESS

Fighting the Right Foe? (The Economy)

Critics say the Federal Reserve's determination to drive up interest rates is hurting the recovery

LAW

Dubious Memories

A father accused of sexual abuse wins a malpractice judgment against his daughter's therapists

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

BOOKS: Ballads' End (Arts & Media / BOOKS)

Thomas Flanagan brings his Irish trilogy to a rueful close

CULTURE: The Mind Roams Free (Arts & Media / CULTURE)

Reynolds Price was dying of cancer years ago. But he, and his writing, have endured and thrived.

MUSIC: The Power of Two (Arts & Media / MUSIC)

The members of the duo Indigo Girls don't always agree, but as their new album proves, they make beautiful music together

War and Remembrance (Museums)

An upcoming Smithsonian Institution exhibition of Hiroshima angers some American veterans

BOOKS: Was the Picnic Ruined? (Arts & Media / BOOKS)

A leading black scholar recalls the bittersweet effects of the civil rights movement on his tiny, segregated hometown

SPECIAL SECTION

PEOPLE

TO OUR READERS

ESSAY