NATION

Beneath The Surface

A New South town is haunted by Deep South ghosts-- and a fresh, ugly murder

Crank

The drug once called speed has come roaring back as a powdery plague on America's heartland. Here, a close look at one place in the grip of...

Victory for Vouchers

A court's ruling that they can be used for religious schools is a major move toward free choice

WORLD

Nigeria's Orphan

Eloquent and impassioned, Hafsat Abiola works for her father's freedom and her country's future

SCIENCE

SPORT

The Melting-Pot Team

America's soccer team looks like a poster for diversity and happens to be quite good to boot

BRIEFING

State Department (Notebook / The Scoop)

Mexico's Angry, and Albright's Out of the Loop

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

Flirting with Death (American Scene)

An amateur comic goes for the big time and (just barely) lives to tell about it

Monica Who? (Essay)

Confused about what to talk about at a dinner party? Here are a few tips

BUSINESS

The Wage of Innocence

As investors pour money into mutual funds, a crop of young, unseasoned managers takes a ride on the bull

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Carmen, the MTV Diva (The Arts / Opera)

In Houston, the music is Bizet, but the style is more Rolling Stones

Books: Fantastic Voyage (The Arts / Books)

A shipwreck and the hunt for its treasure 100 years later make the summer's best adventure tale

Music: !Viva La Musica Cubana! (The Arts / Music)

A joyful, pulsing invasion is under way as some of the island's best jazz artists bring their spicy sounds to the U.S. Don't even try to resist

YOUR TIME

Help! (Personal Time / Your Work Force)

The biggest problem with our booming American economy is that there aren't enough good people out there to hire. Here are some ways you might find a few good men and women and ease the skilled-worker

Pitch In, Get Sued (Personal Time: Your Money)

Here's how to check your insurance coverage to make sure your good deeds go unpunished

Deadly Drug Duos (Personal Time: Your Health)

Last week's recall of a blood-pressure pill warns us to avoid drug interactions. Here's how

Cleaner Windows (Personal Time: Your Technology)

Microsoft's new operating system ought, by rights, to be free. It's not. But buy it anyway

PEOPLE

Basketball: The One And Only (Michael Jordan: The End Of The Line?)

He is peerless in the high art of the modern superstar: soaring, dunking, inspiring. But retiring? The world waits as he ponders the future

How He Got Up There (Michael Jordan: The End Of The Line?)

His near perfection proves the value of apprenticeship for even the most talented

LETTERS