NATION

WORLD

A Carpet of Cocaine

Colombia's jungles are teeming with rich, armed, drug-dealing rebels. Can the U.S. really beat them?

SCIENCE

Capitol Hill Meltdown (Environment)

While the nation sizzles, Congress fiddles over measures to slow down future climate change

Cancer Made to Order

Researchers can now turn cells malignant in a test tube. It's easy--and it might lead to a cure

Closest Encounter (In Brief)

On July 29, Deep Space 1 came within 9.3 miles (15km) of the asteroid Braille

SOCIETY

A Portrait of the Killer (The Atlanta Massacre)

What triggered the rampage? A 1995 document may offer clues to the mystery of Mark Barton

A Nationwide Backlash (The Atlanta Massacre)

State and local governments are taking aim at the gun industry, either by enacting legislation or by filing lawsuits

Squeezing Out The Bad Guys (The Atlanta Massacre)

How ATF and local police have dramatically turned the tide in the battle against crime guns

A Shade Of His Brother (Crime)

A confession reveals the killer of four women, and a family cursed by shame, celebrity and envy

PRESS

Fresh Talk

The queen of buzz uncorks a monthly that's gritty, smart and spunky. But is it new, or old?

RELIGION

Who Are Those Guys?

The secretive DeMoss Foundation is behind those Power for Living ads, and a lot more

BRIEFING

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

The Madness of Crowds (Essay)

Woodstock '99 was a little less about love, a little more about sexual assault

BUSINESS

LAW

Cradles of Contention

The celebrated switched girls have got on swimmingly, so why are their elders at war?

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

The X Phones (The Arts / Radio)

When radio host Art Bell takes a call, it could be from a physicist, an abductee or the Antichrist

All-Star Lineup (The Arts / Opera)

A fresh, winning trio of one-acters by three well-known playwrights scores big in Cooperstown

Music: A Glimmer of Greatness (The Arts / Music)

Nashville singer-composer Kim Richey creates a gallery of lovers in the dark, looking for the light

Cinema: Dick (The Arts / Short Takes)

Directed by Andrew Fleming

YOUR TIME

A Penny Saved... (Personal Time / Your Money)

One centers just got more valuable. Turn yours in, make a quick killing, then let's outlaw them

Tempting Deal (Personal Time / Your Technology)

I thought free PCs were a scam until I tried one out for myself. Does that make me a softy?

Food Tips for Tots (Personal Time / Your Health)

America is making a mess of how it feeds its children. A new book gives badly needed advice

SPECIAL SECTION

Management: Extreme Offsites (Time Select / Management)

In a service economy that favors soft skills, more companies are trying expensive and quirky training tricks to keep employees up to date

PEOPLE

LETTERS