NATION

Bradley's Soft Sell

On the trail, Gore's Democratic rival discovers the joys and perils of restraint

Gore in Your Face

Bradley finds it hard to stay high-minded in a week of cheap shots, missteps and an irregular heartbeat

WORLD

The Charade of Death

How one of the richest men in the world became the victim of a troubled employee who loved him

It's Still Spy vs. Spy

A Russian diplomat is ordered to leave after a bug is discovered at the State Department

SCIENCE

Mars Reconsidered (Space)

Two fiascos in a row may force NASA to rethink the idea that faster, cheaper spacecraft are always better

HEALTH & MEDICINE

The Sickle-Cell Kid (Medicine)

An experimental transplant succeeds, giving a brave little boy the best Christmas present he can imagine

Tea Time Once Again (Food)

The old drink is having a comeback, in restaurants, at salons, at home and even in beauty products

TECHNOLOGY

Home, Hearth & Hollywood

It's going to be a digital-video Christmas. Ready to create, edit and air your movie? Here's how

BRIEFING

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

BUSINESS

Springing A Leak

Coke's chief calls it quits after two rough years. Can it become the Real Thing again?

EDUCATION

When Teachers Cheat

Under pressure to improve test scores, are schools giving students the wrong kind of lessons?

YOUR TIME

Buy a Buffalo! (Personal Time / Your Family)

Add meaning and calm to your holidays by spending less on friends and more on strangers

The Index Game (Personal Time / Your Money)

When S&P added Yahoo to its 500 list, the stock soared. Want to guess what will be next?

Blazing Modems (Personal Time / Your Technology)

Having high-speed access to the Net at home is a special treat. Getting it to work can be tricky

For Women Only (Personal Time / Your Health)

The rules for checkups have changed. Guidelines now call for more tests and new questions

SPECIAL SECTION

Middle-Class Communes (Time Select / Lifestyles)

Once havens for dope-smoking, free-loving hippies, communal quarters now offer flexible housing for families, singles and seniors

The Columbine Tapes (Special Report / The Columbine Tapes)

In five secret videos they recorded before the massacre, the killers reveal their hatreds--and their lust for fame

The Columbine Tapes: An Act Of God? (Special Report / The Columbine Tapes)

The family of Rachel Scott believes she died at Columbine to spark a spiritual revival among youth

Goodly Gifts (Time Select / Lifestyles)

Nonprofits offer gift items to satisfy the Good Samaritan--and busy holiday shopper--in us all

LETTERS