Vol. 166 No. 13
COVER
With doubts about Iraq growing at home, U.S. forces are struggling to put down an elusive and inexhaustible enemy. Michael Ware reports on the state of the counterinsurgency from the front lines of the biggest battle of the year
Saddam's Revenge (Iraq: Are We Losing?)
The secret history of U.S. mistakes, misjudgments and intelligence failures that let the Iraqi dictator and his allies launch an insurgency now ripping Iraq apart
NATION
The President promises a massive rebuilding effort with no concrete numbers--and no tax cuts. While Congress grumbles about how to pay for it, the issue on the ground is: Who gets the cash?
Public Bailout. Private Agenda? (Hurricane Katrina)
The feds plan to cover education costs for Katrina kids. Is it a rescue or a massive voucher experiment?
Trying to Get It Right This Time (Hurricane Katrina)
Guess Who's Coming ... (Hurricane Katrina)
How Katrina evacuees and their hosts have formed surprising friendships across the red-blue divide
SOCIETY
A new survey says many U.S. teens have engaged in oral sex--and it's not just boys on the receiving end
SPORT
Kinder but not gentler, ultimate fighting is back and lunging for the mainstream. Are you ready?
NOTEBOOK
The Vice President squashes talk of a "hurricane czar" to lead rebuilding
Syria Gets the Cold Shoulder
The U.S. and other countries make moves to isolate Syria's government
The Roberts Effect
Conservatives are determined that Bush's next Supreme Court nominee should lean to the right
Arnold Will Be Back, But Will Hispanics?
California's governor falls in the polls among Latinos
Best Schools? The Alt Guides
A look at the competitors to the Princeton Review and U.S. News rankings
Dear Google, I Have Found Another Suitor
Will AOL be united with MSN?
Baby, Have We Got a Fight Song For You
Instilling football fandom during infancy
Numbers
Milestones
Punchlines
Verbatim
Appreciation (Milestones)
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
How an also-ran made a bet on flat-panel televisions as the critical path to being a major player in electronics
An Outsourced Merger Wave? (Time Bonus Section October 2005: Global Business / World Briefing)
For Mountain Biking in Afghanistan (Time Bonus Section October 2005: Global Business / World Briefing)
Uniqlo's Casual Gambit (Time Bonus Section October 2005: Global Business / World Briefing)
Really Old Money (Time Bonus Section October 2005: Global Business / World Briefing)
China: A Rising Car Star? (Time Bonus Section October 2005: Global Business / World Briefing)
Lacoste's Riposte (Time Bonus Section October 2005: Global Business / Brands)
How the once flailing French brand regained its mojo in the U.S., even if Andy Roddick didn't
The Real Oil Shock (Time Bonus Section October 2005: Global Business / Energy)
One expert argues that the Saudis won't be able to meet demand; we'd better prepare now
Toyota's Tough Boss (Time Bonus Section October 2005: Global Business / CEO Talks)
Katsuaki Watanabe can't wait for the carmaker's next challenges
Betting Against The Crowd (Time Bonus Section October 2005: Global Business / Investing)
Profile: Amit Wadhwaney shuns trends and buys stocks most investors consider toxic
World Beaters (Time Bonus Section October 2005: Global Business / World Beaters)
The Buddhist Trail (Time Bonus Section October 2005: Global Business / The Global Life)
Tourists are returning to the birthplace of one of the world's great religions
BUSINESS
When Delta and Northwest airlines went bankrupt last week, it was the latest blow to an industry plagued by poor management, combative unions and huge pension burdens. Gordon Bethune, the former CEO and savior of Continental Airlines, says the government has only made the problem worse
Can Mickey Find His Mojo?
Disney is trying to kick its animation division back to life by (finally) embracing the computer. TIME gets an exclusive peek at its first four films
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
America's most feet-on-the-ground star has a soft spot for space. With a new IMAX film, TOM HANKS takes his third and most surprising lunar journey
A Student Of History (Books)
E.L. Doctorow brings to life the last mad stretch of the Civil War
Sticking to Their Guns (Movies)
The American affection for weaponry is the subject of several new films, foreign and domestic
Doom Is Big, and All Is Lost (Television)
Three spooky new dramas recall a current tragedy a little bit--and recall a certain ABC hit a great deal
Guy Walks into a Shtetl (Movies)
Everything Is Illuminated carefully finds humor among the descendants of Holocaust survivors
Taking the Cola Cure (Books)
In this historical epic, a woman struggles against a global flu epidemic and a ruthless soda baron
5 Riveting Soldier Blogs
Want your war up close and more or less unedited? Find out through the troops' online diaries how they see it
YOUR TIME
Blogging 2.0 (Technology)
Not Really Roughing It (Travel)
PEOPLE
Meryl Tries Out An, Um, Edgier Look (First Look)
Matt's Off The Market
Thank Goodness They're Not Triplets
10 Questions for Mahmoud Ahmadinedjad (Interview)
LETTERS
ESSAY
TV's woman President has stature, but can she surmount the double standards?