Vol. 170 No. 7
COVER
How years of misguided policies and bureaucratic bungling left New Orleans defenseless against Katrina--and why it may happen again
TO OUR READERS
the country is still failing a great American city
ESSAY
How did the most powerful moderate group in the country get shunted aside? The activists took over
Nostra Culpa (Commentary)
Pundits and politicians have admitted to being wrong about Iraq. Shouldn't the American public do the same?
How Friends Make You Fat
genetics. You can now blame your paunch on your pals
NOTEBOOK
Market Shakeup (Briefing / The Moment)
Anxious billionaires, a queasy silence on Wall Street. What's next?
Dashboard (Dashboard)
Numbers
Arming Iran's Enemies (Briefing / World Spotlight)
Fresh GOP Ethics Woes (Briefing / Washington Memo)
Verbatim
NATION
How is the embattled Attorney General still clinging to his position? Because he's the President's last protection against an investigation of the Administration
WORLD
Hamas controls the streets, but Israel's stranglehold remains as tight as ever
SOCIETY
Too busy to care for a pet full-time? A new company lets animal lovers share, though some activists don't want you to
BUSINESS
A currency battle with Beijing is getting ugly. A story of exchange rates, trade and distrust
Turning Savings into a Start-Up (Life: Fashion - Living - Business - Life After Work - The Power Of One / Life After Work)
More retirees are using nest eggs to fund a new career. Here's how to take the risk safely
SCIENCE
Few things imprison a mind quite like obsessive -compulsive disorder, but better treatments are breaking its hold
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass find gritty truth in a summer action franchise
Paper, Plastic or Prada? (Life: Fashion - Living - Business - Life After Work - The Power Of One / Fashion)
Grocery shopping gets chic with eco-friendly designer totes to bag your greens
Woman, Man, Death, God (Appreciation)
(Downtime)
What you should see, what you should hear and what you might just as well skip
PEOPLE
From Holocaust survivor to criminal brute, challenging roles have defined this Oscar winner's acting career. Next up: a turn as a Roman shaman in The Last Legion. Sir Ben Kingsley will now take your questions
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
Retailers are using the power of sound as a subtle sales tool
The Next Nobel? (Science / The Power Of One)
How an upstart philanthropist found a way to rev up tomorrow's hottest fields of inquiry
Enter the Dragon (Global Business: Investing - Marketing - China / China)
With more than a trillion dollars of cash on hand, China is a formidable new force in global finance
Hedge Fund Confidential (Global Business: Investing - Marketing - China / Investing)
When the most secretive traders gather, the cocktail talk could be worth billions