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Focuses on the costs associated with the Hurricane Katrina rebuilding effort and the political implications of the rebuilding efforts for U.S. President George W. Bush. Review of how Bush has committed his administration to not only rebuilding New Orleans and the regions effected by the storm but promised to make them better than they once were; Discussion of how Bush must renew its financial case for the Iraq war against the backdrop of desperate Americans; Comments from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice regarding the issue; History of government rebuilding projects; Reactions to Bush's proposed plan by lawmakers.

The article focuses on U.S. President George W. Bush's response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina on the United States Gulf Coast. How the president of the United States could have even less "situational awareness," as they say in the military, than the average American about the worst natural disaster in a century--is one of the more perplexing and troubling chapters in a story that, despite moments of heroism and acts of great generosity, ranks as a national disgrace. The war in Iraq was a failure of intelligence. The government's response to Katrina--like the failure to anticipate that terrorists would fly into buildings on 9/11--was a failure of imagination. On Tuesday, within 24 hours of the storm's arrival, Bush needed to be able to imagine the scenes of disorder and misery that would, two days later, shock him when he watched the evening news. Liberals will say they were indifferent to the plight of poor African-Americans. It is true that Katrina laid bare society's massive neglect of its least fortunate. The inner thoughts and motivations of Bush and his top advisers are impossible to know for certain. Though it seems abstract at a time of such suffering, high-minded considerations about the balance of power between state and federal government were clearly at play. It's also possible that after at least four years of more or less constant crisis, Bush and his team are numb.

Looks at the causes of devastation in New Orleans and the slow relief efforts following Hurricane Katrina. Description of early reactions to the threat of Hurricane Katrina; Criticism of the relief response of President George W. Bush, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and local officials; How the Army Corps of Engineers had warned of levee problems and the potential of a disaster; Statistics about the racial and socioeconomic makeup of the New Orleans population; Stories of survival and death; Conditions at the Superdome and other refugee camps.

Focuses on research aimed at understanding the way babies think. Details of an experiment at Texas Tech University; Focus on learning how children develop healthy emotional ties; Finding that babies are far more sophisticated intellectually than once believed; How pediatricians are starting to change the way they evaluate their youngest patients; Discovery that babies feel a range of complex emotions, such as envy and empathy; Challenges and risks of baby research; Social learning; Infants' powers of observation; Study of how early babies can detect subtle differences in facial expressions; Concept of object permanence; Topic of shyness and anxiety; Importance of parenting style. INSET: Sharing a Crib With the Green-Eyed Monster.

Reports on the massive worldwide hunt to catch the terrorists who set off four bombs in London, England. Details of how the bombers struck London's mass-transit system; Observation that the July 7 bombings were the bloodiest day in England since World War II; Comments of Sir Ian Blair, the London Metropolitan Police Commissioner, and Queen Elizabeth II; Reactions of Americans to the news; Significance of the roots and execution of the London plot; How the bombings mirrored the attacks in Madrid, Spain, 16 months ago; How the search for the bombers and their masterminds will involve the intelligence services and police forces of scores of countries; Examples of small acts of kindness and duty following the explosions; Apparent intent of the London bombings to undermine the G8 meeting in Scotland.

Examines the influence of Latino politicians in U.S. politics as of May 30, 2005. Comments of Antonio Villaraigosa on his election as the mayor of Los Angeles, California; Report that Villaraigosa's campaign motivated Latinos to vote in record numbers and created a multiethnic political coalition; Impact of the Latino community on the success of the Democratic Party; Discussion of the impact of Latino voters on the 2004 U.S. Presidential election; Description of campaigning among Latinos by President George W. Bush and the Republican Party during the 2004 campaign; Impact of religion on the voting behavior of Latinos; Planning among Democratic leaders to effectively campaign in Latino communities; Impact of relations between Latinos and African Americans on the political influence of each group.

Focuses on U.S. soldiers who lost limbs in Iraq and Afghanistan who are deciding to go back into battle. How advances in medicine mean more amputees are surviving, and today's high-technology replacement limbs let them lead active lives; Observation that a small core of determined veterans are training for their comebacks; Comments of wounded soldiers; Challenges for amputees who want to return to combat duty.

Looks at the administration of George W. Bush as he nears his inaugural. Reasons that he sought to fire and seek out new people to head up departments; How the President has expanded his ambition for the second term in office rather than scaling it back which most others have done; Self-confidence which has come from the election and recent polls; Topics of his second-term agenda and the huge impact they could have on the United States.

Reports on the Southeast Asia tsunami disaster. Explanation of the seismic mechanics behind the earthquake that caused the tsunami; Various stories of survival, loss, and heroics; Detection of the earthquake by Stuart Weinstein of Hawaii's Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, declaring it posed no threat; Lack of sea-level wave monitors in the Indian ocean, making it impossible for tsunami watchers in Hawaii to know there was a tsunami in the Indian ocean; Chronology of the tsunami's destruction, from Sumatra to Thailand to Sri Lanka and India and finally to Africa. INSET: HOW TO HELP THE VICTIMS.

Examines the use of inadequately armored vehicles in Iraq by the U.S. Armed Forces and questions whether the Pentagon is effectively adapting to the strategies used by Iraqi insurgents. Use of a field artillery regiment to protect weakly armored convoys on the road to Baghdad; Tactics used by the insurgents, which target unarmored vehicles in rear areas; Comments made by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld concerning the armor used on vehicles.

Focuses on the presidential campaigns of George W. Bush and John Kerry and voting preparations in Ohio. The importance of swing states like Ohio; How the state was divided between the Republicans and Democrats in 2000; How the two candidates have tried to distinguish themselves and appeal to voting segments; The factors contributing to a close race; Statistics from the Newsweek Poll; Themes of the Bush and Kerry campaigns; Their stance on various issues, including stem-cell research; The status of Ohio and Florida on the Electoral College map; Objection of Democrats to voters' entitlement to provisional ballots in Ohio.

Offers a look at the campaign debates between United States President George W. Bush and Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry for the 2004 election. Reaction of Bush's media strategist Mark McKinnon to the second debate; Reference to the campaign debate between Vice President Dick Cheney and Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards; List of false claims made by Cheney during the debate.

Focuses on the effect of the first televised campaign debate between President George W. Bush and Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry on the 2004 United States election. Victory of Kerry in the debate; Reference to a public opinion poll conducted after the debate, showing a Kerry lead; Report that viewers saw Kerry as better informed, more self-assured, a stronger leader, and a more likable guy; Discussion of Bush's criticisms of Kerry's foreign policy proposals; Report that the next campaign debates will focus on domestic issues such as taxation; Preparations of Kerry for the debate by aide John Sasso and speechwriter Bob Shrum; Lack of preparations conducted by Bush.

Discusses Senator John Kerry's revised strategy for his presidential campaign against President George W. Bush. Decision to attack Bush on the state of affairs in Iraq; Questioning of Bush's credibility on the conflict, his management of postwar Iraq, and the no-bid contracts won by Dick Cheney's old firm, Halliburton; Hopes that the hard realities of Iraq will undercut Bush's picture of a liberated nation and ultimately the president's image as a war leader; Change from Kerry's recent strategy of focusing on the economy and health care; Dependence of Kerry's show of strength on the news.

Profiles the relationship between United States Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry and his running mate, John Edwards. Description of the pair's interactions with the press; The opinions of the public on the choice of John Edwards as a view to the future, as opposed to Vice President Dick Cheney; President George W. Bush's attack on John Edwards; Analysis of Edward's projected effect on the success of the Democratic party in several states.

Examines how U.S. military interrogation changed after the September 11, 2001 attacks, when the President George W. Bush administration wrote new rules to fight a new kind of war. Reactions of legislators to images of American soldiers abusing prisoners at Abu Ghraib Prison in Baghdad, Iraq; Question of who taught the torture methods to the guards; How some images portray techniques officially approved by the government for use against terrorist suspects; Roles of Bush, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Attorney General John Ashcroft in signing off on a secret system of detention and interrogation; Issue of the Geneva Conventions, which protect rights of detainees and prisoners of war; How the Bush administration created a legal framework to justify this system of interrogation; Background on the administration's emerging approach in the war on terrorism; Outlook for more charges. INSET: WHAT THE RULES SAY.

Discusses who is responsible for abuse of Iraqi detainees by U.S. military police at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. Comments by Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski, formerly in charge of Abu Ghraib, on the role of Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Miller, the commandant at the Guantánamo Bay, Cuba detention camp, in advising soldiers manning Abu Ghraib on methods for obtaining information from detainees, and establishing Abu Ghraib as an interrogation center; Assertions by military police involved in the abuse that they were acting on orders; Reactions of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Richard Myers to revelations of abuse; Report that Miller has been assigned the task of rectifying the problems at Abu Ghraib; Speculation about whether the Pentagon is trying to cover up a widespread policy of abusive interrogation practices that clearly violate the Geneva Conventions; Attempts by members of Congress to establish who was really in charge at Abu Ghraib; Details of the report on interrogations at Abu Ghraib by Gen. Antonio Taguba.

Offers a look at the shortage of armored Humvees that led to war casualties of United States and allied soldiers during the Iraq War of 2003 and 2004. Claim by soldiers that the U.S. government has failed to protect them with the best technology; Lack of tanks and body armor; Filing of a Freedom of Information Act request by Russ Kick for the release of photographs showing coffins returning to the United States from Iraq; Statement that a breakdown of casualty figures suggests that many U.S. deaths and wounds did not need to occur; Recommendation by the head of the U.S. Army Forces Command, General Larry Ellis, that more of the Stryker combat vehicles be put into the field; Attacks by insurgents in Iraq on the vulnerable soldiers; Cost of the military operations in Iraq.

Examines the military records of President George W. Bush and Senator John Kerry. How the decision for John Kerry to go to Vietnam was expected as a graduate of Yale in 1966; Bush, also a Yale graduate, who left school in 1968 to find no graduates going into the service; His choice to enter the Air National Guard; Electioneering which has each side smearing the war effort of the other; Similarities and differences in the two Yale graduates; Role of rejection and isolation as motivators; Family backgrounds on both men; Kerry's aggressiveness in battle in the Mekong Delta and awards he received; Bush's training as a pilot; Kerry's transformation on return to the U.S.; Lessons of war for Kerry and how they shape his political policies.

Discusses how Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, a Democratic presidential candidate, belittled the decision of President George W. Bush to join the National Guard during the Vietnam War. Consideration of a decrease in the approval ratings for Bush; Plans for Bush to depict Kerry as a politician who wants to raise taxes, employ restrictions on abortion, and cut funding for intelligence agencies and weapons programs in the U.S; Impact of the failure of the U.S. to locate weapons of mass destruction in Iraq on Bush's reelection campaign; Efforts of the Republicans to portray Kerry as a supporter of gay marriage.

Examines John Kerry in the wake of his come-from-behind victory in Iowa. Nature of Kerry's "electability"; History of the Kerry campaign; Nature of Kerry's personality and demeanor; Details of Kerry endorsements; Outlook for Kerry for the rest of the campaign.

Examines the Democratic election trail as the U.S. presidential race begins in Iowa. Iowa Senator Tom Harkin's endorsement of candidate Howard Dean; Momentum of candidate Wesley Clark; Innovation of Dean's campaign on the Internet; Outlook for winning in the Iowa caucuses; Massachusetts Senator John Kerry's challenge to Dean; Dean's financial history and questions about a charity he once headed; The Clark campaign; Overview of the candidates.

Discusses the Thanksgiving visit to Iraq by United States President George W. Bush. The level of secrecy surrounding the visit; Its effect as a morale booster and as a political move; Response from Democratic Party rivals; Some of the people he visited with while in Iraq.

Reports on the current state of the rebuilding of Iraq by United States President George W. Bush. Political opposition against the efforts in Iraq by the Bush administration; Recent attacks in Iraq on coalition forces, and the things being done to counter the attacks; Future plans for the rebuilding of Iraq, including the activation of 85,000 troops; Statistics on the amount of troops involved with the rebuilding of Iraq; Effects that the rebuilding of Iraq has on the 2004 presidential election.

Discusses the victory of Arnold Schwarzenegger in the California gubernatorial election that expelled Democrat Gray Davis. How his campaign was supported by the Kennedy family; Idea that the victory made Schwarzenegger an major Republican figure; Challenges that he will face as governor; Mention of the approval ratings of the George W. Bush administration; How Schwarzenegger represents voter anger in his state; Speculation that the immigrant and former Austrian body-builder has aspirations for the White House; Outlook for Wesley Clark and others in the Democratic Party nomination for presidential candidate; Details of the Schwarzenegger method and his campaign finance strategy; How his celebrity status helped him in politics; View that his wife, Maria Shriver, will focus on empowerment themes as First Lady; View that Schwarzenegger benefited from limited contact with the media.

Focuses on the concerns U.S. President George W. Bush may be feeling regarding his chances of being re-elected in 2004. Problems he has faced during his first term in office including terrorism and the national budget; Mistakes he has made regarding Iraq; Karl Rove's plan for the 2004 presidential election.

Observes former General Wesley Clark starting with his employment history which has culminated in his bid for the democratic nominee for president. Relentless personality which creates strong opinions from those who served with him; An outsider in the Army; Belief he can convince anyone of anything which borders on obsessiveness; Poor handling of his firing from the Pentagon; His boldness which frightens risk-adverse high ranking brass; Question if he can take the indignities and the mudslinging of politics.

Profiles Howard Dean, a 2004 United States presidential candidate. Focus on issues; Problems faced by the Democratic Party as of 2003; Background; Career in politics.

Discusses the possible United States' military plan of action against Iraq and speculates as to how Iraqi President Saddam Hussein might fight back. Weapons to be used such as the E-bomb and precision-guided bombs and missiles; Statement that the desired effect is to stun and demoralize the Iraqi Army into surrendering quickly; Hope that Saddam will be left paralyzed before he can hit back; Technological advances made since the first Gulf War in 1991; Claim that the goal is not to wipe out Saddam's forces but to convince them that they are needed for the creation of Iraq without Saddam; Dangers of urban fighting.

Discusses the loss of the U.S. shuttle Columbia when it disintegrated over Texas, taking with it seven astronauts. Overview of the 16-day mission, which had gone smoothly; Details of what went wrong minutes before the shuttle was supposed to land; Eyewitness accounts; Mood at the Kennedy Space Center, where a crowd was waiting for the shuttle to arrive; Mission Control's loss of contact with the spacecraft; Investigation by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Discusses United States President George W. Bush's role in the 2002 mid-term elections. Bush's campaign strategy, which involved the threat of a war on Iraq and plans for the creation of a Department of Homeland Security; Political benefits resulting from the United Nation's decision to back a resolution on action against Iraq; Bush's approval rating as of November, 2002; Opinion that early fund raising and the 2001 terrorist attack in September, 2002, were factors in Republican electoral victories.

Profiles John Allen Muhammad and John Lee Malvo, the men who allegedly shot thirteen people in the sniper attacks in the Washington D.C. area. How the criminals converted a Chevy Caprice as a killing machine; Role of police chief Charles Moose from Montgomery County, Maryland in the media coverage; How Muhammed was stationed at Fort Lewis in Tacoma, Washington; Investigation conducted by police in Maryland; Views from criminal psychiatrists about the case; Significance of a murder and robbery in Montgomery, Alabama.

Relates the stories of four people whose lives collided during the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Role of New York City firefighter Bill Feehan in saving thousands of lives; The murder of thousands by suicidal terrorist Mohamed Atta; Ordeal of Virginia DiChiara, who worked in the World Trade Center, and was burned on much of her body; United States Vice President Dick Cheney's orders to shoot down any hijacked airplanes.

Questions whether the United States should try to assassinate terrorist leaders, in light of the hunt for Osama bin Laden. Mention of a video tape which features bin Laden taking responsibility for the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks; How U.S. officials are banned from plotting assassinations by executive orders dating to the Gerald Ford Administration; Topic of international relations.

Reports that some papers in the case of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh had not been turned over by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Criticism of the actions of acting Deputy Attorney General Robert Mueller and White House Counsel Al Gonzales upon discovering the news; Embarrassment caused by the bungle, especially to Attorney General John Ashcroft; Tendency of the FBI to try and cover up its mistakes; Postponement of McVeigh's execution; How McVeigh's fate might be affected by the mistake.

Report on George W. Bush's first 100 days as president of the United States. Discussion of Bush's foreign policy, with a focus on relations with China; Details of Bush's approval rating; How Bush has handled the media as president; Goals of his administration, including tax cuts and education reform; Suggestion that Bush has mishandled environmental policy.

Discusses the behavior of George W. Bush supporters and Al Gore supporters during the recounting of ballots in Florida for the 2000 United States presidential elections. Hospitalization of vice presidential candidate Dick Cheney after a heart attack; Protests by Republican volunteers of the recounting in Miami-Dade County; Description of the Gore campaign as combative and defiant. INSET: Wild Times Under the Dome, by Matt Bai & Michael Isikoff.

Discusses the contested United States presidential election in 2000. Efforts of candidates George W. Bush and Al Gore to secure Florida's decisive 25 electoral votes; Background on the campaigning strategies of Democrat Gore and Republican Bush; Data on the vote tabulation as of November 27, 2000; Criticism of Katherine Harris, Florida's secretary of state; Issues of hand counting and ballots with chads. INSET: Tracking Hurricane 2000.