Staring Down the Russians (The Well / Cover Story)
The West has to show Moscow that it won't tolerate any attempt to reassert control over Georgia or the rest of the former Soviet Union

The Bear Is Back on The Prowl (The Well / World)
The U.S. warned its ally not to be drawn into a Russian trap. When the fighting started, Georgia didn't stand a chance

Photos

The Russians in Ossetia

TIME photographer Yuri Kozyrev travels with Russian units in the separatist enclave

Dark Clouds in Florida for GOP (The Well / Campaign '08)
Miami's three congressional seats have been Republican strongholds. But in a tough year for the GOP, Little Havana can no longer be taken for granted

Why Al Franken Isn't Winning (The Well / Campaign '08)
Do all those old jokes work against Al Franken in his race for a Senate seat in Minnesota? You betcha

Four-Day School Weeks (Life / Education)
As gas prices go up and bus service eats into school budgets, more districts are starting to cut class

Who Can You Sue? Click Here (Life / Litigation Nation)
For answers, see WhoCanISue.com


A Question of Honor (Commentary)
Russia's assault on Georgia was wrong--but predictable. How humiliation can shape national interest

What's Wrong with Celebrity? (Tuned In)
The term is being used as an insult. But there are worse things for a leader to be

Say No to Class War
There's a new push for affirmative action by social class. As Mao's China showed, it's a terrible idea


Isaac Hayes (Briefing)

Milestones

Bernie Mac (Briefing)

Pop Chart

The Moment (Briefing)
8|11|08: Washington

The Page (Briefing)

Verbatim

The World (Briefing)
10 ESSENTIAL STORIES

A Brief History Of: Tabloids!! (Briefing)

The Skimmer (Briefing)

A Handy Distance Between Gold and Silver (Sport)

Mexico's Cocaine Capital (The Well / World)
In Culiacán, the heart of Mexico's drug country, narco gangs massacre cops and one another — and are celebrated in song
 Photos: The Battle for Culiacan
Murder proliferates in the home of Mexico's $25 billion drug-trafficking industry. Photographs by Anthony Suau for TIME

Big Splash! (The Well / Sport)

Beijing Pollution's Effect? It's Unclear (The Well / Sport)

The Medal Machine Is Cranking (The Well / Sport)

India's New Medal Record: 1 (The Well / Sport)

Postcard: Beijing
While China's Old Guard celebrates the Olympics as a sign of how far the country has come, its young élite looks to the future. Dinners and revolutions in China's capital


Getting Your Goat (Food)
With the help of a top chef, learning how to grill (and kill) a rising star among American meats
 Video: How to Grill (and Kill) a Goat
TIME's Nathan Thornburgh learns the hard way about the reality of goat in America: it's a delicious meat, but sometimes you have to kill it yourself


The Off-Line American (Life / Nerd World)
McCain admits he's a Net newbie. But does that affect whether he should be President?

Point-and-Shoot Shopping (Life / Fashion)
Popular in Japan, camera-phone-based technology could turn U.S. handsets into storefronts


The Great American Yard Sale (The Well / Business)
Beer to buildings, airports to biotech: foreigners are buying U.S. assets on the cheap. It matters more than you think


3-D Movies: Coming Back at You (Movies)
The retro format has been reborn for the digital age. You still need the glasses, but it's a whole new experience

Latin Lovers (Movies)
A fine Spanish romance from a man who sees passion as comedy

Home Thoughts (Architecture)
The past and future of prefab housing

Divided Souls (Books)
Dispatches from the dark side of childhood

5 Things You Should Know About (Downtime)
Clone wars, vintage Broderick and the Belle of Amherst


10 Questions for Javier Bardem
The Oscar winner seduces audiences in Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Javier Bardem will now take your questions


Under the Radar (Global Business / Strategy)
How L'Avion, the lone business-class airline start-up to survive, got the critical choices right

Sashimi on Demand? (Global Business / Environment)
As bluefin-tuna numbers plummet, an Australian says he's found a way to farm the migratory fish


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