Cover Story: The Security Traders
By Brendan I. Koerner
In the name of homeland defense, companies that sell everything from database software to explosives detectors are lining up for Washington's latest windfall.

The Thin Green Line
By Gershom Gorenberg
What drives some Israeli soldiers to challenge the military, the government, and even their families by refusing to cross into occupied lands?

Born-Again Zionists
By Ken Silverstein and Michael Scherer
With their apocalyptic beliefs and powerful political connections, evangelical Christians have emerged as a major force in shaping Bush's policy on Israel.

The Diddly Awards
By Jack Hitt
Elmo's Capitol Hill testimony, Orrin Hatch's Hollywood soundtrack, Bob Barr's airport rage. We honor the Best of the Worst of your U.S. Congress.

Making It Work
Photo Essay by Jon Lowenstein
Text By Eric Schlosser
In the Chicago neighborhoods where Eastern European immigrants once got their start, Mexican jornaleros navigate the shadow economy of day labor.

A Crossroad for Wilderness
By Ted Williams
Thanks to the administration's new road-building policy, loggers may soon have access to Alaska's vast Tongass rain forest -- and the developers are poised to follow.

Editor's Note
Masthead
Contributors
Backtalk

OUTFRONT
Lobbyist lawmakers; digging into a mine disaster; How Chemlawn became TruGreen; The Navy's sonic boom; top 10 activist campuses; and biking while black.

EXHIBIT
Snacking for Palestine; cleansing caffeine; and nuclear licenses

DISPATCH
Biotech's Black Market
By Douglas McGray
In India, an agricultural mystery has sparked debate over genetically engineered crops, farmers' rights, and a growing black market in "magic seed."

NOTEBOOK
Small Town Justice
By Bob Burtman
Rock-ribbed, conservative Southern towns like Winfall, North Carolina, are having second thoughts about the death penalty.

THE COMMONS
A Peaceful Mourning
By Sue Halpern
For dozens of people who lost relatives last September 11, a one-of-a-kind peace group has provided a sense of mission -- and fellowship.

MEDIA JONES
The trouble with humanitarianism; filmmaker Justin Lin on being young, suburban, and Asian American; Rumsfeld does the macarena; plus other book, music, and film reviews.

P.S.
Breaking News
Cartoon by Barry Blitt