Time
24
NATION: Will Desert Shield become Desert Sword? A belligerent President waffles toward war
Each day brings more troops, more firepower and more threats to the gulf. Congress wants reassurance that Bush won't act unilaterally, but he is keeping his options open. A look at the Pentagon partners who are fast becoming the Administration's key policymakers.
44
WORLD: The U.S.S.R. slips closer to anarchic dissolution as Boris Yeltsin leads a second Russian Revolution
Republics, regions, even cities set a course for independence. -- In the republic of Moldavia, a three-way split comes close to civil war. -- Hindu extremism and caste politics threaten to bring down India's government.
52
BUSINESS: Air carriers face a major shake-out
/ Caught between rising fuel costs and falling traffic, the industry is suffering record losses. A bareknuckled battle at New York City's Daily News may set the tone of labor struggles for the '90s.
66
EXCERPT: Big trouble with the Middle East and Iran-contra
In the second of two excerpts from An American Life, former President Reagan recalls the sorrow and the pity of Lebanon and how his efforts to bring home the hostages went wrong when Oliver North and John Poindexter tried to help. -- Prince Charles and the tea bag.-- Pinning down Madame Mitterrand. -- Valedictory.
82
MEDICINE: When bones become brittle
Osteoporosis can be triggered in young women by disturbances in the menstrual cycle, according to a controversial report. -- Scientists make mice more like men.
87
LAW: Sexual intercourse -- or sexual assault?
In a groundbreaking case, a woman claiming to have multiple-personality disorder charges she was violated: as a result of her illness, she was unaware of having sex with the defendant.
88
THEATER: Three Broadway musicals revive romance
The boy-meets-girl plots come from long ago, but charm and energy abound in the Caribbean fable Once On This Island, the Gershwin revival Oh, Kay! and a biography of Buddy Holly.
93
EDUCATION: New look for a national rite of passage
Challenging critics, the College Board revamps the venerable Scholastic Aptitude Test, one of many exams created by New Jersey's powerful Educational Testing Service.
112
PROFILE:
Paul Simon
From the Sounds of Silence to the redemption of Graceland to the dreamy Rhythm of the Saints, the musical odyssey of a poet and songwriter.
12 Letters
16 Interview
22 Critic's Voices
23 Grapevine
86 Health
86 Milestones
89 People
+ 94 Books
97 Science
100 Art
102 Cinema
107 Food
111 Environment
118 Essay
Photograph for TIME by Gregory Heisler