Table of Contents: Oct. 25, 2004

10 QUESTIONS: The Dalai Lama on Tibet, China and his own future 8

LETTERS 11

NOTEBOOK

Bush and Kerry: why the race is so close; mutiny on the convoy; Arnold vs. the girly states; Senator Dayton runs for cover 23

MILESTONES: PFC Lynndie England gives birth; Pierre Salinger dies 31

IN THE ARENA: Joe Klein on why going negative won’t help Bush 33

NATION

Thin Wedge The social issues that Bush thought would win him voters’ support aren’t counting for as much in this election 34

GAY POLITICS: Why all the fuss over Dick Cheney’s daughter? 38

HISPANICS: Inside the battle for a critical chunk of votes 43

WORLD

Hidden Hand Shi’ite cleric Sistani is the most powerful man in Iraq. Can he help bring democracy to the country? 44

DISPATCH: TIME’s Phil Zabriskie follows U.S. counterinsurgency forces in Ramadi and Fallujah 53

BUSINESS

Spitzer Strikes The New York Attorney General goes after America’s largest insurance broker 59

ALL ABOARD: As the online travel business takes off, celebrity CEOs are grabbing the last seats ………..60

COVER STORY

The God Gene Is religion part of nature’s evolutionary scheme? Scientists are asking whether spirituality might be embedded in our DNA 62

SCIENCE

Feathered Friends New finds boost the once dubious theory that birds evolved from dinosaurs 74

TRIBUTE: What Christopher Reeve taught the scientists 77

ARTS

Up, Up and Away! With The Incredibles, about an alluringly oddball family of superheroes, Pixar makes a super leap forward 78

ART: Aztecs at the Guggenheim 86

MOVIES: Vera Drake depicts abortion as an all-too-human dilemma 89

YOUR TIME

HEALTH: Fighting osteoporosis 101

TECH: Networking the élite 102

SPORT: Being Phil Jackson 104

PEOPLE: O’Reilly’s sex suit; Jon Stewart’s Crossfire debut 107

ESSAY: James Poniewozik on what Desperate Housewives tells us about desperate voters 108

COVER: Illustration for TIME by Jody Hewgill