Features
Hispanic Diaspora
by Barry Yeoman
Steady work and rural values are drawing thousands of Latinos to small towns like Siler City, North Carolina. But not everyone is welcoming the new arrivals.

A Time for Healing
by Jacob Levinson
The AIDS epidemic is now hitting hardest among African Americans. While federal officials scramble for ways to address the crisis, a Harlem pastor believes the black church may hold the key.

A More Civil Union
by David Goodman
Is America ready for gay marriage? Vermont’s separate-but-equal protections for same-sex couples have pushed the latest struggle for gay and lesbian rights onto the national stage.

Daughters of Darkness
Photos by Shehzad Noorani; text by Amy Wilentz
Despite the hardships of the sex trade, generations of outcasts have forged communities inside the brothels of Bengladesh.

Candidate Nader
by Ken Silverstein
Legendary consumer advocate Ralph Nader is stumping for the Green Party — again. Is he risking his hard-earned reputation on third-party politics?

The Brick Master of Kerala
by Adam Hochschild
Inspired by the Mahatma, Laurie Baker is using mud, brick, and clamshells to build low-cost housing in southern India. His ecofriendly creations meld the best of East and West.


Departments
Backtalk
Readers sound off on corporate prisons, phony forests, and the “Die Hard” electric chair.

Outfront
The perfect housing scam; George and Jeb in the Everglades; Aetna’s runaway profits; soft money inflation; and Mickey as the Antichrist.

Exhibit
Buttonholing the candidates; ad creep on wheels; and Mother Jones Photo Fund winners.

Wide Angle
Working to survive

Power Plays: Calculating the Risk
by William Saletan
Why Pat Robertson and George Will are on the fence about the death penalty.

The Commons
by Sue Halpern
Nontraditional “microlenders” are stepping in where the big banks fear to tread.

Media Jones:

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Terry Gross on “Fresh Air” at 25
Book, music, and film reviews

The Future of …
Teenage rebellion
Cartoon by Ross MacDonald