Letter from the editor.

Our Cover Story looks at the controversy over President Bush's authorization, following the 9/11 terror attacks, of domestic surveillance without warrants. His actions raise several critical constitutional questions related to presidential authority, particularly in wartime, and the prohibition against "unreasonable searches and seizures."

In our Mideast story, we examine the political earthquakes that rocked the region in January: Ariel Sharon's departure from Israel's political scene, and the victory of the radical Islamic party Hamas in elections in the Palestinian territories. In Africa, we look at the toll on child brides who are forced to marry when they are as young as 10 or 11.

And back in the U.S., we find out why your students with minimum-wage jobs may be making a lot more, or less, than minimum-wage workers in the same jobs in other states.