27 SCOOP
Ashlee Simpson gets friendly with Wilmer Valderrama...
Matthew Perry has a brief hospital stay...
So does Michael Jackson...
Brad Pitt is on hand for Jennifer Aniston's birthday party

88 COVER
American Idol The judges pick the final 24 contestants—but feuding Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell are more out of tune than ever

64 Grammy Awards
Behind the scenes at music's most memorable night

70 Charles and Camilla
What do Princes William and Harry think of their future royal stepmom?

78 Melissa Etheridge
Bald from her cancer battle, Melissa Etheridge still knows how to rock the house

81 Wedding
Amid similar scandals, Mary Kay Letourneau and Vili Fualaau plan to marry

85 Christina Aguilera
A big ring from music exec Jordan Bratman gives her something to sing about

102 Family
They each lost a parent in Iraq—now three Texas teens turn to each other for strength and support

109 Bill Cosby
TV's favorite dad is accused of sexual assault

113 Scam
Preying on the religious, con artists make off with millions from churchgoers

IN EVERY ISSUE

MAILBAG 8
PE0PLE.COM 12
STAR TRACKS 14
SCOOP 27
PICKS & PANS 39
INSIDER 63
PASSAGES 101
STYLE WATCH 119
PUZZLER 124
CHATTER 146

127 Entrepreneurs
Designer Sarah Takesh creates jobs in war-torn Afghanistan

131 Jen Schefft
The Bachelorette faces her final rose ceremony

133 Tribute
The curtain falls for Death of a Salesman playwright Arthur Miller

135 Jocks
Wild on and off the slopes, Bode Miller is the best American skier in years

138 Medics
Left mute by an accident, Sarah Scantlin speaks after 20 years of silence

140 Pages
Michael Stadther's new book lures readers with prizes worth more than $1 million

142 Introducing
On The O.C., Michael Cassidy is the geek who gets the girl

144 Art
Central Park gets a splash of color thanks to artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude