Taking stock of people and ideas in the news.

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• Ray Nagin Mayor on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
  Josh Levin Sept. 2, 2005
  
• L. Ron Hubbard Scientology's esteemed founder.
  Michael Crowley July 15, 2005
  
• The Supreme Court Shortlist The views of the likely candidates.
  David Newman June 24, 2005
  
• Dick Wadhams Karl Rove's heir apparent.
  Alexandra Starr June 10, 2005
  
• James Dean What would he have grown up to be?
  John Swansburg May 19, 2005
  
• Bud Selig A baseball hero. Really.
  Nicholas Thompson May 5, 2005
  
• Michael Howard If only he were George Bush.
  James Harding April 29, 2005
  
• Earth Day The environmental movement's midlife crisis.
  Paul Sabin April 21, 2005
  
• William Clay Ford Jr. Not your great-grandfather's Ford.
  Daniel Gross April 14, 2005
  
• Jack Abramoff The friend Tom DeLay can't shake.
  James Harding April 7, 2005
  
• Arnold Schwarzenegger The Governator gets serious.
  Seth Faison March 31, 2005
  
• The Not-So-Fantastic Four The demise of the Republican moderates.
  Michael Crowley March 24, 2005
  
• Bill Frist It's hard to run the Senate while you're running for president.
  James Harding March 10, 2005
  
• Hosni Mubarak Elections or no, he's still Pharaoh.
  Tamara Wittes March 3, 2005
  
• Chris Rock The William F-ing Buckley of stand-up.
  John Swansburg Feb. 24, 2005
  
• Elliott Abrams From Iran-Contra to Bush's democracy czar.
  Michael Crowley Feb. 17, 2005
  
• Bush's Second Term Why liberals should hope he keeps governing like Reagan.
  Chris Suellentrop Jan. 14, 2005