TIME.com

ONLINE CHATS

Every week, TIME writers and editors chat on AOL about issues in the news. This week, we'll be talking about the war, the hunt for Osama bin Laden and airline safety.

--MARK THOMPSON covers the military for TIME. In his 20 years on the beat, he says, "I've never seen the U.S. military clamp down so tightly on information." Talk to our Pulitzer prizewinning Pentagon correspondent on Wednesday, 8 p.m. E.T. on AOL, Keyword: Live.

--SALLY DONNELLY is our aviation correspondent, covering everything from airport security to the airline business. She also writes a weekly column on the industry for time.com Lately, Sally has been keeping a close eye on plans for improving airport safety in the wake of Sept. 11. Chat with her on Thursday, 8 p.m. E.T. on AOL, Keyword: Live.

--PRISCILLA PAINTON is the assistant managing editor responsible for TIME's society coverage. She has directed our home-front reporting of the terror attacks, from the emotional fallout in New York City to the wider impact on America. Join her on Tuesday, 8 p.m. E.T. on AOL, Keyword: Live.

--JOSHUA COOPER RAMO is the assistant managing editor who has overseen TIME's international coverage. He has recently focused on the hunt for bin Laden and conditions in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Chat with him on Friday, 8 p.m. E.T. on AOL, Keyword: Live.

PHOTO ESSAY

Pakistan's Wild, Wild West

Located near the Afghan border at the center of the chaos that threatens to engulf the region, Quetta is a rough-and-tumble town flooded with refugees, drugs, guns, Islamic militancy and, most of all, fear. Alexandra Boulat's striking photo essay captures the mood. time.com/pakistan

HOW TO HELP

WINDOWS OF HOPE Windows on the World, the World Trade Center's landmark restaurant, is no more. But its owners have helped create a relief fund to assist the families of those in the food-service industry who were lost in the attacks. Windows of Hope has organized a drive on Oct. 11, when restaurants from around the world plan to donate at least 10% of that evening's takings to the fund. To participate or learn more about the effort, go to www.windowsofhope.org

ONLINE GIVING Never has so much been given by so many. And so much of the giving has been done online. Internet contributions to Sept. 11 charities have soared past all previous online fund-raising campaigns. The American Red Cross reported $60 million in online gifts as of last week. Before this year, the most any charity had raised online was the $2.7 million the Red Cross garnered in 1999 for the refugee relief effort in Kosovo. Type in helping.org

WEB LORE

HAVE GUN, WILL TRAVEL Want a job that will fly you to exotic places every day and allow you to carry a gun on board to protect your fellow passengers? Then apply to be a civil-aviation security specialist, better known as a federal air marshal. More than 100,000 people have already downloaded the FAA's online job application at jobs.faa.gov And by the way, don't bother applying if you're over 40--or can't keep a secret. time.com/airmarshal

PORTRAIT

THE TERRORIST AS A YOUNG MAN Nothing in Mohamed Atta's college years in Cairo prepared his friends for his nightmarish final act on Sept. 11. Five of Atta's college friends spoke exclusively to TIME's Amany Radwan in Cairo, trying to understand what turned an awkward, sensitive, frustrated young man into a fanatical mass murderer. time.com/atta

TIME.COM SHIPS OUT Boots shined, bags packed, time.com's own Army reservist Frank Pellegrini shares his thoughts on shipping out to Egypt, unsure of his return date. time.com/frank