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By Newsweek Editors

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In election year 2004, where will you get your news? You'll watch TV, read newspapers--and devour news magazines, we hope. But if you're like most Americans, you'll also check out what comedians are saying about the campaign and the issues. And these days, no comedy show is funnier or faster on current events than Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show." That's why we've made the droll impresario of the hit Comedy Central show the cover boy for our "Who's Next" issue. In fact, I knew we were onto something when I put this week's cover on my office wall. NEWSWEEK colleagues kept coming in and saying: "Cool, I love that show!" If we're watching, I figure you are, too--or will be soon.

While others revisit the year gone by, the "Who's Next" issue looks ahead to the future, and people you'll hear a lot more from in the months and years to come. In addition to Marc Peyser's delightful profile of Stewart, Weston Kosova explains why New York's crusading attorney general will keep shaking up Wall Street--and auditioning for a bigger political stage. Christian Caryl introduces an emerging power broker in post-Saddam Iraq. Other picks include San Francisco's dashing new mayor; a black bishop and a female university president working to steady institutions rocked by controversy; a female wrestler out for Olympic gold; and two stunning young movie stars-in-the-making. Alexis Gelber supervised the project, Holly Peterson kept ideas flying and Dorothy Kalins helped make the profiles sing. The cover and portraits were taken by Nigel Parry, a photographer for the past, present and future.

To lead the magazine, we look at what's next after the capture of Saddam Hussein. Evan Thomas, Rod Nordland and Christian Caryl analyze the new test of counterinsurgency in Iraq, while Christopher Dickey weighs the complexities of trying Saddam as a war criminal. Sami Yousafzai and Michael Hirsh assess the chances of finding Osama bin Laden next, and Howard Fineman recalibrates President Bush's re-election prospects. Did I say we don't look backward? Well, we'll make an exception for our annual collection of the year's most memorable cartoons and quotes, and an affectionate nod to the great figures we've lost. Happy holidays, and best wishes for a prosperous and peaceful New Year.

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