Economist , Nov. 1 (posted Saturday, Nov. 1) A cover editorial says the crash of Asian markets shouldn't have prompted the U.S. sell-off: Asian markets have only a minor impact on the U.S. economy. So why did the sell-off occur? Mostly because of the herd mentality of traders. (For Slate 's similar take on the subject, see "Monday the Market Went Mad.") A story calls South Africa the new hot spot for filmmaking. Its advantages: great weather, varied scenery, and nonunion labor. Also, an article notes scientists' inability to discover a magnet with only one pole. Physicists believe the Big Bang should have formed "monopoles," but they can't find or make them. New Republic , Nov. 17 (posted Friday, Oct. 31) A cover story says falling crime rates have nothing to do with Clinton's 1994 crime bill. In fact, the bill is a failure: The three-strikes law clogs the courts and fills prisons with older inmates unlikely to commit serious crimes again; cities will go broke paying for the "100,000 new cops" when federal seed money runs out; and the assault-weapons ban has too many loopholes. Also, an essay ascribes Chinese women's athletic success to illegal drug use. At the recent National Games, previously unremarkable Chinese athletes smashed several long-standing world records. (Priceless quote from China's swimming coach: "Just as our women dominate you now, so will our men dominate you in four, five, six years, and so too will we dominate you in world economics.") New York Times Magazine , Nov. 2 (posted Thursday, Oct. 30) A cover story praises FBI Director Louis Freeh's efforts to reform the troubled agency. Freeh's big successes: He's modernized the FBI crime lab and restored integrity to his office. An article offers an evolutionary explanation for recent cases of neonaticide (e.g., the New Jersey high-school student who may have killed the baby she delivered at her prom, the Delaware college couple who may have murdered their newborn). Ancestral mothers couldn't waste scarce resources on babies born at the wrong time, so they killed the kid and waited for a less inconvenient one. A story argues that former Rep. Susan Molinari has flopped in her new job as a Saturday morning CBS news anchor. Molinari, perky and charming as a politician, does lousy guest interviews and mangles the chitchat with her co-host. Time and Newsweek , Nov. 3 (posted Tuesday, Oct. 28) Dueling space covers. Time 's exclusive: the tale of American astronaut Michael Foale's harrowing Mir expedition. When the supply ship crashed into the space station, Foale feared death by decompression. The American avoids placing blame for Mir's woes, but does say his cosmonaut pals feared retribution from the Russian government. Newsweek 's cover story hails the success of the Hubble Space Telescope. After its early failure, Hubble now provides vital clues to the universe. Among its discoveries: planets forming, lots of black holes, and galaxies born "when the universe was in its infancy." Many spectacular pictures accompany the article. Both mags also cover hot, new drug Ginkgo biloba. The herbal extract shows success in treating mild dementia and preventing Alzheimer's memory loss. Doctors question claims that it aids memory in healthy people. Time exposes a new problem for surgery patients, called "awareness": Patients wake up from anesthesia during the operation. Able to feel pain and hear doctors (who sometimes ridicule the "unconscious" patient), "awareness" victims remain unable to speak or move for the duration of the surgery. Newsweek says tourists and celebs are flocking to Patagonia, once a haven for escaped Nazis. Among the famous ranchers: Ted Turner (11,000 acres), Sylvester Stallone (35,000 acres), and George Soros (at more than 1 million acres, the largest landowner in Argentina). The New Yorker , Nov. 3 (posted Tuesday, Oct. 28) A story predicts that the Paula Jones case will go to trial because 1) Jones' husband, chief adviser, and lawyers care more about destroying Clinton than making money, 2) the president has lost the insurance coverage that would pay for settlement, and 3) Clinton won't apologize. The story's packed with juicy details, notably that, according to Jones' affidavit, Clinton's erect penis is 5 inches long, has the circumference of a quarter, and angles to one side. A long piece says Frank Sinatra's massive lung capacity, skill with the microphone, and emotionalism made him America's greatest singer. As for his personal qualities: "a lovable land mine," said Peter Lawford. (For another take, see Slate 's Sinatra "Assessment.") An article on the phony John Kennedy-Marilyn Monroe documents suggests that Lex Cusack, the man who "discovered" them, may have forged them. He's lied frequently about his education and military service, and he has a yen for fame. Weekly Standard , Nov. 3 (posted Tuesday, Oct. 28) The cover article condemns Al Gore for praising Ellen . Why? It exemplifies liberals' wholehearted embrace of the gay-rights movement: "[T]he very fact that the vice president could use the phrase 'came out' and assume that his listeners knew exactly what he meant is an indication of how the private language of the homosexual subculture has become the common language of the cultural elite." A story says Ruth Messinger's mayoral campaign symbolizes the failure of New York liberalism. New York leftists' lone remaining cause is income inequality, but they don't know what to do about it. (For a Slate assessment of Messinger, see "New York's Loneliest Liberal.") --Seth Stevenson