Economist , Nov. 8 (posted Saturday, Nov. 8) The cover editorial advises the U.N. Security Council to be firm with Iraq. If the United Nations fails to enforce inspections here, when it has a clear mission and broad powers, its authority will be challenged in the future. Another editorial urges Japan to legalize oral contraceptives. The Japanese government claims that the pill is unsafe (it isn't), that it would quicken the spread of AIDS (it hasn't in other countries), and that Japan's falling birthrate must be reversed (this doesn't justify an infringement on rights). What's the government's real motive, according to the article? Abortions--which Japan performs more of than any other industrialized country--are lucrative work for doctors. A story says cable television and the Internet haven't yet killed the major networks. Networks still charge far higher ad rates than cable companies. Keys to future network prosperity: They should produce their own shows, and sculpt a recognizable identity (e.g., Fox is "racy, edgy, young"). New Republic , Nov. 24 (posted Friday, Nov. 7) The cover story questions the competence of U.N. Ambassador Bill Richardson. Richardson schmoozes well, but his negotiations with Myanmar, North Korea, the Congo--and now Iraq--have been clumsy and ineffective. An article calls the Sierra Club's campaign to drain artificial Lake Powell, on the Utah-Arizona border, a publicity stunt. Draining the lake would reveal the beautiful canyon underneath, but destroy the ecosystem that thrives there now. Also, toxins that have collected at the bottom of the lake would be exposed. A story says a new genre of romance novels has found a popular hunk: Jesus. Christian romances (such as Harlequin's "Love Inspired" series) feature chaste relationships and much God talk. " 'Are you busy tonight?' Victoria asks coyly, ... 'I'd like you to come with me to a Bible study.' " New York Times Magazine , Nov. 9 (posted Thursday, Nov. 6) A cover story tracks the gestation of Paul Simon's The Capeman , a Broadway musical opening in January. Simon, a notorious perfectionist, at first couldn't cede control of the production. Now, he happily collaborates with director/choreographer Mark Morris and lyricist/Nobel Prize-winning poet Derek Walcott. (The doo-wop- and Latin-influenced musical details the redemption of a Puerto Rican teen who commits murder in 1959 New York.) A story explains the success of Southwest Airlines: quick flight turnarounds (they ready a plane in 20 minutes instead of the standard 45), less hectic airports (Providence and Baltimore, not Boston and D.C.), and the enthusiasm of its employees (they adore fun-loving president Herb Kelleher). Southwest plans to invade the New York market next year. Carol Gilligan, holder of the gender-studies chair at Harvard, is the subject of an interview. Best known for studying young girls, the feminist scholar is now studying young boys: "What we are discovering is how vulnerable boys are. How, under the surface, behind that psychic shield, is a tender creature who's hiding his humanity." Also, a stunning overhead photo depicts droves of worshipers at Mecca. Newsweek , U.S. News & World Report , and Time , Nov. 10 (posted Tuesday, Nov. 4) The Wall Street trifecta. Newsweek 's cover package is cautiously bullish, recommending a patient, long-term investment strategy. U.S. News remains wary, doubting the chances for a continuing, multidecade boom. Time warns that recession might be imminent, caused by high consumer debt and sluggish Asian economies. Color commentary: Newsweek nabs Robert Rubin for an unenlightening interview, Time runs a trader's diary from the Monday crashlet. U.S. News says the market tumult may do for CNBC what the Gulf War did for CNN. Time foresees trouble for the SAT. With affirmative action dying, public colleges that want to stay diverse (U. Texas, U. California) might drop their SAT requirement, since minorities score lower on average. Also, generational trend-mongering: Time renames Gen-Xers, "Gen Nesters." They're abandoning their lazy, hedonistic lives for domesticity. In Newsweek , Henry Kissinger applauds Clinton for cooperating with Jiang Zemin during the summit instead of harping on human rights. Newsweek also readies us for the Spice Girls onslaught: a new album out this week, a movie this January, and lots and lots of product endorsements. A U.S. News article investigates Indian tribes' quest for Washington clout. Connecticut's Mashantucket Pequot, who run Foxwoods ("the world's most profitable casino"), were big Democratic contributors last year. Also, U.S. News finds some conservatives who hate school choice: Indiana high-school-basketball fans who think it will ruin traditional public-school rivalries. Curious details: "Indiana counts 27 of the 30 largest high school gymnasiums in the world. ... School-board candidates have been known to run on the single issue of firing the local basketball coach." (For a behind-the-scenes look at U.S. News , read Editor James Fallows' "Diary" in Slate . Click to see the cheesecake cover shot by the "big-name, big-ticket New York fashion" photographer that Fallows agonized over in the Thursday installment of his diary. When the stock market story broke, he was forced to crop it into the upper-left corner of the cover, but still played it big inside.) The New Yorker , Nov. 10 (posted Tuesday, Nov. 4) A New York City cop describes his life on the beat. Among the cop's observations: An arrest is like a "blind date" (you spend hours asking the perp personal questions, then you hold his hands to fingerprint him), most police work consists of "cheesy collars" for disorderly conduct and public urination, slum residents adore cops. The cop weaves in a story about a hit man who snitches on a client in order to duck a domestic-violence rap. A piece wonders whether South Africa's amnesty policy is worth it. The cops and soldiers seeking amnesty rarely tell the whole truth (they seldom admit to torture) and rarely apologize to their victims. "When you trade amnesty for truth, murderers get away with murder." The magazine profiles opera's next superstar, David Daniels. The hook: Daniels is a countertenor--his voice sounds like a woman's. He makes some opera buffs nervous because they think he's castrated. He's not. The Nation , Nov. 17 (posted Tuesday, Nov. 4) An editorial chides the members of the House of Representatives for banning citizens from bringing ethics complaints against them. Since September, only members of Congress can file charges. Michael ( Roger & Me ) Moore recycles a riff from his recent book tour: Instead of reading The Nation and joining food co-ops, leftists should connect with working-class Americans by watching sports and joining bowling leagues. Weekly Standard , Nov. 10 (posted Tuesday, Nov. 4) A cover story praises Dinesh D'Souza's new biography of Reagan and slams Republicans for abandoning the Gipper's ideas. Rather than following the one true way, conservatives have "splintered" into Rockefeller Republicanism, Pat Buchananism, and Nixon-style coalition building. An essay repeats the standard Standard line that churches are the key to saving poor neighborhoods. Churches offer day care, food banks, and irreplaceable volunteer services, and can help reduce crime. The Standard also reprints lyrics from Sen. Orrin Hatch's musical tribute to Mother Teresa and Princess Di: "A princess and a pauper/ Walked the lonely roads of life/ In many ways so different/ And yet so much alike ... Both rich and poor may write a golden story/ That shines through time like candles in the night." This is not a joke. --Seth Stevenson