Economist , May 30 (posted Saturday, May 30, 1998 ) The cover editorial deplores rich Americans' lack of charity. The newly wealthy don't give enough and don't give creatively. They are breaking the "unspoken contract that underpins the American dream." ... An editorial urges strong sanctions for Pakistan in light of its nuclear tests. We must deter potential future testers by making an example of Pakistan, despite Pakistan's inevitable claims that India started it and that India is a richer country, better able to withstand sanctions. ... Latest Viagra angle: Can it save endangered species? Among the endangered animals poached for aphrodisiacs are tigers (for their penises--made into a soup) and rhinoceroses (for their horns--made into a powder). We'll pass on "nine-penis wine," apparently a hit in Southeast Asia. New York Times Magazine , May 31 (posted Saturday, May 30, 1998) The cover story follows investors seeking opportunity amid the economic chaos in Southeast Asia. Western investors will determine which countries and businesses bounce back and which don't. (Bet on Thailand and Korea to make it.) Big surprise: The opening of Asian companies' books has shown they were horribly run, debt-laden messes, even during the boom years. ... A story wonders why Jerry Brown wants to be mayor of Oakland. Once governor of the entire state, Brown now seeks to fix potholes. Minority mayoral candidates see paternalism in Brown's campaign. (Oakland is 43 percent black.) New Republic , June 15 (posted Friday, May 29, 1998) The cover piece says Democrats have a new strategy for winning back Republican congressional seats: Be Republicans. Some of the "Democratic" candidates currently supported by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee are pro-life, pro-death-penalty, anti-union, anti-gun-control, and pro-school-prayer. Party leaders will do anything to regain a House majority. ... A story defends the Scholastic Assessment Test. SATs are blamed for perpetuating racial bias at elite schools, but actually they are a good measure of where kids stand and of what sort of education best suits them. ... A story praises the experiment of a public boarding school in New Jersey. The school, which receives half of its funding from donations, distances inner-city kids from the distractions they face at home. While not workable on a grand scale, the idea holds promise for areas where donations would be plentiful. GQ , June 1998 (posted Friday, May 29, 1998) A chilling story about an American man's murder of his mail-order wife exposes the dark side of the hired-bride industry. The brides (most of them Filipinas) marry to escape poverty. The men promise money to the brides' families, then often treat the wives as sex slaves, or worse. ... An essay claims popular culture is now so kid-oriented that kids have no model for mature adulthood. Robin Williams personifies the modern father--feminized and juvenile, with no interests beyond his own children. Time and Newsweek , June 1 (posted Wednesday, May 27, 1998) Time 's cover piece gushes over The Truman Show , Jim Carrey's forthcoming film. The movie, about a man who's unaware that his whole life is televised, leaves "the viewer with a spectral feeling that somehow warms: the shiver of radiance." Carrey's performance is deemed brilliant. Newsweek also raves, calling the film "miraculous" and the first Carrey vehicle "that is anywhere near as complicated as Carrey himself." ... Newsweek 's cover story praises the Rev. Eugene Rivers, Boston-based crime fighter/man of faith. Across the country, programs like Rivers' combine religion, no-nonsense attitude, and partnerships with the police to keep good kids off the streets and send irredeemable kids to jail. Newsweek says organic food often contains pesticides from rainwater or dust and is no more nutritious or tasty than conventionally grown fare. Time 's package on the Microsoft antitrust case features an interview with Assistant Attorney General Joel Klein; thumbnail sketches of the major players; a long rundown of Microsoft's many holdings, partnerships, and investments; and a short history of Netscape's meteoric rise and subsequent fragility. U.S. News & World Report , June 1 (posted Wednesday, May 27, 1998) The cover story says the antitrust case isn't Microsoft's biggest worry. In fact, ingenious competitors (e.g., PalmPilot) and Microsoft's own lumbering hugeness may be the company's undoing. ... A story claims identity theft is the "crime of the '90s." Thieves steal your Social Security number to gain loans and charge cards. Bill collectors hunt you, and once your credit rating goes south it's nearly impossible to restore it. The New Yorker , June 1 (posted Wednesday, May 27, 1998) An article marvels at Michael Jordan's phenomenal skills as a ... corporate pitchman. Jordan is the greatest endorser in history because he's "at once credible and incredible"--an unbelievable athlete and a warm, charming person. Jordan, who's interviewed, comes across as very smart, rather conservative, and much less avaricious than you might expect. There is a jaw-dropping list of Jordan-endorsed products, including potholders and first-aid kits. ... A piece pegged to the Ken Starr investigation deplores the law's increasing indifference to privacy. Virtually any diary or utterance to a friend can now be used against you. Until 30 years ago such invasions would have been unconscionable, but they are now commonplace, thanks to bad Supreme Court decisions. Sadly, only libertarians are battling this erosion of privacy. ... A review of Jim McDougal's book says it's a "devastating portrait" of Clinton and implicates the president "in at least four felonies." The Nation , June 8 (posted Wednesday, May 27, 1998) The fourth installment of The Nation 's attack on the "National Entertainment State." The target this time is television. A foldout chart shows that seven companies (Disney, Viacom, Time Warner, CBS, GE, TCI, and News Corp.) control virtually all network and cable television. (Exceptions: C-SPAN, PBS, and the Weather Channel.) Articles chronicle the phenomenal efforts by the seven firms, especially Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., to protect their franchises by lobbying Washington. How can regular folks fight corporate television? The Nation urges challenges to FCC licenses: Such challenges force TV stations and networks to pay attention to public-interest programming or risk going off the air. Weekly Standard , June 1 (posted Wednesday, May 27, 1998) The cover package condemns the Clinton administration's China policy and labels Clinton's upcoming China trip the "Tiananmen Square Summit." Clinton is blasted for taking donations from Chinese military sources, facilitating technology transfer to China, and appeasing the still brutal, still Communist dictatorship. A piece acknowledges that the Bush administration also allowed technology transfers to Beijing but says that the Republicans monitored such transfers much better than the Democrats have. --Seth Stevenson