New
York Times Magazine , Dec. 8
(posted
Friday, Dec. 6)
A
two-story package, headlined on the cover as "What Have the Ellwoods Done to
America?" profiles health-policy expert Paul Ellwood and his son,
welfare-policy expert David Ellwood. "Mugged by Reality" describes how Ellwood
fils , who popularized the idea of welfare time limits, saw his idea
"hijacked and brutalized" by conservatives. The second story recounts the
disillusionment of Ellwood pere : Once America's leading champion of
managed care, he's increasingly horrified by HMOs' indifference to quality.
Also, a writer wanders with the "travelers"--New York's white homeless street
punks--and finds them more pathetic than rebellious. And, an essayist argues
that the Internet is "a monument to idleness and wasted time," then explains
why that's good.
Time , Dec. 9
(posted
Tuesday, Dec. 3)
Here's a
surprise: The cover story about kids and drugs is almost pro-dope.
Targeting baby-boomer parents who smoked pot when they were young, the article
concedes that marijuana is less harmful than alcohol and other drugs.
Time then cops out by concluding that kids should not use a "dulling"
drug: "The young don't need to have their pain dulled. They need to learn from
it." An accompanying article describes a rich Chicago high
school where pot is epidemic and parents are confused; one girl moved into her
own apartment "after her parents forbade her to smoke marijuana at home." Also,
a long article examines how funeral-home chains are buying
up family mortuaries and gouging customers. And a peculiar, rambling excerpt
from the pope's forthcoming autobiography.
Newsweek, Dec. 9
(posted
Tuesday, Dec. 3)
The cover
story lionizes golfer Tiger Woods. Less a profile than a how-to guide for
raising a responsible child prodigy, the article gives much credit to Woods'
parents, who made him finish his homework before he could play golf. A sidebar
considers child-prodigy flameouts, such as could-have-been NFL superstar Todd
Marinovich and drug casualty Jennifer Capriati. A story blames Disney's China
mess on Michael Ovitz. A related piece reports on the greedy Western firms
that--unlike Disney--have caved in to China's authoritarian demands. And
Newsweek pokes fun at "post-sensitive males" (see: Swingers ).
They're more desperate than macho.
U.S.
News & World Report , Dec. 9
(posted
Tuesday, Dec. 3)
A
muckraking cover story investigates how the Pentagon disposes of
surplus weapons (the short answer: badly). The article--a collaboration with
60 Minutes --finds that arms dealers can easily purchase surplus bombs,
encryption systems, attack helicopters, stealth fighter parts, etc., that
should have been destroyed. China is the most eager customer, buying surplus
material through U.S.-based scrap-metal dealers. The issue's 1997
investment guide does not quite predict a bear market, but does suggest
that investors "redeploy" out of stocks (in other words, "Sell!"). Also,
U.S. News notices the "little-noticed" white urban underclass. They're
disaffected, too.
New
Republic , Dec. 16, and Weekly Standard , Dec. 9
(posted
Tuesday, Dec. 3)
So they do agree on
something, publishing nearly identical editorials about Clinton's China policy.
Both blast the president for coddling China and ignoring its grotesque
human-rights violations. The Standard 's headline is "Kowtowing to
Beijing." TNR 's is "Sell Out."
TNR 's cover story wonders why the media ignored the Clinton scandals
during the campaign, and reaches familiar conclusions: White House pressure
silenced criticism; journalists are liberal; press coverage is driven by
candidates; and so on. An article argues that "corporate welfare" is a lot
harder to find (and eliminate) than it seems. And "TRB" ridicules secretary of state candidates Richard Holbrooke
and George Mitchell as "archetypes of the Washington Male"--self-important,
humorless, and not as smart as they think.
Also in
the Standard : the holiday book supplement. An article about Claire Bloom
and Philip Roth celebrates literary revenge. A review criticizes Samuel
Huntington for not appreciating democracy. Another criticizes Max Weber for not
understanding democracy.
The
New Yorker, Dec. 9
(posted
Tuesday, Dec. 3)
An
adulatory feature about Woody Allen marvels at his hard work and resilience,
gives his side of the Soon-Yi story (her "presence is a reminder of life's
bounty"), and hypes his "radiant" new movie, Everyone Says I Love You .
His hapless schlub persona is revealed to be mere persona: He's actually full
of confidence. A dispatch from the O.J. civil trial reports the defense
attorneys' strategy to prove that Nicole was obsessed with O.J., not vice
versa. (For Slate's take, see Harry Shearer's latest "Dispatch.") Also, an appreciation of planets: Thanks to the Mars
rock, they're the hottest field in astronomy. And a John Updike short
story.
Economist , Nov. 30
(posted
Tuesday, Dec. 3)
The
Economist worries that a backlash against economic and political
reform is in the making in Latin America. The technocratic governments that
replaced dictatorships in South and Central America have reduced inflation,
increased trade, and lowered deficits, but they have yet to deliver tangible
benefits to average citizens. Also, the Economist inaugurates a series that
will examine firms (other than Microsoft) that dominate high-tech industries.
The first story considers chip-maker Intel. The magazine predicts that
Intel will continue to be profitable, but advises that it take more risks.
--Compiled by David
Plotz and the editors of Slate .
