The O.J. Simpson civil jury began its deliberations. Observers declared the closing argument by plaintiffs' lawyer Daniel Petrocelli a theatrical masterpiece that boosted the chances of a huge judgment against Simpson. Pundits agree that 1) Petrocelli is succeeding brilliantly at everything that prosecutors Marcia Clark and Chris Darden botched, but 2) his victory in the civil case won't redeem their defeat in the criminal case. The media doubted that Simpson would ever pay the possible damages: Although he's reportedly earned more than $8 million in the last couple of years, much of it from murder-related notoriety, he seems to have spent it all on lawyers and will probably declare bankruptcy if he loses. His hefty retirement savings are untouchable. The early line on the civil jurors is that they'll take at least a few days to reach a verdict, since they don't want to appear as cavalier as the criminal jury. (1/29)

Stock-market index funds made Page One news in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal. Mutual-fund investors are increasingly shifting their investments from traditional managed funds--which try to outsmart the whole market at picking stocks--to index funds, which distribute their assets evenly and ride the market's rising average. In recent years, the index strategy has triumphed because 1) stock-picking managers charge more in fees than they've added in above-average performance, and 2) fund managers often keep some money in steadier cash and bonds to protect investors in the event of a market plunge. The news accounts portrayed managed-fund managers as unproductive leeches in comparison with index-fund mangers. (1/29)

President Clinton answered reporters' questions about the Democratic campaign-finance scandal, repeatedly invoking President Reagan's Iran Contra-era passive-voice excuse:"Mistakes were made." The president confessed that officials in his party had raised money improperly, and that his top banking regulator shouldn't have been at a White House meeting with bankers who were big Democratic donors. But he also insisted there was no quid pro quo, indicating that he would continue to meet with such donors, sans regulators. The president's apparent sincerity and thoughtfulness impressed all, yet no one could determine whether he was apologizing or defending himself or just seducing the press. The political betting line is that if Clinton doesn't act to stave off the scandal, Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson, the Republican in charge of the Senate campaign-finance investigation, will take it over. (1/29)

The media downgraded Bill Cosby from America's father to America's adulterer. Cosby drew universal sympathy when his son was shot dead; more sympathy came when a young woman whose education he had financed was accused of trying to extort money from him with the charge that he was her father. Cosby gave a television interview about his son and admitted to a long-ago "rendezvous" with the woman's mother. Within two days, radio talk-show callers were reportedly souring on Cosby, and the affair was supplanting the son's slaying in headlines. "The moral taught by this new drama is the flip side of the one that came before it, and equally pleasing: The rich and famous are as sinful as we are and cannot escape punishment for their transgressions," wrote the New York Times' Frank Rich. "The angrier the public is at having swallowed whole the previous, idealized Cosby myth, the nastier its dethronement will be." Cosby's wife issued a statement assuring reporters that the couple had patched up hard feelings over the affair long ago and urged them to turn their attention back toward finding her son's killer. (1/29)

Chechnya held a presidential election. The campaign drew foreign attention because the breakaway republic is groping for direction after years of devastation. All the major candidates are invoking Islam; analysts say that while the Chechens, unlike the Afghans, aren't really keen on fundamentalism, they might resort to it as an antidote to the country's epidemic of chaos and crime. (1/27)

The Green Bay Packers defeated the New England Patriots to win their first Super Bowl in 29 years. Commentators celebrated the Packers as exemplars of all that is right with America: Midwestern values, communal ownership, and sacred football tradition. "The Lombardi Trophy is going home," wrote the Washington Post's Tony Kornheiser. "It's like Excalibur is returning to the rock." The Packers' roster offered numerous tales of heroism: Quarterback Brett Favre as a rural-Mississippi Horatio Alger; defensive lineman Reggie White as the God-fearing, hard-working veteran who finally gets his reward; receiver Andre Rison and kick returner Desmond Howard (the game's Most Valuable Player) as castoffs who proved their true grit with decisive big plays. Meanwhile, commentators dismissed the Patriots as congenital chokers who will resume their sad mediocrity as soon as coach Bill Parcells quits the team. In postgame interviews, numerous Green Bay players, led by White, the quarterback-sacking ordained minister, praised Jesus Christ for guiding their careers to Green Bay and making them champions. (1/27)

President Clinton announced a bipartisan summit on volunteer community service to be held in April. Former President George Bush and retired Gen. Colin Powell joined Clinton for the announcement, exchanging flattery and invocations of American idealism. Clinton touted the summit as a hybrid of his AmeriCorps program and Bush's "thousand points of light." Pundits portrayed it as another maneuver by Clinton to elevate himself above partisanship; the Washington Post noted it was the second time this month Clinton has embraced a Republican whose career he torpedoed (the other occasion was awarding the Medal of Freedom to Bob Dole). (1/27)

Meanwhile, on the partisan front, the press feeding frenzy over Democratic campaign money continues to grow, with reports that 1) controversial fund-raiser John Huang arranged almost half-a-million dollars in donations to state Democratic parties; 2) the Democratic National Committee arranged a White House meeting in which bankers discussed policy with Clinton and top Treasury officials; and 3) at least 30 big donors made their contributions shortly before or after attending Clinton coffee klatches at the White House. Republicans were outraged that Clinton, while calling for bipartisanship, told a Democratic audience that Republicans' campaign-finance sins were worse than his. (1/27)

Israeli television reported a scandal that could bring down the government. According to the report, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed an attorney general who would arrange a plea bargain for the leader of a religious party (in a bribery case) in exchange for the party's support on the Hebron deal. All three principals deny the story, but several Cabinet ministers say that if it's true, the government must be dissolved. (1/27)

Electronica, a genre of dance music created with electronic instruments, is being heralded as the next wave in popular music. The New York Times argues that electronica has the rare combination of aesthetic merit, creative energy, stylistic variety, and seasoned musicians necessary for a once-in-a-decade musical revolution. The other reason to bet on electronica is that "fans and executives alike are bored with most everything else." On the downside, the Times worries that clumsy music-industry executives and greedy establishment bands will do to electronica what they have done to other potentially revolutionary genres: commandeer and ruin it. (1/27)