Economist, March 21

(posted Saturday, March 21)

The cover editorial assesses Japan's current recession, which has so far been mitigated by the country's great accrued wealth. Keys to ending the downturn: instilling consumer and investor confidence, increasing public spending on "modern infrastructure" (computers, telecoms), reducing government corruption, and cutting corporate taxes. The editors think a full-bore crisis could be the best thing for Japan's economy, giving it a fresh start. ... An article says Britain, reversing itself, now welcomes U.S. intervention in the Northern Ireland peace process. Irish-Americans, no longer naive backers of the terrorist Irish Republican Army, have come to support compromise. President Clinton has condemned all violence and formed ties with both Catholic and Protestant leaders. ... A story claims bacteria cause more ailments than scientists had previously realized, including stomach ulcers, hardening of the arteries, and some forms of arthritis. (A sidebar recommends cooking with lots of spices, which can kill the little buggers.)

New Republic, April 6

(posted Friday, March 20)

A cover story by longtime affirmative action opponent Nathan Glazer acknowledges that racial preferences may be necessary. Why? 1) Diversity profits institutions by introducing unfamiliar viewpoints, and 2) despite the civil rights movement, blacks still lag far behind in key job qualifications (test scores, grades, etc.). ... The editorial blasts the Vatican's recent apology to Jews. The statement is too self-absolving, deflecting blame away from Catholics: It should have expressed abject contrition. ... An article assesses the plague of allegedly post-feminist TV shows. Ally McBeal, Veronica's Closet, and Dharma and Greg all pretend to be models of "do-me feminism," with sexually confident protagonists. But the heroines are actually insecure, weak, and define themselves in terms of men.

New York Times Magazine, March 22

(posted Thursday, March 19)

A fascinating story profiles the nonretarded 8-year-old daughter of two retarded parents. She will soon be smarter than her mom and dad but is having trouble in school--no one can help with homework, and she's picked up the slurring, stilted speech patterns of her parents. Until recently, retarded adults were routinely sterilized, even though they usually give birth to developmentally normal kids. ... The cover story claims that Big Alcohol is just as reprehensible as Big Tobacco and even more powerful. The difference: The alcohol lobby can stress liquor's ancillary health benefits and proudly point to the "Know When to Say When" ad campaign. Like the tobacco companies, the alcohol industry panders to kids: Joe Camel has nothing on the Budweiser frogs and lizards.

Time and Newsweek, March 23