{{Today In Slate#19756}}{{econ#31574}}Economist, July 3
The {{cover story#2:http://www.economist.com/l.cgi?f=/editorial/AC/3-7-99/index_ld1956.html}} predicts excitement from the 2000 presidential race, if not from the selection of the candidates then from their stances on the economy, Medicare, and Social Security. … The editors {{opine#2:http://www.economist.com/editorial/freeforall/3-7-99/index_us3828.html}} that President Clinton’s Medicare plan “does nothing to address the underlying problems of rising health costs” and “is simply endorsing a massive rise in government spending on health care.” … An {{article#2:http://www.economist.com/editorial/freeforall/3-7-99/index_sf8740.html}} debunks the notion that guns have always been a fixture of American life. Before 1850, no more than a 10th of all Americans owned guns. … Another piece {{attributes#2:http://www.economist.com/editorial/freeforall/3-7-99/index_wb2148.html}} the decline of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire to his belated entry into new media and his alienation of the local partners on which his broadcasting deals depend. (For more on Murdoch and new media, see “{{International Papers#31562}}.”)
{{tnr#31523}}New Republic, July 19 and 26
The Rev. Al Sharpton {{brags#2:http://www.thenewrepublic.com/magazines/tnr/current/cottle071999.html}} to a reporter that Hillary Clinton will need his blessing to win a New York Senate seat. “How enthusiastic[ally] I would support her would be based on how she respects and regards the new dynamics of New York politics,” he hints cagily. … A {{piece#2:http://www.thenewrepublic.com/magazines/tnr/current/easterbrook071999.html}} reviews growing scientific evidence that the practice of religion promotes good health. Possible explanations: Most religions advocate temperate lifestyles, and prayer encourages mental well-being. The findings amount to “a health boon” and “a new argument for taking faith seriously.” … The “{{TRB#2:http://www.thenewrepublic.com/magazines/tnr/current/trb071999.html}}” column protests the “gross generational inequity” of President Clinton’s Medicare plan. Prescription drug coverage for the elderly isn’t nearly as pressing a need as education and child nutrition.
{{nytm#31382}}New York Times Magazine, July 4
The cover story is an oral history of Stanley Kubrick told by film types and family members. He comes across as a paranoid perfectionist. He required 80 or more takes on a single scene and once called an employee and demanded help while she was in labor. … An article explores the Patel Motel phenomenon: More than half of American motels are owned by Indians, and 70 percent of those Indians have the last name Patel, indicating that they belong to the same Hindu merchant subcaste. Why? Motels are fairly easy to run and come with a house, and many were for sale at the time Indians began immigrating to the United States in large numbers. … A grim piece profiles Chevron’s superintendent of operations along Nigeria’s Niger River. His job consists of paying off tribal chiefs to prevent them from disrupting pumping operations. He relies heavily on Nigerian military muscle to protect Chevron’s interests.
{{vogue#31308}} Vogue, July 1999
An article heralds the return of curvy models. After a decade of fashion androgyny and heroin chic, waifs and weird-looking “girls” are yielding runway space to full-bodied Breckish beauties. Reasons for the zaftig vogue include the mainstreaming of the hip-hop ideal of beauty and the popularity of curvaceous actresses such as Catherine Zeta-Jones. A Manhattan plastic surgeon testifies, “They’re no longer asking for stick legs. No one wants their butt removed.”
{{bus#31310}} Business Week, July 5
The {{cover story#2:http://www.businessweek.com/datedtoc/1999/9927t.htm#AZCOVSTO}} says that megabillionaire and stock-picking legend Warren Buffett has quietly shifted his focus from buying individual stocks to purchasing companies. Stocks have shrunk from 76 percent of Berkshire Hathaway Inc.’s assets in 1996 to 32 percent currently.
{{time#31254}}Time, July 5
The {{cover story#2:http://cgi.pathfinder.com/time/magazine/articles/0,3266,27391,00.html}} purports to critically examine the hype surrounding Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut but really just adds to it. Co-stars Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman are featured naked on the cover–“like you’ve never seen them.” (Like you’ve never seen him, perhaps: Newsweek put a naked Kidman on the cover last year.) Contrary to previous reports, there is no necrophilia in the film, but there is an orgy. … An article examines “cascading,” the post-affirmative action phenomenon in which minority students denied access to top-tier universities attend lesser ones. Students at University of California, Irvine claim they are succeeding in a supportive atmosphere. Critics worry that the kids underestimate the importance of blue-chip college credentials. (The New York Times Magazine wrote a nearly identical piece two months ago.) … A “surprising” survey of American kids ages 6-14 finds that the overwhelming majority believes in God, pray, feel safe in school, admire their parents, are in no hurry to grow up, and disapprove of premarital sex.
{{Left#31342}} {{nwk#31255}}Newsweek, July 5
The {{cover story#2:http://www.newsweek.com/nw-srv/printed/us/bz/bz0101_1.htm}}, while profiling several instant millionaires and noting that 6 million workers now get stock options, says that more than 60 percent of Americans feel they are missing their chance to prosper during the high-tech boom and bull market. (For Slate’s earlier take on Internet envy click {{here#30341}}.) … An {{article#2:http://www.newsweek.com/nw-srv/printed/us/so/he0101_1.htm}} examines the latest hot dietary supplement: SAMe. European trials and anecdotal evidence suggest the naturally occurring substance can relieve depression, arthritis, and liver disease without the toxic side effects of pharmaceuticals. … A {{photo essay#2:http://www.newsweek.com/nw-srv/printed/us/in/in0601_1.htm}} vividly depicts the brutal rite of genital mutilation in Uganda. A circle of family and friends looks on as an “initiate” lying on the ground has her clitoris removed with a razor blade.
{{usnews#31256}}U.S. News & World Report, July 5
The {{cover story#2:http://www.usnews.com./usnews/issue/990705/class.htm}} hails the “class of heroes” who graduated from West Point in 1939. The 456 graduates of ‘39 played a vital role in three major wars, and 72 became generals. … George W. ought to keep his distance from the Washington establishment, according to an {{analysis#2:http://www.usnews.com./usnews/issue/990705/5pol.htm}}. Bush might be tarred by the congressional GOP’s fumbling of the gun and budget battles. … A {{piece#2:http://www.usnews.com./usnews/issue/990705/respect.htm}} mocks a law pushed by Louisiana Republican Gov. Mike Foster requiring school kids to say “sir” and “ma’am” when addressing teachers.
{{newyker#31257}}The New Yorker, July 5
A “Talk of the Town” item sourced to “some old friends of the First Family” suggests that President Clinton is considering running for Senate from Arkansas in 2002. The only ex-president to serve in the Senate was Andrew Johnson, also the only president besides Clinton to be impeached. … A piece warns that Wall Street’s blue-chip firms may be just as unstable as the infamous hedge fund Long-Term Capital Management. Wall Street banks are just as heavily leveraged as LTCM was, exposing them to staggeringly enormous potential losses.
{{weekly#31258}} Weekly Standard, July 5
The {{cover story#2:http://www.weeklystandard.com/hazlett.html}} blasts the Department of Justice’s antitrust case against Microsoft. The government was snookered by Netscape into assailing Microsoft for its predatory conduct. But the evolution of the browser market belies the charge. Contrary to the DOJ’s predictions, the Internet has thrived, and bullying competitors is part of the “creative destruction” that leads to marketplace innovation. … {{Bill Bradley#2:http://www.weeklystandard.com/carlson.html}} is alternately disagreeable and boring, according to an article. The quixotic presidential candidate refuses to answer reporters’ questions and even disagrees with his wife when she introduces him to donors as “demure.” … The magazine publishes George W. Bush’s Map of the Balkans. West of the Yugoslav capital of Retrograd, Kosovaria borders Fredonia, topped by Souvlaki, which is adjacent to Insomnia, a neighbor of the Check Republic.
