Economist, Aug. 14

The cover story assails the widening health gap between rich and poor countries. Of kids who die before age 5, 98 percent live in the developing world. Alliances between nongovernmental organizations and drug companies could catalyze research into the diseases that plague poor nations. ... An article endorses an antitrust crackdown on Coca-Cola. Italy's competition authority has concluded that Coke abused its dominant market position by preventing retailers from selling Pepsi. ... A profile of porn mogul Steven Hirsch says that his Vivid Video dominates Silicone Valley because he recreated the studio system that used to govern Hollywood. Vivid cornered the market on porn queens by signing them to package contracts, promoting them heavily, and sending them on incredibly lucrative strip-club tours.

New Republic, Aug. 30

A piece blasts environmentalists for ginning up controversy over "endocrine disrupters," man-made chemicals that allegedly disrupt human reproduction even in trace amounts. The research into endocrine disrupters has been wildly distorted, and there is no compelling evidence of the most spectacular claim: that the pollutants have lowered sperm counts. This hasn't stopped greens from using endocrine disrupters to raise money and grab attention. ... The cover story on the creepy marriage of Slobodan Milosevic says the Yugoslav chief is largely ruled by his wife Mira Markovic, a fervent Communist. Both believe that they alone stand against American world domination. ... An article describes DigiPen Institute of Technology, a Seattle college sponsored by Nintendo where students learn nothing but video-game programming. The best students drop out and take high-paying jobs with game manufacturers.

New York Times Magazine, Aug. 15

The cover story asks: "Who Lost Russia?" Some blame the Clinton administration's blind support of Boris Yeltsin and International Monetary Fund loans or America's insistence on economic "shock therapy" for Russia's deterioration. In fact, Russia was never America's to lose: It has declined because of the corrosive legacy of communism on civil society. ... An article attacks the insular Washington establishment. Bob Woodward's latest book typifies the "lie-free, alcohol-free, womanizing-free" standards of the establishment. The moralistic reaction of the press to Clinton's foibles demonstrates Washington's elitist insularity.

Newsweek and Time, Aug. 16

The Blair Witch Project takes both covers; Time's package is meatier. Both Time and Newsweek concur that the horror vérité flick's success will prompt Hollywood to imitate Blair Witch's guerilla marketing tactics: They include an amazing Internet site, fake "missing" posters for the film's actors, and leaked previews. Time says the $35,000 movie will have the highest profit margin in film history. Both mags rehash now-familiar Blair Witch trivia: The filmmakers sent the actors into the woods for eight days with cameras and only a thin plotline for direction, then spooked their stars with nighttime raids. Time reports that some fans refuse to believe that the story is fictional.

Time wonders how the United States will handle "hard to place" recipients when the five-year welfare limit comes up in 2001. Persistent welfare cases don't get jobs because of mental illness, substance abuse, transportation obstacles, child-care difficulties, and simple lack of interest. Liberals think more job training could help. Conservatives concede that some safety net may be necessary.

Newsweek notes that while the Dalai Lama promotes religious understanding and meditation, he opposes abortion, contraception, and homosexual acts. ... An essay on the Atlanta shooter argues that he epitomizes the malaise of modern men disassociated from the bonds of fraternity and patriarchy that shaped their fathers' lives.