Esquire, July 2000

A cover package of true stories of men and disaster: Divers searching for treasure in the twisted wreckage of the Andrea Doria struggle to survive more than 200 feet below the ocean surface. A medical examiner, a reporter, and a father are ruined by their vicarious death experiences with Swissair Flight 111. In Worcester, Mass., two firefighters scour a mazelike burning warehouse for survivors. They never find their way out, and neither do four firefighters sent into the 3,000-degree blaze to find them. … An essay by a graduate of Bob Jones University describes the social isolation of her fundamentalist education and the wrenching guilt that deviating from its teachings has fostered.

New Republic, June 26

The cover package analyzes the prospects for peace in the Middle East after Hafez Assad. One piece argues that hope in a younger generation of Arab leaders is misplaced. The young kings of Jordan and Morocco are weak and neglect relations with Israel to gain legitimacy. Another suggests that Israel should concede that peace is unlikely and focus on domestic issues and containing regional violence. (For Slate's take on the Arab brat pack, see David Plotz's "Assessment.") … An article says Reform Party leaders recruited Pat Buchanan to run for president because he could get the 5 percent of the vote needed to maintain federal funding in 2004, when they hoped to field a candidate more committed to their core beliefs. But Buchanan is hijacking the party and turning it into a bastion of social conservatism. … A piece describes a new breed of right-wing intellectuals who believe America suffers from a post-Cold War hubris that will lead to its eventual decline. A few of these declinists advise George W. Bush, and their isolationism could seep into Republican policy-making.

Economist, June 17

The cover story applauds the Korean summit but warns against undue optimism about permanent peace. There is no telling how sincere North Korean leader Kim Jong-il is or what his demands might be, and the two Koreas are culturally much more divided than the Germanys were. (For Anne Applebaum's take in Slate on the difficulties of reuniting the Koreas, click here.) … An article sees the arrest of Russian TV station owner Vladimir Gusinsky not as an attack on free speech but as an attack on the oligarchy. Vladimir Putin promised to wage war on the oligarchs, who thrive on the synergy of Russian money and politics, but it is unclear which ones he can and will target. … A piece explains the antitrust suits against Visa and MasterCard. Since the same bank can issue both cards but not American Express or Discover, the Department of Justice argues that Visa and MasterCard act like one company to stifle competition. But the government case looks weak, and it will make no difference to consumers no matter who wins.

New York Times Magazine, June 18

The cover story takes a perilous journey across the Atlantic with 44 Haitian refugees bound for the United States via the Bahamas. A reporter and photographer crammed themselves into the hull of a rickety sailboat and recorded the stifling heat and seasickness, plus the strange blend of hope and despair shared by the refugees. The boat was picked up by the Coast Guard after only 18 hours, but it almost certainly would have crashed into a reef or sunk long before reaching its destination. … An article describes a recently diagnosed form of autism called Asperger's syndrome. Its sufferers, who can seem almost normal, have extremely high IQs but are so socially awkward that they have to be taught how to read facial expressions. … A profile of pollster Mark Penn, who surveys for Bill Gates and Bill and Hillary Clinton, argues that his obsession with giving the public what it wants has sucked the vision out of politics. Hillary should rely more on her gut and less on polling data. 

Time, June 19

Yet another "Visions 21" cover package predicting the technology of the future. Cars will drive people, robots will demand rights, digital ink will create paper books with e-book convenience. … A piece strategizes how Microsoft may be able to get its breakup overturned. Higher court judges appear more favorable to the company, Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson's vituperative rulings may indicate that he was not objective, and Judge Jackson refused to allow Microsoft testimony about remedies. … A piece praises Chicken Run, the new claymation comedy by Nick Park, the genius behind the Wallace and Gromit movies.