New Republic, Nov. 12 An article connects Grover Norquist, conservative apparatchik, with the radical Islam movement. Looking to establish an electoral beachhead for the GOP, in the 1990s Norquist recruited Muslim leaders, cultivated their interest groups, and even organized trips to the White House. Problem is, many of these same leaders emerged as outspoken supporters of Middle East terror groups or, worse, purveyors of Zionist conspiracy theories after Sept. 11—and conservatives are furious. … A piece notes that as anthrax swept the country, President Bush ducked from public view. Often he was hilariously off message. On the day the feds discovered anthrax in the Supreme Court, Bush urged school kids to write their Arab pen pals—thereby ensuring a flood of strange envelopes from the Middle East addressed in children’s handwriting.—B.C.

Economist, Nov. 3 The cover editorial gives the United States a thumbs-up for its conduct of the war up to now. True to President Bush’s words, the campaign has so far been marked by “the patient accumulation of successes.” But it’s time now to step up the efforts and call in more ground troops. … A series of futurist articles prophesizes about life in the years ahead. One defining characteristic of the near future will be a major demographic age shift in which the older population grows rapidly while the younger population shrinks. … A piece says that if the world is serious about keeping nukes out of the hands of terrorists, it ought to get serious about nonproliferation at the nation-state level. After all, the most likely way al-Qaida could get its hands on the a-bomb is by stealing one from some government-run program.— J.F.

New York Times Magazine, Nov. 4 The cover story argues that Rudy Giuliani’s successor must be a “big mayor,” one who “matters in a way [a mayor] has rarely mattered before.” Is either candidate up to it? Michael Bloomberg, the Republican, is exploring the world outside the Upper East Side for the first time; Mark Green, the Democrat, has a long résumé but seems cool and aloof. No matter. The winner must grow in office and find a way to put the city’s post-Sept. 11 solidarity to good use. … An article asks why The Simpsons hasn’t jumped the shark—i.e., why it hasn’t descended into sitcom hell. Though some fans think the show’s in a slump, the writers have maintained its quality, the author argues, by their devotion to realism. For every ounce of slapstick zaniness, there’s an equal dose of, well, family values.—B.C.

Time, Nov. 5
The cover story frets because the bombing in Afghanistan is no longer accomplishing much, and the anthrax crisis at home has turned into a PR disaster for the White House. Tom Ridge and Tommy Thompson look like amateurs bickering over what kind of spores the terrorists have, and postal workers are furious that their risk of exposure was not taken as seriously as senators’. … A piece reports on the still-fruitless investigations into 970 people detained in connection with Sept. 11. Most have nothing to do with terrorism but are being held on immigration violations just in case. The few who might have important information refuse to talk. … An article rips the political parties for their refusal to work together, even now. The economic stimulus package passed by the GOP House focuses almost solely on corporate tax breaks, which will have no short-term impact whatsoever.— J.D.

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Newsweek, Nov. 5
The paranoia-inducing cover report identifies 10 top safety hazards (water supply, mass transit, postal delivery, etc.) and suggests ways to limit the risk. … Food poisoning is little cause for concern, an article says, because there are already so many incidents annually that a little salmonella here or there would not satisfy terrorists with their eye on the big score. … To terror-proof skyscrapers, officials should seal vents on lower floors and install remote control of the duct system, in case of chemical attacks. … A piece calls for the reinstitution of (mild) torture. The FBI should be allowed to try truth serum and psychological torture to get something out of the reticent suspects. Problem: Torture only makes people talk; it cannot make them tell the truth.— J.D.

U.S. News & World Report, Nov. 5
The anthrax cover story argues that its psychological impact is beyond measure because “not everyone lives in a tall building or flies on a plane,” but “everyone gets mail.”... An article explains the controversy among trial lawyers about whether to sue for Sept. 11-related damages. The American Trial Lawyers Association declared a moratorium on cases because it doesn’t want Americans to see sharks profiting off a national crisis. But some lawyers think government compensation will be insufficient and are gearing up for suits against airlines and airplane manufacturers and Osama Bin Laden himself.— J.D.

The New Yorker, Nov. 5
A piece argues that the war in Afghanistan could throw Pakistan and India into nuclear war over the disputed Kashmir region. The Musharraf government in Pakistan loses ground to Islamic fundamentalists with each civilian casualty in Afghanistan, and a new government or even a single renegade general could launch nuclear weapons if Musharraf grows weak enough. The CIA is considering a special operation to disarm Pakistan, but chances of success are limited.... An article dispels the notion that Americans should worry about abridged civil liberties now that the anti-terrorism bill has passed. The worlds of foreign intelligence and law enforcement had been strictly divided since the 1970s (foreign intelligence was bound by few rules of procedure, and as a result, it was generally unusable in domestic law enforcement). The new law, which removes the firewall, simply recognizes the reality that intelligence and law enforcement are no longer always separate.—J.D.

Weekly Standard, Nov. 5 David Brooks’ cover essay takes a sweeping look at the new “age of conflict” now upon us and contrasts it with the cynical, politically apathetic, and morally relativist Zeitgeist of the ’90s. In this new cultural movement, we will care less about means than ends, bourgeois virtues like industriousness will take a back seat to classical virtues like courage, a “tragic view of life” will prevail, moral absolutism will reign, and central institutions will once again be considered legitimate. … The editorial criticizes the Bush administration for its “pronounced weakness for spin.” In both its Pentagon briefings and its response to the anthrax scare, the executive branch has tried to keep the public in high spirits at the expense of providing it with the undiluted truth. … A piece deems Germany’s Green Party leader, Joschka Fischer, an unexpected U.S. ally in the Afghanistan war. Despite his leftist leanings, Fischer has been surprisingly hawkish in his support of American military intervention.— J.F.

The Nation, Nov. 12 In the first non-terrorism-related cover story since Sept. 11, longtime boxing reporter Jack Newfield turns on the sport he’s spent decades covering. He pummels boxing on the usual grounds: for its corruption, exploitation, and dangerousness. To right these sins, Newfield proposes a boxer’s bill of rights that includes the creation of a national commission, the establishment of a boxers’ labor union, and the replacement of the WBA, IBF, and other sanctioning organizations with a national poll of sports writers to determine rankings. … An article questions the patriotism of American-based global corporations. The same companies that had once claimed they were not beholden to any nation-state are now begging the U.S. government for handouts. … An article says the response to the Sept. 11 attacks has “once again made working-class New Yorkers visible and appreciated.” Now, the working class ought to parlay its newfound heroic status into real influence over the WTC reconstruction process.—J.F.