Grapes of Wrath

New Republic, March 5
The cover story defends blacks on television against African-American critics who subject characters to the " 'Can You Find the Stereotype?' game." These intellectuals hold black characters to impossible standards: They have to be upwardly mobile but racially authentic, race conscious but not angry. In fact, black TV has made great strides since 1970. … A piece argues that Dale Earnhardt represented the outlaw redneck stock-car racing type that dominated the sport until it became a middle-class institution. The new clean-cut, PR-savvy NASCAR circuit risks alienating the Southern fans that were its base. (Read this "Sports Nut" to see if fans are to blame for Earnhardt's death.) … An article describes "positive psychology," a movement that seeks to repudiate the Freudian obsession with misery. Positive psychologists study how to make people sane instead of how to prevent them from going crazy. It's good for society, too, they argue, because happy people are more likely to be altruistic.—J.D.

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Economist, Feb. 24
A piece describes the increasingly untenable American position in Iraq. Of the roughly 40 nations that allied with the United States during the Gulf War, only two have expressed support for the bombings last week. The international community is increasingly weary of U.N. sanctions that hurt ordinary Iraqis, not Saddam Hussein, and the no-fly zones don't even protect the Shias and marsh Arabs they are supposed to. ... A piece claims that although Web advertising will eventually become a success, it has failed so far because more and more pages seek advertisements from the few dot-com companies left standing. ... An article reports that some of the highest-brow European wines are related to lowbrow grapes. A wine expert used complicated DNA analysis to prove that one of chardonnay's parent grapes is the ridiculed gouais blanc.—J.D.

New York Times Magazine, Feb. 25
The cover story argues that Jonathan Lebed, the 16-year-old day-trader whom SEC accused of manipulating the stock market, did nothing wrong. He made $800,000 by talking up his stock picks on Yahoo! message boards. The SEC said he created artificial prices, but what the kid did on the Web was no different from what analysts do every day on CNBC. What really scared the SEC is that a teen-ager with an AOL account exposed the business of Wall Street as a sham. … A piece describes a harried day in the life of an NBA referee. Hounded for decades about inconsistency and favoritism, refs adopted a more scientific approach to their work 15 years ago. Now they analyze film before and after games and during halftime, and they write post-game reports and put them up on the Web for other refs to study.—J.D.

Weekly Standard, Feb. 26
A piece blasts the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights for flagrant partisanship. At Jesse Jackson's behest, the left-leaning agency opened an investigation of the Florida election. Chairwoman Mary Frances Berry has treated witnesses with contempt and gone public with unsupportable accusations of minority intimidation at the polls. The commission, which lacks enforcement power, should have been disbanded long ago, but "what politician is brave enough to have his name associated with the headline 'Feds Kill Civil Rights Agency'?" … An article argues that notwithstanding Tony Blair's well-publicized fondness for Bill Clinton, he also has a lot in common with President Bush. They agree on education policy, welfare reform, and the role of the private sector in providing social services. Blair, who wants to maintain his special relationship with America and establish a more prominent role for England in European politics, must decide whether to side with Bush or the European mainland on the question of missile defense.—J.D.

The Nation, March 5
The cover story likens Karl Rove, President Bush's chief political operative, to infamous Republican attack dog Lee Atwater. Rove, who has made a career out of dirty tricks, has been accused of planting bugs in his own office to cast suspicion on opponents, spearheading an FBI investigation of the Texas Land Commission (headed by Democrats), and siphoning campaign cash from Christian conservatives who backed Steve Forbes in the primaries. … A piece describes the problems besetting the pro-choice movement. The young women who should be out front on the issue take abortion rights for granted because they were born after Roe v. Wade. Activists are paralyzed by a disagreement about how to spend limited resources—on national ad campaigns or grass-roots organizing. Meanwhile, according to NARAL, more than 435 restrictions on abortion were introduced in state legislatures last year.—J.D.

Time and Newsweek, Feb. 26
Both covers deal with the aftermath of Clinton's presidency. Newsweek's claims that Hillary is hoppin' mad about the Marc Rich pardon and was upset that Clinton's last-minute presidential doings upstaged her first weeks as senator. … The Time cover package, an updated take on its 1993 cover "The Incredible Shrinking President," features an analysis of Clinton's 177 high-profile, late-term pardons, including Susan McDougal and first brother Roger Clinton.

A Newsweek article on the U.S.-British bombing of Iraqi air-defense sites predicts that the United States will have to back down on economic sanctions against Iraq and claims that a change of policy on the no-fly zones is likely. Time points out that Saddam Hussein has made loads of cash from sneaking out oil via a pipeline to Syria. On an upcoming visit to the Middle East, Secretary of State Colin Powell hopes to persuade Syria to shut down the pipeline.

A Newsweek story describes the first ever large-scale museum exhibition devoted solely to the work of African-American artists, which includes "Yo Mama's Last Supper," a photo that New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani condemned. The mayor may appoint a commission on "decency standards" for tax-supported exhibitions.—A.F.

U.S. News & World Report, Feb. 26
The Presidents' Day-inspired cover focuses on the recent flood of Founding Fathers literature, which portrays backbiting among men such as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson. The article wonders why Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr were the only two founders to pack heat and use it. … An article on the Republican-ruled Virginia Legislature says that Gov. James Gilmore may sign bills mandating a 24-hour waiting period for abortions, posting "In God We Trust" signs in public schools, and allowing patrons to carry concealed weapons in bars. Gilmore is President Bush's choice to lead the RNC. … An article on Beijing's bid for the 2008 Olympics compares the preparations for the IOC visit with how China wooed the committee eight years ago. If the country doesn't lose out again due to its human rights record, we'll see beach volleyball in Tiananmen Square.—A.F.

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