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other magazines: Summaries of what's in Time, Newsweek, etc.

Shafted

By Julia Turner
Updated Friday, July 25, 2003, at 2:08 PM ET

New York Times Magazine, July 27
The cover story chronicles the post-traumatic lives of last summer's heroes, the nine men rescued from the Quecreek mine. Many are out of work, restless, and on anti-depressants. And there's been tension between the rescue-ees and their less-acclaimed saviors, one of whom committed suicide in June. … A feisty but inconclusive art world whodunit: Archive-dwelling art historian Juan José Junquera contends that Francisco Goya's grotesque Black Paintings—which were discovered on the second-story walls of his country home—must have been painted by someone else, because the home didn't have a second story when he lived there. But other scholars contest Junquera's claim. A Prado curator, noting that painter Joan Miró revered these works as classics, snips: "We cannot send The Dog to the museum basement because it was on the apparently nonexistent second floor."

The New Yorker and Weekly Standard, July 28
On the yellowcake flap, and whether it matters: Weekly Standard Editor William Kristol and New Yorker Editor David Remnick dutifully punch their ideological timecards on this one. Says Kristol: Pish! Accurate or no, the dubious claims about Saddam's nuclear ambitions in Bush's State of the Union were so unessential to his case for war that the White House now says they "didn't merit mention." Democrats should quit carping and urge Bush to focus on Iraq's reconstruction as "an intelligent, loyal opposition" would; as is, they resemble a "pathologically disgruntled lunatic fringe." … Says Remnick: It matters! The invasion was justified on humanitarian grounds, but it was reports of Saddam's unconventional arsenal that created a "sense of urgency." Now that the American people have learned such intel may have been "manipulated, forged, or bullied into shape," they may get cynical about the government; as crises loom in North Korea and elsewhere, we need one we can trust. "A serious investigation is urgently needed."

Economist, July 25
The suicide of David Kelly—the British expert on Saddam's WMD who may have told the BBC that the government improperly "sexed up" its dossier on the Iraqi threat—makes both PM Tony Blair and the Beeb look bad, the editorial argues. Kelly denied making any such comment when he testified before a House of Commons committee, but two reporters confirmed that he made similar remarks to them. If the BBC lied about what Kelly said, its rep is irrevocably shot. But Kelly seemed evasive with the committee, the government's rage about the report—"How dare you suggest that we would spin the facts?"—rings hollow, and "both the Ministry of Defence and Downing Street dropped hints to journalists," leaking Kelly's identity in order to discredit the BBC, which had claimed its source was a high-ranking intelligence operative, when Kelly actually worked in Defence.

Newsweek and Time

Newsweek and Time, July 28
California's fiscal and political crises snag Newsweek's cover. The state's $38 billion deficit is bigger than the entire budgets of 42 other states, and the ongoing recall brouhaha has further crippled the government's ability to tackle the problem. The magazine blames the meltdown on state term limits, which leave inexperienced legislators ill-equipped to run the government, and concentrate extensive knowledge of the political system among consultants and lobbyists, rather than pols themselves. The magazine also considers the possible candidacy of a certain Terminator, but the editors seem unsure how seriously to take Schwarzenegger's ambitions. A cover line reads, "Will Gov. Davis Be Recalled? Will 'Arnold' Replace Him?" but the scare quotes around the actor's name seem intended to assure readers that Newsweek contemplates the possibility only with tongue lodged firmly in cheek. … Time fronts a piece on dyslexia; new research is shaking up common misperceptions. Girls are just as likely as boys to be dyslexic; writing mirror-image letters is not the exclusive habit of dyslexic children; and dyslexics don't outgrow the disorder, so early treatment is the most effective therapy.

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Julia Turner is Slate's deputy editor. You can e-mail her at .
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