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Kosher Wars
The New York TimesMagazine examines the battle over food and religion.
Morgan Smith
posted Oct. 10, 2008
Getting Bitter All the Time
The New Republic on Sarah Palin's class resentment.
Morgan Smith
posted Oct. 7, 2008
Depression 2.0?
Time compares the current financial troubles to the Great Depression.
Daniel Riley
posted Oct. 3, 2008
Virginia Slim
The New Yorker on Barack Obama's push for Old Dominion.
Daniel Riley
posted Sept. 30, 2008
Bringing Down the House
The New York Times Magazine on deconstructing foreclosed homes.
Kara Hadge
posted Sept. 26, 2008
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other magazines: Summaries of what's in Time, Newsweek, etc.

Hugh Hefner, Wallflower

By Jeremy Derfner
Updated Friday, Aug. 11, 2000, at 8:30 PM ET

New Republic, Aug. 21

An article attacks Rep. Richard Gephardt for shifting to the center. Once a left-winger who articulated an anti-Clinton position on globalization and budget balancing, he barely opposed Permanent Normal Trade Relations status for China and is doing the bidding for New Economy CEOs on immigration issues. When the economic boom ends, the Democratic Party will suffer for having no organized dissent wing. … Martin Peretz argues that Al Gore's voracious intellectual curiosity (which Peretz first witnessed as his professor at Harvard) is perhaps the best reason to vote for him, especially because George W. Bush has Ronald Reagan-like intellectual detachment. In order to lead, a president must first understand the issues, and Gore understands them as well as any politician, while Bush doesn't care to understand them at all. … A piece claims that the divisions between industrial unions and newer service-sector unions could hurt Gore in November. AFL-CIO President John Sweeney hails from the service sector and has organized support for Gore, but the industrial unions are upset about Sweeney's softness on globalization and Gore's support of it, and so their members won't vote in high numbers.

Rolling Stone, Aug. 31

A profile of Hugh Hefner argues that his swinging social life is an act he puts on for the sake of his political mission, ridding the United States of its Puritanism. A very private man, he manufactured his own image to advance his politics; he dislikes his own famous parties. Hef has already succeeded in destigmatizing sex and making it an acceptable topic of public discussion. (David Plotz assessed Hef a few weeks ago.) … An article tries and convicts George W. Bush for the environmental crimes of Texas. Though he inherited a very polluted state whose political culture is pro-property rights and anti-government, he failed to get tough on polluters, probably because of his own roots as an oil and gas man. He favors volunteer cleanup over coercion, but his old business buddies refuse to volunteer.

Talk, September 2000

A piece explores the awkward relationship between brothers George W. Bush and Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. More ambitious, more intelligent, and more interested in policy that his easygoing brother, Jeb has always strayed from the family path, marrying a Mexican woman, attending the University of Texas instead of Yale, and settling in Florida instead of Texas or Connecticut. Everybody, including Barbara Bush, thought Jeb would be the son of consequence, but now that George W. has the national spotlight, it may be a while before Jeb gets it. … A profile of Tipper Gore says she could be the first lady who combines Jackie Kennedy and Hillary Clinton. She thought she would become a therapist in a quiet town, not a political wife, yet she has managed to advance her husband's career while maintaining a mostly normal life and a down-to-earth personality.

Economist, Aug. 12

A piece suggests that Pakistan initiated the recent truce in Kashmir in order to curry favor with the West and then broke it when it looked like negotiations might actually succeed. The likelihood of full-scale war between India and Pakistan remains high. … An article reports on Europe's efforts to curb clandestine immigration from Morocco, only an eight-mile boat ride from Spain. Europe views the migration as a security problem, but Africa sees it as an economic problem. Spain's per capita GDP is 12 times Morocco's and 40 times Nigeria's.

New York Times Magazine, Aug. 13

The cover story heralds the arrival of the personal television, technology that lets you watch whatever programs you want, when you want. The companies that developed the technology will also know the minutest details of viewer preferences, so the mass television market that tried to sell beer to all sports fans will evolve into millions of minimarkets that sell, say, field-hockey equipment to field-hockey fanatics. … A profile of Stephen King marvels at his energy. A year after being hit (and almost paralyzed) by a car, he continues to write superprolifically and to challenge the publishing establishment by selling his books over the Internet. Perpetually ignored by the literary elite, he longs for respect but harms his reputation with attention-getting, scatological prose. … A piece reports on a zoning fight in a Cleveland suburb that pitted secular Jews against Orthodox newcomers. When the Orthodox moved into town and tried to build synagogues and day schools, the secular Jews pushed a referendum to block the construction, arguing that a heavy Orthodox presence would undermine their assimilated way of life. Now many secular Jews are leaving the area.

Time, Aug. 14

The cover story describes how Tiger Woods remade his golf game after winning the 1997 Masters. As he rebuilt his erratic swing over the next 19 months, he won only a single tournament, but his new stroke started working last May and he won 10 of his next 14 tournaments. A related piece says the 24-year-old Woods has finally learned how to deal with the spotlight. Once surly and prone to outbursts, Woods is withdrawn but uniformly popular among his peers and golf fans. … An article claims the Republican convention's attacks on Bill Clinton's misdeeds will force Al Gore to run on the Clinton record while running away from Clinton himself. … A piece marvels that the new generation of anti-aging skin creams, or cosmeceuticals, actually eliminates wrinkles and tones skin. But lotions can cost hundreds per ounce, and none will ever make you look 18 again.

Newsweek, Aug. 14

The cover story, an excerpt of the Cuban Missile Crisis section from Evan Thomas' upcoming Bobby Kennedy biography, says that RFK first supported an all-out invasion of Cuba but retreated after a day to the more dovish blockade stance favored by his brother and by Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. RFK eventually opened the back channel to Moscow that resulted in peaceful resolution. … An article predicts that the presidential race will be one of the nastiest in memory because little substance separates the candidates. Bush has cast Gore as Clinton's "co-conspirator," and Gore will tear apart Bush's record in Texas. … A piece claims that hundreds of rape victims in Kosovo refuse to discuss the attacks because the social stigma is too great. Rapists are unlikely to be punished anyway because the United Nations is just now setting up courts. … An article marvels at the success of older women swimmers. The three U.S. swimmers with the best chances to medal in Sydney are 27, 27, and 33. Some critics suspect drug use, the athletes credit maturity.

U.S. News & World Report, Aug. 14

The cover story decries the worst airline travel season in history. The airlines blame unions and weather. Passenger-rights groups blame unscrupulous airlines. The real problem is that more and more people can afford to fly, so planes are more crowded and there is less give when something goes awry. … An article says that Indonesia can't figure out how to punish former President Suharto. Most Indonesians despise him, the government wants back the money he stole, his lawyers say he is too old and sick to stand trial, and the justice system doesn't work because it is corrupted by his decades in power. … A piece argues that drug use is becoming more common (and more sophisticated) among Olympic athletes. The International Olympic Committee has finally outlawed the popular endurance booster EPO, but many athletes take tiny doses that do not show up in tests or designer drugs that are not yet banned, and the IOC has a habit of pardoning athletes who test positive (sprinter Merlene Ottey, for example).

The New Yorker, Aug. 14

An article on the decline of ABC News blames President David Westin, a lawyer with no journalism background. Westin has made enemies with his amateurish handling of exclusive Monica Lewinsky and Elián González interviews and the infamous Leonardo DiCaprio chat with President Clinton. The relentless push for ratings is dumbing down news content. A favorite in-house joke: World News Tonight isn't world and isn't news, but it is tonight. … A piece examines Western yoga culture. An unappreciated tradition in India, yoga attracts hundreds of Americans to towns like Mysore where they can learn from famous teachers how to escape their stressful lives. Criticism: They practice yoga in the efficiency-obsessed American style—yoga helps them escape stress, attain some spirituality, get some psychological help, and get a good workout to boot, all in an hour and a half. … An article argues that Western greed keeps the 25-year Angolan civil war going. The government pays for the war with oil, the guerrillas pay for the war with diamonds, and the United States has stopped trying to intervene because its companies dominate the oil market. Meanwhile, 82 percent of Angolans are impoverished, and almost a third of children die before age 5.

Weekly Standard, Aug. 14

An article praises the much-ridiculed diversity of the Republican convention, arguing that it actually shows the future of the party under Bush. For a century the GOP has been the stern business party, but Bush will turn it into a more nurturing party based on family, not business. … A piece pans Arianna Huffington's Shadow Convention. The freaky participants were not interested in the real issues it was supposed to be about, so although they filled the hall to heckle John McCain and cheer drug legalization, they couldn't be bothered to attend the sessions on campaign-finance reform.