Vol. 128 No. 24

Hitting the Middle Octaves (The Presidency/Hugh Sidey)

Test Cases
The battle over drug screening

And Now, the 35,000-Year-Old Man
Thousands seek spiritual guidance through "channeling"

Pursuing the Money Connections
The supply line to the contras led through a maze of "cutouts" and middlemen

Tightening the Knot
A new law gets tougher on fraudulent marriages

Backbone and Stature

Under Heavy Fire
Pressure builds on Regan and Casey to quit

Strong Aftershocks (DIPLOMACY)
Reagan's deepening troubles worry friends and delight foes

China's Fear of the Bikini

Dam, Double Dam (SOUTH KOREA)
Battle of the waterworks

A Different Way to Play Politics (TAIWAN)
The opposition gets a chance to challenge the old guard

The Return of Chairman Arafat (MIDDLE EAST)
A war rages as Palestinian fighters make a comeback

Anxiety on the Eve of a Cease-Fire (THE PHILIPPINES)
The nation gets ready for a truce with the Communists

All the Way Back to Square One (INDIA)
Sikh terrorists stage a massacre, and hopes for Punjab dim

Dashed Hopes (SOUTH AFRICA)
Scuttling a well-laid plan

Taking a Mercurial Approach
Telescopes with liquid mirrors may break the size barrier

And Now, the Greater Lakes (Environment)
As water levels rise to record heights, shore dwellers are swamped

In Chicago: Raising Children in a Battle Zone (American Scene)

Turning Brown, Red and Green (Living)
Erasable post-punk colors are the latest hairstyling trend

Different Degrees of Candor
Soviets cover home more openly, but the West is another story

Johnny Appleseed of the Swing Set (Design)
An architect travels the country building playgrounds

Taxing Job
Nakasone's crusade for reform

Peace for a Price at GM (Economy & Business)
Perot takes the $700 million and runs

The Boss's Thunder Road to Riches (Economy & Business)
Springsteen Live gives the rock star's wheel of fortune a spin

Business Notes

Storm Brewing
A stock probe jolts Guinness

Need a Rescue? Call Ross (Economy & Business)

Bargains in Short-Order Courses
The brash Learning Annex puts a fresh face on adult education

Hollywood Tapes and Testimony
A chilling sexual-abuse case takes a strange turn

Reliving A Poignant Past (Theater / COVER STORY)
Neil Simon's best comedy looks homeward

Danny: He Shared the Dreams (Theater)

A Document Written in Blood (Cinema)
PLATOON Directed and Written by Oliver Stone

Pleasures for the Holidays
Twenty-two picturesque volumes to enjoy without reservations

The Acrobat of the Drawing Room (Show Business)
Cary Grant: 1904-1986