Vol. 126 No. 15

"They Want a Monopoly"

A Mix of Hope and Hokum
Gorbachev's arms-control plan could yield fruit, but beware the fine print

American Notes Demagogues
Brothers in Bigotry

American Notes Disasters
Groping in the Dark

American Notes Families
Seizing Papa's Paycheck

American Notes Georgia
The Skydivers' Last Plunge

American Notes the Cabinet
Irish Eyes Unsmiling

Cajun Caper?
Louisiana's Governor on trial

Family Affairs
Two Mafia cases go to court

Gorbachev's "Charm Offensive"
He invokes De Gaulle and hears tough human rights questions

Soviet Star Wars

Spy Slipup
A suspect vanishes

The Presidency
Stalking a Mysterious Monster

Europe Street Wars
Youths vent their rage

Middle East Israel's 1,500-Mile Raid
A long-distance air attack on the P.L.O. in Tunisia sparks Arab rage

Moscow Loses Its Immunity
For the first time, Lebanese terrorism strikes Soviet citizens

Nicaragua the Sandinistas Hang Tough
Morale is high as the army responds to CONTRA attacks

South Africa Apartheid By Another Name
In his clearest speech yet, Botha unveils a modest reform agenda

World Notes Britain
Labor At War with Itself

World Notes Canada
A New Leader for Quebec

World Notes El Salvador
Major Bob Steps Down

World Notes Italy
Watching His Language

World Notes New Caledonia
Voting a Split Ticket

Comet Fire
Did it doom the dinosaurs?

A Problem That Cannot Be Buried (Environment)
The poisoning of America continues

Living, Dangerously, with Toxic Wastes (Environment)
Three tormented towns point up past, present and potential problems

Turning to New Technologies (Environment)
Incinerators and voracious bacteria help dispose of waste

Tattooed Ladies (Health & Fitness)
Ring around the eyelid

Tossing Sulfites Out of Salads (Health & Fitness)
The FDA is banning preservatives used on produce

Sweet Prelude to Playoffs
Missouri means to monopolize the World Series

Taking a Byte Out of Crime (Computers)
Police hail computer system that cracked the Night Stalker case

All in the Family (Economy & Business)
ComputerLand's chief is out

An Unwavering Voice for the Poor (Economy & Business)
But a revised Catholic bishops' letter shows shifts in approach

Business Notes Broadcasting (Economy & Business)
Televising the Gold in 1988

Business Notes Commodities (Economy & Business)
The Hunts Dump Their Silver

Business Notes Executive (Economy & Business)
Suite a Smooth Transition At Sears

Business Notes Telephones (Economy & Business)
Connections for Commuters

Business Notes Travel (Economy & Business)
Chasing Halley's Comet

Jousting for the Top Brands (Economy & Business)
Takeover battles move to the supermarket and drug store

Showdown Over Latin Debt (Economy & Business)
In a significant reversal, the U.S. seeks more loans for the Third World

Spiderman's Net
An electronic alternate to prison

A Master of Luminous Prose E.B. (Books)
White: 1899-1985

Bookends (Books)

Gimme Shelter House (Books)
by Tracy Kidder Houghton Mifflin; 341 pages; $17.95

History of an Imagined World Always Coming Home (Books)
by Ursula K. Le Guin Harper & Row; 525 pages; $50 hardcover, $25 paperback

Mastering the Wild Things (Music)
In St. Paul, a children's classic by Maurice Sendak goes operatic

Re-Creating a Stage Legend the Iceman Cometh (Theater)
by Eugene O'Neill