COVER

NATION

TAX CUTS: WHO WILL GET THE BREAKS? (The Budget)

IN THE BUDGET ENDGAME, TAXES ARE ON THE TABLE. REPUBLICANS WANT BOUNTEOUS CUTS. CLINTON SAYS THEY WILL GO MOSTLY TO THE RICH BUT IS TEMPTED TO GO ALONG WITH SOME. IS THIS GOOD

REACTIONARY ROMP (Politics)

LIBERALS HAVE LONG HELD A NEW YEAR'S RETREAT. HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED WHEN CONSERVATIVES GOT ONE, TOO

TRAVEL ALARM (Investigations)

A CABINET SECRETARY FLIES HIGH. SOMETIMES, TOO HIGH

WORLD

JIANG PLAYS BULLY (China)

AS PART OF A POWER PLAY TO SUCCEED DENG, THE COUNTRY IS IN THE THROES OF ANOTHER CRACKDOWN

HOW DARK A RED IS HE? (Russia)

THE COMMUNISTS NOW HOLD THE MOST SEATS IN THE DUMA. THEIR LEADER MAY NOT BE A STALINIST, BUT HE'S BAD NEWS

WAR & TERRORISM

NUCLEAR NINJAS (Counterterrorism)

A NEW KIND OF SWAT TEAM HUNTS ATOMIC TERRORISTS. AN EXCLUSIVE LOOK AT THEIR OPERATION

SCIENCE

PARENTHOOD, DINO-STYLE

A FOSSIL DINOSAUR FOUND SITTING ON ITS NEST BOOSTS THE IDEA THAT THE TERRIBLE LIZARDS' NEAREST KIN ARE BIRDS

HEALTH & MEDICINE

GAGGING THE DOCTORS (Health Care)

CRITICS CHARGE THAT SOME HMOS REQUIRE PHYSICIANS TO WITHHOLD VITAL INFORMATION FROM THEIR PATIENTS

SOCIETY

THE SUNBURST SACRIFICES (Cult)

A MURDER-SUICIDE RITUAL IN THE FRENCH ALPS REVIVES EUROPEAN ALARM ABOUT A SHADOWY, WELL-HEELED GROUP

FIGHTING WORDS

CONTROVERSIAL REMARKS ABOUT THE SIMPSON TRIAL SPLIT THE RANKS OF NOW

SPORT

FIESTA BAWL (Sports)

A STAR RUNNING BACK PLAYS A NEW POSITION--VICTIM

TECHNOLOGY

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

BUSINESS

THE GLOW FROM A FIRE

A NEW ENGLAND TEXTILE MANUFACTURER TURNS TRAGEDY INTO A CHRISTMAS TALE OF WARMTH FOR HIS WORKERS

CHUFF CHUFF, PUFF PUFF (Marketing)

ALL ABOARD THE MARLBORO UNLIMITED, A HIGH-TECH TRAIN WHERE YOU CAN SMOKE IN NEARLY EVERY CAR

LAW

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

ART: DUTCH TREAT (The Arts & Media / ART)

BUDGET POLITICS INTERRUPT BUT CANNOT DIM THE VISUAL MAGIC OF AN EPOCHAL VERMEER EXHIBITION

TELEVISION: NO LATTES, NO BELLY BUTTONS (The Arts & Media / TELEVISION)

TWO NEW SITCOMS, BOTH WITH TOP PEDIGREES, TURN THEIR BACKS ON TRENDINESS. UNFORTUNATELY, THEY ALSO TURN THEIR BACKS ON WIT

CINEMA: THE EXECUTIONEE'S SONG (The Arts & Media / CINEMA)

HERE'S A NEW YEAR'S SURPRISE: TIM ROBBINS WRITES AND DIRECTS A WRENCHING BUT UNPREACHY DRAMA ABOUT CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

THE HOST MAN'S BURDEN (The Arts & Media / SHOW BUSINESS)

THANKS TO SABRINA, GREG KINNEAR IS MAKING THE DIFFICULT LEAP FROM LATE-NIGHT TV TO BIG-SCREEN DREAMBOAT-HOOD

BOOKS: MYSTERIES IN DRAG (The Arts & Media / BOOKS)

THREE MALE THRILLER WRITERS TAKE A STAB AT CREATING HEROINES--ONLY ONE SUCCEEDS

MUSIC: BIRD LIVES! (The Arts & Media / MUSIC)

A CHARLIE PARKER HOMAGE THAT CAPTURES THE ORIGINAL'S VERVE

PEOPLE