Washington Monthly

Specialty cheese merchants Dean & Deluca The Dean & Deluca cheese store in New York is the world epicenter for cheese and cheese lovers. The techniques for wrapping cheese correctly and recommending the right cheese before a customer asks for it are not easily mastered. One writer's experiences learning the trade are examined.

Halfway Heaven: Diary of a Harvard Murder.

How to Succeed in School without Really Trying: The Credentials Race in American Education.

Liberalism's flagship adrift at sea.

Decline of liberal magazine 'The New Republic' The frequent, acrimonious change of editors and lack of an ideological direction have contributed to the demise of the quality and influence of 'The New Republic'. Recommendations for how new editor Michael Kelly can turn the publication around are included.

Making the Corp.

National security for sale.

Government privatization and nuclear terrorism A deal for the US to buy Russian high-grade uranium for dilution and resale as nuclear fuel unfortunately evolved in tandem with a plan to privatize the government's nuclear fuel business. How this plan exposed high-grade uranium to terrorist interests and threatened US security interests is detailed.

Release 2.0: A Design for Living in the Digital Age.

Sensible Justice: Alternatives to Prison.

Silent witness.

Campaign finance investigation of Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt A decision by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to deny three Chippewa tribes land to build a casino is considered the most blatant example of influence peddling to come out of the campaign finance investigations. How the inquiry was mishandled by congress is examined.

Taking Charge: The Johnson White House Tapes, 1963-1964.

The peacemaker.

Role Jimmy Carter played in 1994 North Korea crisis Former President Jimmy Carter flew to Pyongyang, North Korea in the summer of 1994 amid escalating tensions between North Korea and the US over nuclear weapons. The result of Carter's private-citizen diplomacy was a defusing of the crisis. The details of how this was accomplished are enumerated.

What the White House tapes really show.

White House Communications Agency and tapes of White House coffees with supporters - Includes related article on President's knowledge of goings-on within White House A little-known government agency, the White House Communications Agency, came into public attention during the campaign finance investigations of 1997. The agency exists purportedly to record events of each presidency for posterity. The history and growth of the agency is examined.