NEWSWEEK Media Lead Sheet: July 2-9, 2007 Issue (on newsstands Monday, June 25).

NEWSWEEK Media Lead Sheet: July 2-9, 2007 Issue (on newsstands Monday, June 25).

COVER: "181 Things You Need to Know Now" (p. 34). In this package, Newsweek correspondents pose questions and answers in essays covering foreign affairs, American politics, health, religion, sports, culture, the environment, science, business and technology. These essays spotlight global matters that readers need to know about to navigate our increasingly complex world. After each essay, check out the factoids, tips and a thorough quiz to test your Global Literacy.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19389357/site/newsweek/

(Photo:

http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070624/CLSU007 )

INTERNATIONAL: "True or False: We Are Losing The War Against Radical Islam" (p. 38). Newsweek International Editor Fareed Zakaria writes that the greatest weakness of militant Islam is that it is unpopular almost everywhere. He adds that the real danger, and the reason the fight against radical Islam will be a long struggle, is that the conditions that feed the radicalization and alienation of young Muslim men are not abating.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19389332/site/newsweek/

POLITICS: "Where Will the 2008 Presidential Race be Decided?" (p. 44). Senior Washington Correspondent and Columnist Howard Fineman writes that presidential contenders would be wise to court states with large Latino populations. In 2008, the key "swing states" could well be a brace of four in the Southwest: Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19392253/site/newsweek/

ENVIRONMENT: "Which of These Is Not Causing Global Warming Today?" (p. 48). Senior Editor Sharon Begley writes that one by one, climatologists have gone through the signs of climate change and exonerated both natural variability and natural outside sources as the main culprits.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19389317/site/newsweek/

RELIGION: "True or False: The Major Religions Are Essentially Alike" (p. 52). Stephen Prothero writes that understanding real religious diversity -- the undeniable differences demarcated by religious boundaries -- is essential to understanding the powerful role that religious beliefs, practices and institutions play in the world today.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19389350/site/newsweek/

BUSINESS: "What's the Biggest Threat To the U.S. Economy?" (p. 55). Contributing Editor Robert Samuelson writes that Americans turning a fiscally conservative leaf may harm the U.S. economy. A rapid rebound in savings could be devastating. Consider: Americans spend about $10 trillion a year. A jump in the saving rate to 5 percent would cut that by a massive $500 billion.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19389298/site/newsweek/

HEALTH: "What Kills One Woman Every Minute of Every Day?" (p. 56). Senior Editor Barbara Kantrowitz writes that despite medical advances, one woman dies every minutes of every day from causes related to pregnancy and birth. The most vulnerable are the world's poorest women. In sub-Saharan Africa, the lifetime risk of maternal death is 1 in 16, compared with 1 in 2,800 in developed countries.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19389326/site/newsweek/

TECHNOLOGY: "True or False: U.S.'s Broadband Penetration Is Lower Than Even Estonia's" (p. 58). Senior Editor Steven Levy writes that the United States' 15th place ranking by the international Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development of the high-speed broadband adoption of 30 countries in the developed world, has prompted American industry leaders and legislators to take action in bringing the United States up to speed.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19389299/site/newsweek/

SCIENCE: "When Does Your Brain Stop Making New Neurons?" (p. 62). Senior Editor Sharon Begley writes about recent discoveries that prove several theories regarding brain and personality development are outdated. Experts are overthrowing the old dogma that, by the ripe old age of 3, the human brain is relatively fixed in form and function. In the last few years, neuroscientists have dismantled this idea, with profound implications for our view of what it means to be human.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19389351/site/newsweek/

SPORTS: "True or False: American Athletes Rule" (p. 66). National Sports Correspondent and Senior Editor Mark Starr writes that America has fallen behind in the sports world, and not just in soccer. On today's sporting fields, America is far more of a patsy than a world beater. It can't win at its own games like basketball or baseball-Japan won both the Olympic gold and the World Baseball Classic-nor at international events it once ruled.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19358336/site/newsweek/

MUSIC: "True or False: 'Idol' Airs in Every Continent But Antarctica" (p. 67). Senior Writer Lorraine Ali writes that because of the success of American Idol, media conglomerates are not developing catalog artists such as Madonna or U2-the music business's bread and butter for decades-because they've all begun to rely more and more on superaccessible quick fixes.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19389812/site/newsweek/

ART: "Which Is the Most Influential Work of Art Of the Last 100 Years?" (p. 68). Senior Writer Peter Plagens writes that Pablo Picasso's eight-foot-square painting, "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon" started a revolution when it was first unveiled in 1916. Although the painting offended many, and was called a "veritable cataclysm" by one of Picasso's loyal patrons, it is also regarded as a quantum leap in modern art's straight-line "progress" from impressionism to pure abstraction.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19390212/site/newsweek/

LITERATURE: "True or False: Jane Austen Outsells Alice Walker and Ann Coulter" (p. 70). Senior Writer David Gates discusses the relevance of Jane Austen in American society. Like BMW, Prada and Martha Stewart, Austen is now a brand, and a signifier of class aspiration. Gates writes that Austen's "charming" country villages, in which even the most financially precarious upper-class people amuse themselves while surviving on the labor of invisible servants, look like our aspirational world of guilt-free leisure.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19390924/site/newsweek/

FILM: "Which Actress Made a Movie That Grossed Over $200 Million?" (p. 72). Movie Critic David Ansen and Senior Writer Sean Smith write about why many movies with female leads have reached critical success but do not fare as well in the box office. In 40 years, no film about a woman has been No. 1 for the year at the box office. Part of the reason why, is how technology and globalization have changed the kinds of stories we tell on screen.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19391043/site/newsweek/

NATION: "Bloomberg's Knightly Ambitions" (p. 26). Editor-At-Large Evan Thomas and Senior Writer Jonathan Darman report that by renouncing his ties to the Republican Party, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has stirred up speculation that he will run for president as an independent. Although he declared that he had no plan to seek the White House and that he intends to serve out his mayoral term, which runs through 2009, it is hard to believe that he does not want to be president.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19391237/site/newsweek/

INTERNATIONAL: "Dispatch From Iran" (p. 32). Senior Editor Michael Hirsh writes that after years of turmoil in Iran, the revolution has adapted. Active political opposition to Islamic rule is all but gone. And the current government, led by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is adopting a rather savvy tactic of letting ordinary people enjoy themselves a bit and, above all, taste the fruits of prosperity.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19392351/site/newsweek/

TIP SHEET: "Green Your Getaway" (p. 75). Reporter Kurt Soller reports on the innovative ways a growing number of hotels around the world are becoming eco-friendly, while still providing all the expected amenities.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19376385/site/newsweek/

PRNewswire -- June 24
NOTE TO EDITORS: To book correspondents, contact Brenda Velez at
212-445-4078 -- Brenda.Velez@Newsweek.com -- or LaVenia LaVelle at
212-445-4859 -- LaVenia.LaVelle@Newsweek.com. Articles are posted on
www.Newsweek.com. *This is a double issue and will remain on newsstands for
two weeks.

Photo: NewsCom:

http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070624/CLSU007
AP Archive:

http://photoarchive.ap.org/
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Source: Newsweek

Web site:

http://www.newsweek.msnbc.com/

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