The New Yorker has quite a few interesting essays about current events (
Reporting & Essays: The New Yorker) and articles about arts and culture (
Arts & Culture: The New Yorker) with each issue. It does have fiction, which isn't helpful, but if someone's not inclined to read the Economist, I think the New Yorker might be worthwhile.
Edit: After reading some of the stuff in those two sections that I linked to, I'm getting MCAT and Kaplan flashbacks. So I think those parts of the New Yorker are worthwhile.
