The Border Patrol’s Out-of-Control Growth

The Border Patrol’s Out-of-Control Growth

On October 8, Tucson police officers pulled over a driver because the light above his license plate wasn’t working. When he didn’t present a license, a typical scenario unfolded: Under Arizona’s infamous SB 1070 law, cops become de facto immigration...
A Radioactive Poster Child for Government Waste

A Radioactive Poster Child for Government Waste

Here’s a lesson on how the federal government and its contractors can turn a relatively modest project into a massive boondoggle. Back in 2005, officials at the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) persuaded Congress to...
Too High a Price for Courage

Too High a Price for Courage

Berta Cáceres, an internationally respected leader of the movement for indigenous rights, is now living as a fugitive. The Honduran government ordered this soft-spoken dynamo imprisoned on September 20. From her undisclosed location, she emailed me and a few others....
Bursts of Light and Fresh Air

Bursts of Light and Fresh Air

I know that life is supposed to be full of surprises but the last few weeks have been ridiculous. For example, you had the unnerving spectacle of Vladimir Putin, the former KGB thug who runs Russia, rescuing Barack Obama, the former community organizer who runs his...
How Do We Overcome Our Numbness?

How Do We Overcome Our Numbness?

The flag positioned at half-mast was the only indication that anything had happened at all. American University was lush with early-autumn excitement and the quad was full of beginning-of-the-semester, carefree energy. There were no panicked email alerts, no worried...
Remembering Saul Landau, 1936-2013

Remembering Saul Landau, 1936-2013

By divine intervention, Saul Landau entered my life 12 years ago and taught me how to write, film, and live with dignity. We instantly bonded over having fathers from the “old country” — his father from Ukraine, mine from Syria — and being Semites with...