Recent Palisades Fire Commentaries

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What Wildfires Teach Us About Ourselves
If you live on the West Coast, fires are part of life. Yet the fires raging in California right now—five at last count—are unlike anything I’ve ever witnessed. The Palisades Fire alone has burned over 19,000 acres, leaving destruction and heartbreak in its wake. California’s wildfires remind us of two things: our shared vulnerability and the extraordinary strength we summon...
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January 10, 2025
Read Some of the Most Recent Articles
The Latest... And Often Greatest
Why Facts No Longer Matter (And Why That Matters)
In 2012, Justice David Souter—long retired, rarely seen—offered a quiet but powerful warning during a talk in New Hampshire. Reflecting on the erosion of civic...
The Cost of Doing the Right Thing
I met President Gerald Ford while working at KMIR-TV in Palm Springs. The event was held at the home of a wealthy supporter in Thunderbird...
When Conscience Led the Country
Jimmy Carter didn’t just talk about values—he lived them. Long before entering the White House in 1977, and long after he left, Carter viewed leadership...
Steady Leadership
Dwight D. Eisenhower didn’t lead with bravado. He didn’t govern by grievance. He led with character. A five-star general who commanded the Allied victory in...
Fighting for the Public Good
Theodore Roosevelt didn’t plan to become president. In 1901, after President William McKinley was assassinated, the 42-year-old vice president was sworn in—becoming the youngest person...
The Man Who Refused to Be King
This week, I’m focusing on what may be the most endangered quality in public life: integrity. Over the next 5 days, I’ll spotlight five U.S....