I had just turned 10-years-old when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and plunged America into World War II.

The great lesson my mother and father gave me was almost invisible. It was a strong sense of being rooted.

I got addicted. News, particularly daily news, is more addictive than crack cocaine, more addictive than heroin, more addictive than cigarettes.

I'm proud to say I've never been anybody's lapdog.

My cousin just died. He was only 19. He got stung by a bee - the natural enemy of a tightrope walker.

I still love following and thinking about politics. I enjoy recommending important journalism I read or see from other sources.

Fear rules almost every newsroom in the country.