PROFILE
FROM Stephen Farrell
The Story behind the News from Syria America's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan could be covered from news bureaus established in Baghdad or Kabul. Syria's civil war is a different story in more ways than one. After three years and 100,000 casualties, the war is so complicated by religious, tribal -- even international -- rivalries that it's hard to know just who's fighting the government, let alone why. Western promises to "arm the rebels" are compromised by all the uncertainty. It's a major challenge as well to the reporters we all rely on to bring us the news. Reporters without any base of support are targets for the Assad regime — and rebel forces as well. Those who can speak the language still have to disguise themselves to blend in, without knowing if their protectors can really be trusted. We ask veteran combat reporters about the challenges of getting the story and, most important of all, are they getting it right?
Suicide Bombing in Iraq as US Presence Winds Down In Baghdad today, a suicide bomber killed dozens of people at an army recruiting office and injured many more. It’s the first major attack during Ramadan, with US forces scheduled to withdraw from combat at the end of this month. Stephen Farrell is there for the New York Times .
Iraqi Soccer Association Suspended Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish players overcame social odds to form the Iraqi national soccer team. Then they won an unlikely victory at the Asian Cup. But today their coach says they are "crushed" psychologically because they might not be allowed to compete in the Beijing Olympics in August or for the World Cup in 2010. The government of Iraq has disbanded its Olympic Committee, so the world governing body of soccer, in turn, has suspended Iraq's soccer team. We hear more from Stephen Farrell of the New York Times and Jamie Trecker of FoxSports.com .
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One Year Later: Rebuilding from the Thomas Fire This week marks one year since the Thomas Fire descended on the city of Ventura. It burned more than 500 homes within city limits. Since then, roughly half of those properties have received the green-light to start construction, but only a handful have actually broken ground. We visit one neighborhood where some of the first homes are getting rebuilt.
[ ██████████ ] Mueller’s sentencing memo for Michael Flynn might have redacted “all the sexy parts,” but Josh Barro and Ken White speculate on the black bars.
Despite evacuation orders, some Malibu residents 'stay and defend' homes The Woolsey Fire destroyed 670 structures in Malibu, including more than 400 single family homes. That makes it the most destructive fire in the history of that beachside community. But some residents say even more homes would have been lost, if not for the private citizens who defied mandatory evacuation orders to protect their neighborhoods. The homeowners who stay during a fire can be a nuisance for fire fighters... but they say they're not going anywhere next time.
A call to prepare for the next natural disaster A local environmentalist says we should spend more time and money preparing for natural disasters than responding to them. A Ventura resident who lost his home in the Thomas Fire says rebuilding is taking longer than he’d hoped. Local animal shelters are becoming critical evacuation centers. And California counties must now hold public meetings on their relationship with federal immigration agents.