ArcaMax

SAN DIEGO -- This Father's Day, as I enjoy brunch with my family, I must remember to be grateful for "hunger dishes."

And, as a dad who -- like many other dads -- struggles to provide for his children while still finding time to step away from work and make memories, I hope someday my kids will be just as grateful.

Hunger dishes is the phrase ...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- Alfredo Corchado is messing with my head, forcing me to think hard about something I had neatly packed away: what it means to be Mexican-American. What are friends for if not to turn your world upside down?

As a reporter -- currently for The Dallas Morning News, and earlier at The El Paso Herald-Post and The Wall Street Journal -- ...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- Who broke the California governor's race? Just about everyone, it seems.

Here are some takeaways from what turned out to be -- in my crazy home state -- an even crazier primary election than expected.

-- Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom -- the top vote-getter with 33.4 percent -- employed a cynical strategy that worked, perhaps too well for ...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- No sooner had I hit "send" on a recent column listing examples of Democrats failing immigrants and refugees than I realized there were other instances that should have been included.

First, let me be clear. Despite the reader who accused me after the last column of attempting to "deflect, mute and cloud much-needed criticism" of ...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- In their treatment of immigrants and refugees, Republicans are really bad. But this doesn't mean Democrats have been any better.

The Obama administration was never all that good at dealing with newcomers. And often, it was terrible.

Just how terrible became clear last week thanks to a report released by the American Civil ...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- Let's hear it for the redemptive power of the third way. There is a lot to be said for finding a crafty solution that helps navigate a sticky situation without being sucked into the vortex of all-or-nothing.

The best answer is often found in the center. You have to respect leaders who reject the false choice between extreme ...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- For Latinos trying to survive the Age of Trump with their dignity intact, the hate just keeps on coming.

Americans can't make up their minds whether they want to appropriate Latino culture or stamp it out altogether. One minute, everyone in the country is going loco for Latinos; the next, they've just gone plum loco.

It's time to ...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- The world of politics can be a zoo. So it was only a matter of time before the demagogue-in-chief labeled some illegal immigrants "animals."

It happened last week during a White House meeting that had the vibe of a carnival freak show. President Trump met with officials from California who, judging from their remarks, are itching ...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- What if California held a race for governor and a big chunk of Californians couldn't care less?

When I go to events, meetings or social engagements, people often talk about politics. The name "Trump" comes up. But no one ever talks about the California governor's race, even though the crucial June 5 open primary is just a couple of...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- Commencement speeches should pose a challenge. At this moment, it's clear what message graduates -- and the rest of us -- need to hear:

"Instead of aiming for a better job and a bigger house, strive for something that is often more difficult to achieve: being a better person. Don't be self-centered. Make a positive impact on others...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- Americans are confused. We can't decide whether to get rid of immigrants because they scare us -- or import more of them because they make our lives comfortable.

One minute, President Trump wants to deport illegal immigrants, gut legal immigration and build a wall. The next, he wants to bring in guest workers -- probably from ...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- Politics is making me sick. I have written about pandering, broken promises, partisan spin, opinion polls, situational ethics, flip-flopping, echo chambers, red and blue states and all the rest for 30 years. And it has taken a toll. I've never been more cynical or more distrustful.

Spend most of your time in swamps, and pretty soon...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- Elitism is ugly. If you want to know how ugly, just watch the widely circulated video of an arrogant, obnoxious and profane political appointee scolding a couple of police officers during a traffic stop in Tenafly, New Jersey (https://youtu.be/S6vlu1FRaic).

The cringe-worthy encounter occurred over Easter weekend, and the dashcam ...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- The dustup over an offensive rant by a comedian at the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner should prompt journalists to take a hard look at themselves and their profession, and ask what has become of both in the era of Donald Trump.

For one thing, members of the media should investigate whether some of them have ...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- Much of cable television has become toxic. The poison comes from overheated primetime shows that blend together things that don't mix: news, analysis and opinion.

I've been a guest on these shows on multiple networks for more than 15 years, dating back to my first appearance on Fox News' "The O'Reilly Factor." Bill O'Reilly and I ...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- I've written about politics for 30 years, and I've been happily married for half as long. And, from making my way through the trenches of both adventures, here is what I've learned: My wife and I will at times disagree about politics. And, when this happens, I'm always wrong.

Well, that explains the "happily married" part.

Even ...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- In the Southwest, four governors are sending National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border. To understand how dangerous this could be, you can listen to politicians or poets.

Consider what California Gov. Jerry Brown -- the only Democrat in that cohort -- said last week at the National Press Club in Washington. Reluctant to honor...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- Paul Ryan has got to be looking forward to spending more time with his children, and less time defending a president who can't stop acting like an adolescent.

For the speaker of the House -- who says he will leave Congress after this term and not run for office again -- making lunches and driving carpool is a step up from having to...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- At the risk of being "unfriended" by members of Congress, there was a lot not to "Like" about the legislative branch's assault this week on a certain social media site.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg sat for hours over two days in separate hearings before House and Senate committees. The 33-year-old took questions from dozens of ...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- How's this for a whodunnit: Who really killed the deal to save Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals -- President Trump or congressional Democrats?

The question isn't simply, "Who killed DACA?" We know the answer to that. It was Trump who nixed the Obama-era program last September and then called on Congress to provide a permanent...Read more