Without delving into the specifics, I recently was reminded of my own frailties — which, I should explain for my younger readers, is one of the less pleasant aspects of aging. These moments tend to happen more frequently than one would like.
But just as I was trying to cope with the specifics, a request came for me to meet a film crew interested in documenting the origin of the Center for Investigative Reporting, which I co-founded with Lowell Bergman and Dan Noyes in 1977.
This proved to be a welcome distraction.
As far as I can recall, no one has sought before to get down on film the origin story of CIR, which after 48 years remains one of our unique journalistic treasures in the Bay Area and beyond. (CIR merged with another Bay Area journalistic treasure, Mother Jones, last year.)
Many, many people over the decades have worked to help the center succeed.
Anyway, returning to my tale, the crew, which is based in Europe, filmed Lowell and me in a conversation that went on for several hours. We recalled the factors that led to founding CIR and the many hurdles we overcame in the process.
We talked about the early years, the breakthroughs, the big stories, the threats, the successes and failures, the people, the awards and what we hope will ultimately be the legacy of all those efforts.
As we talked, I felt the gloom of focusing on my own health issues begin to lift. It was replaced by the desire to help the record of some of our accomplishments to live on well beyond us. I’d like people at least to know the story of what we tried to do and why.
Maybe it will serve as proof that trying to make a difference in ways both large and small once mattered — and that it still does.
(This one is from last summer. Since I wrote it, there is an exciting new project, the Global Investigative Journalism Oral History, that will document CIR’s origin.)
HEADLINES:
American Democracy Might Not Survive a War With Iran — The United States is well down the road to dictatorship. Imagine what Trump would do with a state of war. (Atlantic)
Israel strikes Iran’s Isfahan nuclear site, buildings on fire in Tel Aviv (Al Jazeera)
Hundreds of U.S. citizens have fled Iran amid Israeli strikes (WP)
Europeans make ‘comprehensive’ offer to Tehran (Financial Times)
Trump Buys Himself Time, and Opens Up Some New Options (NYT)
Has Trump put off joining the Israel-Iran conflict for two weeks? (Al Jazeera)
Fordow: What we know about Iran's secretive 'nuclear mountain' - and how Israel might try to destroy it (Sky News)
Trump weighs Iran strike as Pentagon officials privately divided over ‘bunker buster’ bombs (Guardian)
Iran's fragmented opposition groups think their moment may be close at hand, but activists involved in previous bouts of protest say they are unwilling to unleash mass unrest, even against a system they hate, with their nation under attack. (Reuters)
Federal Judge Orders Columbia protester Mahmoud Khalil freed from immigration detention (ABC)
Abortion clinics are closing, even in states where abortion is legal (AP)
Tuition increases and layoffs are coming to a broad set of universities. (NYT)
What is CREC? The Christian nationalist group has a vision for America − and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s support (The Conversation)
The Myth of the Gen Z Red Wave (Atlantic)
Trump calls for special prosecutor to investigate 2020 election, reviving longstanding grievance (AP)
As Trump shuts out migrants, Spain opens its doors and fuels economic growth (WP)
Climate Change Will Bankrupt the Country (American Prospect)
You sound like ChatGPT (Verge)
What’s Happening to Reading? (New Yorker)
Man Returning From Near-Death Experience Recalls Angels Making Him Sign NDA (The Onion)
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