Conor Friedersdorf is a staff writer at The Atlantic, where he focuses on politics and national affairs. He lives in Venice, California, and is the founding editor of The Best of Journalism, a newsletter devoted to exceptional nonfiction.
Looking back at the Arizona senator's track record, it's hard to see why anyone still treats him as a source of insight into what will happen next in geopolitics.
President Obama is compelled to get permission before striking Syria, but if he violates the law by unilaterally ordering a strike it won't be the first time.
The whistleblower started out as an idealistic booster of the national-security state. Illegal and immoral behavior he witnessed on the inside turned him into an outsider.
The mentally disturbed man was shot to death by St. Louis law-enforcement officers after walking toward them with a knife. Video of the incident has sparked debate about the police's reaction.
When the chaos is over and criminal investigations begin, the way authorities scrutinize law-enforcement officers will be an important symbol of the city's approach to policing.