by Isaac Cubillos | Jan 1, 2026 | Journal
A New Year’s look at how journalism changed, who paid the price, and what readers should watch next. I started in newspapers in 1987, at a daily in California, back when journalism was a physical activity. My first assignment was writing obituaries, which is about as...
by Isaac Cubillos | Dec 27, 2025 | Journal
On Christmas Day, the President ordered U.S. missiles fired from a Navy destroyer into Nigeria. The explanation came pre-loaded for television: protecting Christians from terrorists. It sounds moral.It sounds simple. It feeds his base. And it gets the war wrong....
by Isaac Cubillos | Dec 24, 2025 | Journal
The image says it all: a U.S. Navy jet firing a missile at Santa’s sleigh, because apparently Christmas failed a compliance review. According to officials, Santa was flagged for carrying contraband toys, dodging tariffs, and operating an unregistered international...
by Isaac Cubillos | Dec 16, 2025 | Journal
Every few years, Washington rediscovers the same stunt: if you can’t fix the border, pose next to it in uniform. This week’s version comes with a historical flourish. The administration has expanded use of the 1907 Roosevelt Reservation — a 60-foot strip of federal...
by Isaac Cubillos | Dec 12, 2025 | Journal
Updated Jan. 18, 2026 In 2010, I wrote a book called Military Reporters: Stylebook and Reference Guide. It’s out of print now, which I once took as progress. I figured the chapters on protective gear — helmets, eye protection, body armor — would stay where they...
by Isaac Cubillos | Dec 9, 2025 | Journal
The USS Nimitz pulled into San Diego this past Sunday — one last stop before she heads north to Bremerton, Washington, to wrap up her final deployment. Early next year, she’ll depart for good, beginning the long walk toward decommissioning. After fifty years, the old...
