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John Altschul with his dog, Ethanol. (Photo by James Mills) EDITOR’S NOTE: The is another in a series of occasional stories titled “The Grownups” about West Hollywood residents 75 years old or older who are active in civic life. He’s been called the elder statesman of West Hollywood . He possesses the leadership, diplomacy, patience, charm and institutional memory necessary to hold that honorary title. More importantly, he has the ear of city leaders, community activists , business leaders and developers that is required of an effective statesman. Although he was not involved with the formation of the city, he became a guiding force in shaping West Hollywood . And this week, John Altschul celebrates his 81st birthday. He reluctantly accepts the idea of being the city’s elder statesman, but would prefer he wasn’t quite so much on the elder side of it (wouldn’t we all!). “ West Hollywood has always been a place where everyone has been so friendly,” says Altschul. “I’ve always felt ...

Aug 16, 2017 The first time Captain Noorullah Aminyar traveled to the United States, in 2012, he felt calm and peaceful in a way he never had before. Back home in Afghanistan, he had slept fully clothed , boots on, hand on his rifle. The Taliban attacked every night, and he had to be ready. "But when I come to America," he told me, "I have no stress in America. I sleep good. I tell you, I have no stress. It was really easy. It was a good thing. You feel safe. I was born in the war. I grew up in the war. Always, your life is in danger. You find a little safe time, for sure you'll be happy." Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Advertisement - Continue Reading Below For Aminyar, then twenty-eight, coming to America was an honor and an achievement. He attended the prestigious Defense Language Institute in San Antonio, the culmination of more than a decade of studying English, followed by a basic infantry officer 's course at Fort Benning, Georgia, with Ame...

ISIS has claimed responsibility for this past Thursday's deadly terror attack in Barcelona, Spain, that killed and wounded people from at least 34 countries -- including the United States. This year alone, the Spanish police have arrested more than 20 people with links to ISIS.  Here in America, 100 people have been arrested for ISIS-related crimes over the last three years. The FBI devotes significant resources to identifying potential terrorists and sometimes spends years tracking them. The terror attack in Garland, Texas, two years ago was the first claimed by ISIS on U.S. soil.  It's mostly forgotten because the two terrorists were killed by local cops before they managed to murder anyone.  As Anderson Cooper first reported in March, we were surprised to discover just how close the FBI was to one of the terrorists. Not only had the FBI been monitoring him for years, there was an undercover agent right behind him when the first shots were fired. Terrorists behind 2015 ...