A Ride Through the Orkhon Valley A nomadic herder leading a stray horse back to the pack Our host was ahead of us, leaning and rocking to the right, slightly hunched as his horse shuffled beneath him. His blue deel fluttered in the ever-present steppe breeze. My guide trailed behind. The sound of hooves burrowing into submerged stones startled me from my daydreams. It transported me to the banks of the Ohio River where, as I child, I would rub stones together before skipping them across the...

Finding Peace In Yemen Abdulraoof paces the burnt-black rocks under a dragon blood tree, its sap oozing from the bark — a natural healer. This mysterious land, where 37% of plants and 90% of reptiles exist nowhere else, feels like a secret Earth kept for herself. An Egyptian vulture stands nearby, curious about our invasion. Our guide runs his fingers across the tree, gathering blood-red resin on a fingertip. As we hike in the searing Socotra sun, Abdulraoof takes light and steady steps in...

Acts of Humanity In Valencia As you have probably seen by now, Valencia experienced devastating floods this past week. The storm arrived Tuesday morning. Warnings didn't come until Tuesday night. Over 200 people are dead. 1900 people are missing. And questions have largely gone unanswered. Yesterday, President Sanchez fled the city after the windows of his SUV were smashed with fists and rocks. It was a proper response to unforgivable negligence by the government, both national and local. I...