Birth date: May 22, 1940.
Birthplace: Chicago.
Occupation: Journalist.
Current home: Takoma Park, Md.
Marital status: Married for 26 years to Linda Shaw.
Children: Anil, 25, and Amar, 24.
Working on: I’m the principal Washington, D.C., anchor for CNN and I co-host “Inside Politics.” I regret that Nov. 7 will soon be here because the campaigns have provided so much fodder for our broadcasts.
The last good movie I saw: “The Negotiator” with Samuel L. Jackson, one of my favorite actors. It was shot in Chicago and it’s superb.
The book I’ve been reading: Peter Baker’s “The Breach,” about what happened in government and the White House leading up to the impeachment.
Favorite meal: Steamed mussels in a sauce that’s not too creamy or too thick, Chilean sea bass and rack of lamb, a spinach salad and persimmon pudding.
Favorite performers: Sammy Davis Jr., Marcel Marceau and Pearl Bailey.
Personal heroes: Edward R. Murrow, Jackie Robinson and Ralph Bunche.
I’m better than anyone else when it comes to: Self-criticism.
If I could do it over: I’d write books about life and travel.
I’d give anything to meet: Pope John Paul II. I’d love to interview him because of his influence over human beings worldwide and his take on life.
The one thing I can’t stand: Making reportorial mistakes on the air, because my credibility and the network’s are at stake. Mistakes are inevitable but intolerable.
If I could change one thing about myself: I would exorcise my penchant for being unnecessarily serious.
My most irrational act: When I was a young boy, my friends and I would “bum the ‘L.’ ” We’d sneak past the cashiers and jump on the back of the last coach as it was leaving the station. It still seems irrational, not to mention dangerous.
Most humbling experience: Losing first prize in a Voice of America oratorical contest when I was a high school freshman. Everyone thought I’d win.
The three words that best describe me: Curious, thoughtful and solid.
