Our picksWhich houses survived wildfire?; outsourcing of U.S. border control; Russia and China outwitting America, and more

Trump’s border obsession is courting disaster (Davod A. Graham, The Atlantic)
The president’s single-minded focus on immigration is shortchanging Homeland Security’s other crucial functions, from election security to emergency response.

Want border security? Drop the wall and welcome more immigrants (Josh T. Smith and Hane Crevelari. Washington Examiner)

One chart shows the unprecedented turmoil at Homeland Security (Ross Gianfortune, Govexec)
“On the surface of it, there was no preparation [for the upheaval] and that has consequences,” Max Stier, president of the Partnership for Public Service, told Government Executive.“It will trickle out all the way throughout the organization.”
The chart below shows the offices with vacant or acting leaders (red type), filled positions (blue background) and those for which leadership vacancies reportedly are imminent (yellow background).

Which houses survived wildfire? Often, those built to code (Dale Kasler And Phillip Reese, AP)
The arc of destruction the Camp Fire carved through Paradise was seemingly random: Why were some houses saved and others incinerated? As millions of Californians brace for another wildfire season, a McClatchy analysis of fire and property records shows the answer might be found in something as simple as the roofs over their heads—and the year their house was built.

How flying cars could help in the fight against climate change (Leila Miller, Los Angeles Times)
Have you ever been stuck in traffic and wished you could zoom above the gridlock in a flying car? A new study predicts these futuristic vehicles could be good for your commute and good for the environment — as long as they’re used on long-distance trips with several carpool buddies.

A case study in the outsourcing of U.S. border control (Caitlyn Yates, Lawfare)
Over the past year, the Trump administration has put forth an array of measures to deter immigration to the United States, including separating families, enacting a zero-tolerance stance toward irregular crossings, and—most recently—requiring asylum seekers to remain in Mexico while awaiting their asylum claim decisions. Despite these efforts, in February 2019, apprehension numbers from the United States’s southern border hit their highest levels in 10 years. The administration’s ongoing frustration with the ineffectiveness of its domestic migration policies has pushed its focus southward, with President Trump slashing foreign aid for El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras after accusing the governments of all three countries—and Mexico—of not doing enough to stem migration. (Cont.)