The attack came in the form of a Saturday evening newscast from Moscow. It would take days before the German government realized what was happening, but by that time the damage was already done.
The Newsfeed
Stuff happens. Some people call it news. Others see it as entertainment. And many think they’re better off not knowing about it in the first place.
I’m a journalist not for the sake of the news but because of my interest in history. I can’t go back in time, but I can try to be there when history
happens today. The Newsfeed is my first take on anything and everything.
The Syrian Connection
Long before anyone had heard of Islamic State, Vladimir Putin was keenly following Syria’s descent into anarchy and violence. Bashar al-Assad’s fate means so much to Putin because he sees in it an apocalyptic vision of his own future. Read here how that connection was clear more than three years ago.
Refugees Without Borders
The Berlin Wall was built to keep East Germans from seeking a freer, better life in the West. It fell 28 years later when the flow of refugees became too strong to stem.
No wall can save Europe in a globalized world. A commitment to liberty and humanity will.
Assassination in Moscow
The murder of Boris Nemtsov is a watershed for Russia. The culture of violence fueled by the war in Ukraine has claimed its first victim on the streets of Moscow.
Nemtsov tirelessly challenged lies, injustice, and war. His assassination is an attack on freedom-loving people everywhere.
1989 Redux
Twenty-five years ago, a wave of freedom swept across the Soviet empire, bringing down the Iron Curtain and uniting Europe. Today, the struggle for Ukraine is the last, belated battle of the Velvet Revolution.
Click to read my dispatches for Slate, Newsweek, BuzzFeed and Zeit Online (in German).
Ukraine on the Brink
It sounds like a vacuous Hollywood thriller: after police massacre protesters, a despised leader flees to a passive-aggressive ally who sends his army into the leaderless country. That’s reality in Ukraine today.
Click to read my dispatches for Slate, BuzzFeed and Zeit Online (in German).
Potemkin Olympic Village
The world is looking to Sochi, a Soviet resort that Vladimir Putin dreams of turning into a cross between St. Moritz and Saint-Tropez.
I got an inside look during numerous reporting trips. My blog-memoir is now being published here, on Medium.com.
Battleground Ukraine
In Moscow, all eyes are on Kiev. For the Kremlin, the protests are a nightmare vision of the future. For the liberal middle class, a glimmer of hope for self-emancipation.
Everyone understands: change in Russia begins in Ukraine.
Medium, Well Done
Medium.com is the latest thing in blogging: democratic, chaotic and very uneven.
What I like best about it is its responsive, clean design. I like it so much that I’m reposting my entire Grozny blog on it.
Click/tap here to view.
Tragedy in Volgograd
Two suicide bombings in two days. Naked terror. Once again, all hands point to the North Caucasus, home to Russia’s overlooked Islamic insurgency.
Two years ago I traveled to the region to find the roots of the conflict. You can read about my trip in the Gonzo Goes to Grozny blog.
