
Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
Rafi Schwartz has worked as a politics writer at The Week since 2022, where he covers elections, Congress and the White House. He was previously a contributing writer with Mic focusing largely on politics, a senior writer with Splinter News, a staff writer for Fusion's news lab, and the managing editor of Heeb Magazine, a Jewish life and culture publication. Rafi's work has appeared in Rolling Stone, GOOD and The Forward, among others. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, with a major in religious studies, and a minor in integrated liberal studies.
Rafi lives in the Twin Cities, where he does not bike, run or take part in any team sports. He does, however, have a variety of interests, hobbies and passions.
Latest articles by Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
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Judge blocks Hegseth from punishing Kelly over video
Speed Read Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed for the senator to be demoted over a video in which he reminds military officials they should refuse illegal orders
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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Greenland’s capital becomes ground zero for the country’s diplomatic straits
IN THE SPOTLIGHT A flurry of new consular activity in Nuuk shows how important Greenland has become to Europeans’ anxiety about American imperialism
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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Bondi, Democrats clash over Epstein in hearing
Speed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi ignored survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and demanded that Democrats apologize to Trump
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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Trump’s fuel blockade puts Cuba in crisis mode
IN THE SPOTLIGHT Plummeting tourism, scrambling airlines and rolling blackouts are pushing Cuban society to the brink
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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US to send 200 troops to Nigeria to train army
Speed Read Trump has accused the West African government of failing to protect Christians from terrorist attacks
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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Maxwell pleads 5th, offers Epstein answers for pardon
Speed Read She offered to talk only if she first received a pardon from President Donald Trump
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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A running list of RFK Jr.'s controversies
In Depth The man atop the Department of Health and Human Services has had no shortage of scandals over the years
By Brigid Kennedy Last updated
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Minnesota's legal system buckles under Trump's ICE surge
IN THE SPOTLIGHT Mass arrests and chaotic administration have pushed Twin Cities courts to the brink as lawyers and judges alike struggle to keep pace with ICE’s activity
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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Trump reclassifies 50,000 federal jobs to ease firings
Speed Read The rule strips longstanding job protections from federal workers
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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What happens now that the US-Russia nuclear treaty is expiring?
TODAY’S BIG QUESTION Weapons experts worry that the end of the New START treaty marks the beginning of a 21st-century atomic arms race
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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Supreme Court upholds California gerrymander
Speed Read The emergency docket order had no dissents from the court
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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Trump demands $1B from Harvard, deepening feud
Speed Read Trump has continually gone after the university during his second term
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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ICE’s facial scanning is the tip of the surveillance iceberg
IN THE SPOTLIGHT Federal troops are increasingly turning to high-tech tracking tools that push the boundaries of personal privacy
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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Trump's ‘weaponization czar’ demoted at DOJ
Speed Read Ed Martin lost his title as assistant attorney general
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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Democrats pledge Noem impeachment if not fired
Speed Read Trump is publicly defending the Homeland Security secretary
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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Grok in the crosshairs as EU launches deepfake porn probe
IN THE SPOTLIGHT The European Union has officially begun investigating Elon Musk’s proprietary AI, as regulators zero in on Grok’s porn problem and its impact continent-wide
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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Israel retrieves final hostage’s body from Gaza
Speed Read The 24-year-old police officer was killed during the initial Hamas attack
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ comes into confounding focus
In the Spotlight What began as a plan to redevelop the Gaza Strip is quickly emerging as a new lever of global power for a president intent on upending the standing world order
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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Trump sues JPMorgan for $5B over ‘debanking’
Speed Read Trump accused the company of closing his accounts for political reasons
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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Trump backs off Greenland threats, declares ‘deal’
Speed Read Trump and NATO have ‘formed the framework for a future deal,’ the president claimed
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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Washington grapples with ICE’s growing footprint — and future
TALKING POINTS The deadly provocations of federal officers in Minnesota have put ICE back in the national spotlight
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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Halligan quits US attorney role amid court pressure
Speed Read Halligan’s position had already been considered vacant by at least one judge
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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Dozens charged in NCAA game-rigging case
Speed Read The schemes allegedly involved fixers who paid $10,000 to $30,000 for each rigged game
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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How realistic is the Democratic plan to retake the Senate this year?
TODAY’S BIG QUESTION Schumer is growing bullish on his party’s odds in November — is it typical partisan optimism, or something more?
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
TODAY’S BIG QUESTION
