
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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Kabul braces for a waterless future
THE EXPLAINER A confluence of manmade and environmental factors makes the Afghan city the first modern capital to risk running out of groundwater
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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Anti-trans scandal roils major LGBTQ+ literary prize as authors withdraw en masse
in the spotlight Multiple nominees for the UK's premier queer writing award have removed themselves from contention to protest the inclusion of a self-proclaimed 'trans-exclusionary radical feminist' in their ranks
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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Israeli security cabinet OKs Gaza City takeover
Speed Read Netanyahu approved a proposal for Israeli Defense Forces to take over the largest population center in the Gaza Strip
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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JD Vance steps into the spotlight as MAGA heir apparent
IN THE SPOTLIGHT The vice president is taking an increasingly proactive role in a MAGA movement roiled by scandal and anxious about a post-Trump future
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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Tesla's $29 billion Musk-centric gamble
IN THE SPOTLIGHT With sales slumping and its reputation battered, the EV automaker is betting big that its future depends on keeping mercurial CEO Elon Musk happy — and wealthy
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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Cracks appear in MAGA's pro-Israel front
IN THE SPOTLIGHT As the world watches a humanitarian crisis unfold across Gaza, some of Israel's most staunchly conservative defenders have begun speaking out against its actions in the occupied territories
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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Israeli NGOs have started referring to Gaza as a 'genocide' — will it matter?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION For the first time since fighting began in 2023, two Israeli rights groups have described their country's actions in the Gaza Strip as 'genocide' while famine threatens the blockaded Palestinian territory
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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At least 12 dead in Thai-Cambodian clashes
Speed Read Both countries accused the other of firing first
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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Why are Ukraine's anti-corruption issues roaring back into focus now?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION A new bill curbing anti-corruption bodies prompted Ukraine's first mass protests against President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in years. Where are the roots of this domestic unrest, and what could it mean for Ukraine's future?
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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The lead paint poisoning scandal rocking China
IN THE SPOTLIGHT Sick schoolchildren and allegations of a cover-up have pushed China's public safety concerns back into the public eye
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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28 nations condemn Israel's 'inhumane killing' in Gaza
Speed Read Countries including Australia, France, Japan and the U.K. have released a joint statement condemning Israel's ongoing attacks
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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Gavin Newsom mulls California redistricting to counter Texas gerrymandering
TALKING POINTS A controversial plan has become a major flashpoint among Democrats struggling for traction in the Trump era
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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Trump uses tariffs to upend Brazil's domestic politics
IN THE SPOTLIGHT By slapping a 50% tariff on Brazil for its criminal investigation into Bolsonaro, the Trump administration is brazenly putting its fingers on the scales of a key foreign election
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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'Immigrant' Superman film raises hackles on the right
TALKING POINT Director James Gunn's comments about the iconic superhero's origins and values have rankled conservatives who embrace the Trump administration's strict anti-immigrant agenda
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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X CEO Yaccarino quits after two years
Speed Read Elon Musk hired Linda Yaccarino to run X in 2023
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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The New York Times plays defense after publishing leaked Mamdani college application details
IN THE SPOTLIGHT The decision to publish details of Zohran Mamdani's Columbia University application has reignited simmering questions about sourcing and editorial guidelines
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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New tariffs set on 14 trading partners
Speed Read A new slate of tariffs will begin August 1 on imports from Japan, South Korea, Thailand and more
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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Some mainstream Democrats struggle with Zohran Mamdani's surprise win
TALKING POINT To embrace or not embrace? A party in transition grapples with a rising star ready to buck political norms and energize a new generation.
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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Trump embraces NATO after budget vow, charm offensive
Speed Read The president reversed course on his longstanding skepticism of the trans-Atlantic military alliance
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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Trump says Iran and Israel agreed to ceasefire
Speed Read This followed a night of Israeli airstrikes on Tehran and multiple waves of missiles fired by Iran
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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After Israel's brazen Iran attack, what's next for the region and the world?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION Following decades of saber-rattling, Israel's aerial assault on Iranian military targets has pushed the Middle East to the brink of all-out war
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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Trump's LA deployment in limbo after court rulings
Speed Read Judge Breyer ruled that Trump's National Guard deployment to Los Angeles was an 'illegal' overreach. But a federal appellate court halted the ruling.
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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Trump's LA immigration showdown casts shadow over upcoming World Cup
IN THE SPOTLIGHT Amid a massive anti-immigrant detention push, analysts have begun to worry about the United States' plan to host one of the world's biggest athletic events
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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Disney, Universal sue AI firm over 'plagiarism'
Speed Read The studios say that Midjourney copied characters from their most famous franchises
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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