
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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Calls for both calm and consequences follow Kirk killing
TALKING POINTS The suspected assassination of far-right activist Charlie Kirk has some public figures pleading for restraint, while others agitate for violent reprisals
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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NASA reveals ‘clearest sign of life’ on Mars yet
Speed Read The evidence came in the form of a rock sample collected on the planet
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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Israel targets Hamas leaders in Qatar airstrike
Speed Read Hamas said five low-level leaders were killed in the attack
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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Why Gen Z in Nepal is dying over a state social media ban
IN THE SPOTLIGHT A crackdown on digital platforms has pushed younger Nepalis into increasingly violent clashes with government forces
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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Why are Trump's health rumors about more than just presidential fitness?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION Extended absences and unexplained bruises have raised concerns about both his well-being and his administration's transparency
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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Florida wages crosswalk war on public displays of pride
IN THE SPOTLIGHT Gov. Ron DeSantis' campaign comes for colorful crosswalks, as Florida residents engage in guerrilla graffiti as a form of resistance
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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Trump reignites Jan. 6 furor by awarding military honors to killed rioter
IN THE SPOTLIGHT With military funeral honors for Ashli Babbitt, the president makes good on campaign promises designed to animate his political base while relitigating history
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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UN votes to end Lebanon peacekeeping mission
Speed Read The Trump administration considers the UN's Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to be a 'waste of money'
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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Delhi's dogs earn Supreme Court reprieve
IN THE SPOTLIGHT After an outcry from the public and animal rights activists, India's Supreme Court walks back a controversial plan to round the city's stray dog population into shelters
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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Israel starts Gaza assault, approves West Bank plan
Speed Read Israel forces pushed into the outskirts of Gaza City and Netanyahu's government gave approval for a settlement to cut the occupied Palestinian territory in two
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
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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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