Rob Schmitz
NPR
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Past articles by Rob:
Banned Books: Author Ashley Hope Pérez on finding humanity in the 'darkness'
Ashley Hope Pérez published Out of Darkness in 2015 to critical acclaim. The novel re-contextualized contemporary issues of race providing a historical framework in a not-so-post-racial America. → Read More
Scholz and Xi agree Russia would cross a line with nuclear weapons in Ukraine
After a meeting with Xi in Beijing, Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the two leaders agreed that with the use of nuclear weapons, Russia would cross a line drawn by the international community. → Read More
Seismologists suspect explosions damaged undersea pipelines that carry Russian gas
The events on Monday in the Baltic Sea resembled blasts from depth charges or mines, according to a Swedish researcher. They caused major leaks from the inactive Nord Stream pipelines. → Read More
Amid an energy crisis, Germany turns to the world's dirtiest fossil fuel
Coal-fired power plants across Germany were scheduled to be shut down by the end of the year. But with Russia cutting gas deliveries, Germany is turning to coal. → Read More
He was so fast, he had time to celebrate long before the second-place runner arrived
Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge broke his own world record at the Berlin Marathon. He hugged his trainer, posed for photos and waved his country's flag before the next runner crossed the finish line. → Read More
Five Fingers Crush the Land (2021)
Over one million Uyghur people have been detained in camps in China, according to estimates, subjected to torture, forced labor, religious restrictions, and even forced sterilization. Last month, the United Nations released a report saying that China's treatment of Uyghurs could be considered "crimes against humanity." The vast majority of this minority ethnic group is Muslim, living for… → Read More
Struggling with its past, Germany's 1,000-year-old choir admits girls for the 1st time
Since its founding over 1,000 years ago, this Catholic music school and song group in Regensburg, Germany, has been boys only. Until now. → Read More
After decades of wartime neutrality, Finland now wants to join NATO without delay
The announcement was widely expected and has broad support in the country: A recent poll showed that about three-quarters of all Finns support joining the military alliance. → Read More
World leaders weighed in on the war in Ukraine on Victory in Europe Day
Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned peace is impossible under Russian dictatorship, saying "freedom and security will win the day, just as freedom and security triumphed over oppression, ... 77 years ago." → Read More
When this Shanghai building went into COVID lockdown, my WeChat message group blew up
For nine years, I lived in a giant apartment complex called the Summit with hundreds of other people in the city of Shanghai. Now my old neighbors are entering week six stuck inside. → Read More
With war on its doorstep, Germany plans a major military buildup
Chancellor Olaf Scholz's plan to boost defense spending could remake Germany's beleaguered military into the strongest armed forces in Europe — an idea that has met resistance in the past. → Read More
What you need to know about Germany's new chancellor and coalition government
Social Democratic politician Olaf Scholz takes over from center-right Angela Merkel as chancellor to lead a coalition of three different parties in government. → Read More
Here's what it's like for migrants trapped between Belarus and Poland
Thousands of migrants are camped along the border of Belarus and Poland, trapped between the countries. EU officials accuse Belarus of luring them across the border. → Read More
The EU accuses Belarus of luring global migrants into other European countries
Poland has stopped some 16,000 migrants crossing its border from Belarus since August, and accuses Belarus' authoritarian regime of facilitating illegal migration into the European Union. → Read More
Smaller, Younger Parties Will Likely Determine Who Runs Germany's Next Government
It will likely take three parties to form a government. Two smaller parties — an environmentalist, progressive party and a libertarian party — appear to be banding together to call the shots. → Read More
Early Results Show The German Election Is Too Close To Call
Germany's two largest parties have emerged from Sunday's election in what amounts to a dead heat, according to preliminary results. → Read More
Germans Will Choose A New Government As Angela Merkel Steps Down As Chancellor
Sunday's federal election will determine who will follow Merkel, who has served as Germany's chancellor for 16 years. The country's next government is expected to be a coalition of three parties. → Read More
As Germany's Merkel Steps Down, Those Who Guided Her Into Politics Remember Her
On Sunday, German voters will choose a successor to Angela Merkel, who is stepping down as chancellor after 16 years. Some of her earliest supporters recall the day in 1990 when they first met her. → Read More
This Is The Candidate To Beat In The Race To Become Germany's Next Leader
Social Democratic Party leader Olaf Scholz, the front-runner in the polls to succeed German Chancellor Angela Merkel, is credited for transforming Hamburg when he was the city's mayor. → Read More
The U.S. Air Base At The Heart Of America's Biggest Airlift
Here's what it's like at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, where many of the tens of thousands of Afghans evacuated from Kabul over the past few weeks are awaiting travel to the United States. → Read More