Lawrence Lease
Bio
Alaska born and bred, Washington DC is my home. I'm also a freelance writer. Love politics and history.
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Stories (304)
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Ukraine Invasion: The Rise and Fall of the Wagner Group Rebellion
As the invasion of Ukraine continues, Putin's Kremlin funded paramilitary group, the Wagner Group shocked many when they marched on Moscow from June 23 to 24, 2023. They stopped short of the capital with their tanks and soldiers in the streets occupying a Russian military base. Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin raised the white flag as the attempted rebellion ended.
By Lawrence Lease3 months ago in FYI
The Real Project X: How a 16-Year-Old’s Facebook Invite Sparked a Riot in the Netherlands
It all started as an innocent idea: throwing a 16th-birthday party and invite just a few friends. However, by the night of September 21, 2012, the small Dutch town of Haren was overrun by thousands of teenagers, riot police, water cannons, and flaming debris. Streets were left vandalized, cars torched, and stores looted. All because a 16-year-old girl forgot to mark her Facebook event invitation as "private."
By Lawrence Lease3 months ago in Geeks
A Tale of Two Futures: What Hong Kong’s Fate Teaches Taiwan About Survival
In a world overflowing with geopolitical gray zones, no place embodies that ambiguity more profoundly than Taiwan — an island that has been tugged, traded, and ruled by competing empires for centuries. Today, it stands as a vibrant self-governing democracy caught between its own lived identity and the narrative Beijing desperately wants the world to adopt. Put less poetically: Xi Jinping really wants to control Taiwan. And most Taiwanese want absolutely nothing to do with that plan.
By Lawrence Lease3 months ago in History
Inside China’s Military Purge: Power, Paranoia, and the Future of the PLA
When Beijing ousts nine top generals in a single sweep, the world pays attention. That’s exactly what happened on October 17, when China’s Ministry of Defense quietly dropped a political thunderbolt: nine high-ranking generals—some of them among the most powerful military officials in the nation—were expelled from both the armed forces and the Chinese Communist Party.
By Lawrence Lease3 months ago in The Swamp
The Chicago White Sox: MLB's Biggest Sleeping Giant
Chicago is a metropolis that breathes sports the way other cities breathe exhaust or ocean air. Walk through any neighborhood and you can feel the gravitational pull of its franchises. The Cubs are a national pastime unto themselves. The Bears carry a mythology older than most stadiums. The Bulls are still immortalized in murals and bar chatter, even decades after Jordan’s last dance. The Blackhawks have a history that traces back to the Original Six, cemented in grit, tradition, and a fan culture all their own.
By Lawrence Lease3 months ago in FYI
Unwrapping Christmas: From Ancient Festivals to Modern Celebrations
Christmas, with its glittering lights and festive spirit, is a celebration deeply embedded in history, evolving from pagan roots to a major Christian holiday and a global cultural phenomenon. This journey through time reveals how a simple date on the calendar has become the centerpiece of winter celebrations around the world, marked by unique traditions and a spirit of goodwill. Let's delve into the rich tapestry of Christmas, exploring how it has transformed and what it signifies across different cultures.
By Lawrence Lease3 months ago in FYI
Pumpkin Pie vs. Pecan Pie: The Great Thanksgiving Dessert Debate
Thanksgiving always seems to come with at least one friendly argument. Some families go all-in on the stuffing-versus-dressing divide. Others spar over canned cranberry versus homemade. But the debate that quietly simmers beneath it all — the one we pretend isn’t serious but absolutely is — is the dessert showdown between pumpkin pie and pecan pie.
By Lawrence Lease3 months ago in FYI
Southeast Asia is Inching Towards BRICS
In January 2025, Indonesia made its move and stepped into BRICS, the club of heavyweight emerging economies led by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Not long after, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam came aboard as partner countries. Now Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos are hovering near the door, trying to decide if they want to follow. If they all go for it, seven of ASEAN’s ten members will have ties to BRICS — a big shift for a region that’s spent decades insisting it wouldn’t pick a side in the tug-of-war between Washington and Beijing.
By Lawrence Lease3 months ago in The Swamp
A Nation Pauses: Remembering the JFK Assassination on Its Anniversary
Every November, an old film clip resurfaces on television screens and social feeds: a smiling President John F. Kennedy riding through downtown Dallas, his motorcade gliding past crowds who had waited hours just to catch a glimpse of him. Sunlight flashes off the polished cars, Jackie Kennedy sits beside him in her now-iconic pink suit, and for a moment the scene looks almost cinematic. The early shots of that day feel warm, almost hopeful — a popular young president visiting a major American city on a campaign-style trip.
By Lawrence Lease3 months ago in History
MLB’s Reported $1.8 Billion Loss: What’s Really Going On Behind the Numbers?
Trying to make sense of Major League Baseball’s financial picture has always felt a bit like staring through frosted glass. You can make out some shapes — payroll numbers, attendance figures, national TV contracts — but the actual contours are hidden. Teams aren’t public companies, so they have no obligation to show their books. They reveal what they want, when they want, usually because it benefits them to do so.
By Lawrence Lease3 months ago in Cleats
