Jonathan Russo

3 days ago | blogs.timesofisrael.com | Jonathan Russo

Some dates that change the trajectory of the world are definitive. June 28th, the day Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated, and WWI followed soon after. December 7th, 1941, the day Pearl Harbor was attacked, and WWII began. Sometimes a day changes the course of history yet passes below the threshold of a definitive, quantifiable one. That day for Israel and the Palestinians in Gaza was February 20th, 2025.

2 months ago | worth.com | Deborah Grayson |Jonathan Russo

We consider ourselves mole aficionados. Few sauces can beat them as a topping for chicken or enchiladas. Decades ago, we went so far as to make a pilgrimage to Oaxaca, not just to see the Colonial city and visit the nearby Zapotec ruins but also to sample and feast on the local moles. So, on a recent trip to Mexico City (CDMX), we searched for an authentic rendition and found it at Mux Restaurant in the revitalized hipster neighborhood of Roma Norte.

2 months ago | blogs.timesofisrael.com | Jonathan Russo

I have spent the last two weeks in Israel, my 20th trip over 60 years. The country has changed. The trauma of the Hamas attack of 10/7 is ongoing and hostages are still in barbaric captivity. From merchants to ex-military leaders and global businesspeople, there is a deeply held belief that the Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank are holding onto their long-held belief in the destruction of the Israeli state and to their right of return to Israel proper.

Jan 29, 2025 | thehill.com | Jonathan Russo

The term “late-stage capitalism” has lately been on everyone’s lips. I hear the description from friends concerned with economics and a very hip, tattooed Brooklynite who sold me a pair of vintage jeans. Late-stage capitalism now appears to be a default answer to every headline calamity. Medical insurance crisis? Late-stage capitalism. Violent right-wing blue-collar workers for Trump? Late-stage capitalism. The rise of Silicon Valley bros taking over the world? Late-stage capitalism.

Jan 27, 2025 | worth.com | Jonathan Russo

We have been sailing hard for 24 hours, pounding into 6-foot seas. The 15 strangers aboard Challenger, a 60-foot ocean racer, are simultaneously tired and transfixed. Tired, because we have been keeping watches (sleeping and working in alternating three-hour shifts) and because the boat’s relentless crashing and shaking makes keeping one’s balance nearly impossible.