Jonathan Russo

New York

Political Commentator at Freelance

New Yorker who has worked in media for 35+ years. Java Jag Morning is where I share thoughts on Mid-East, China and Domestic Policy.

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Articles

The Blogs: February 20th Sealed Gaza's Fate

3 weeks 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.
February 20th Sealed Gaza’s Fate - Jonathan Russo

3 weeks ago | qoshe.com | Jonathan Russo
Mux Restaurant: Discovering Authentic Mexican Cuisine in Mexico City

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.
The Blogs: Only a Palestinian Gandhi can save them

Mar 10, 2025 | 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.
What would Karl Marx make of memecoins?

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.
Experience Ocean Racing Aboard the Challenger in the RORC 600

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.
Sports & Entertainment

Jan 27, 2025 | worth.com | Jonathan Russo |Eva Crouse |Mary Pilon |Chidinma Iwu

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The Potlatch Club: A Legendary Hideaway Reborn

Jan 22, 2025 | worth.com | Jonathan Russo |Deborah Grayson

After a short 40-minute flight from Miami, we depart the plane and are struck by the primitive simplicity of the tiny Eleuthera airport, a world away from overdeveloped Florida. We find our baggage on the tarmac and head to customs. We’re in the Bahamas, which have always been a refuge/hideaway for those fleeing something—initially the law. Once known as “The Republic of Pirates,” Nassau, at the turn of the 18th century, had 1,000 brigands…vastly outnumbering the more staid citizens.
Anita Rivera: The Award-Winning Visionary Behind Luxury Yacht Interiors

Jan 13, 2025 | worth.com | Jonathan Russo

Social media and a growing array of design tools have revolutionized interior design, making it more accessible—and, some might argue, a little chaotic. Fortunately for those who specialize in yacht design, the DIY influencers stops short at the gangplank. Owners of yachts worth $25-200 million are not going to experiment with TikTok mood boards.
Europe’s increasingly volatile industrial doom loop

Dec 17, 2024 | thehill.com | Jonathan Russo

France’s civil Maginot Line has just been crossed. The government has essentially fallen. Massive budget deficits, way over European Union limits, forced the Macron government to propose spending cuts to get their deficit below 5 percent of GDP from more than 6 percent. That was, however, enough to unify the hard right and left in opposition. The center is nowhere to be found. France, Europe’s second-largest economy, is now adrift in a sea of uncertainty.