Robert Walzer

New York

News Editor at The Wall Street Journal

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Articles

Macario Martinez Went to Bed a Street Sweeper. He Woke Up a National Celebrity.

2 weeks ago | wsj.com | Robert Walzer

April 28, 2025 5:30 am ETUntil recently, Macario Martínez was one of the thousands of fluorescent-green uniformed street sweepers in Mexico City, toiling with their long-bristled brushes in 8-hour shifts for about $10 a day. Then came the video. Copyright ©2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
The race is on to save beloved salamanders

1 month ago | elpasoinc.com | Robert Walzer

XOCHIMILCO, Mexico—A homely aquatic salamander with a cartoonish smile and the ability to regenerate lost body parts has become a global phenomenon, appearing as characters in Minecraft, Fortnite and Pokémon and inspiring a McDonald’s Happy Meal toy. Where the axolotl can barely be found: in its natural habitat in Mexico.
The Race to Save the Axolotl, a Salamander Whose Image Spawned a Global Cottage Industry

1 month ago | wsj.com | Robert Walzer

XOCHIMILCO, Mexico—A homely aquatic salamander with a cartoonish smile and the ability to regenerate lost body parts has become a global phenomenon, appearing as characters in Minecraft, Fortnite and Pokémon and inspiring a McDonald’s Happy Meal toy. Where the axolotl can barely be found: in its natural habitat in Mexico.
The Race to Save the Axolotl, a Salamander Whose Image Spawned a Global Cottage Industry

1 month ago | wsj.com | Robert Walzer

The axolotl (pronounced ah-SHO-lohtl) is hurtling toward extinction, just as it becomes globally familiar with a cottage industry using its image to sell beer, T-shirts and videogames. Scientists estimate that no more than 1,000—and perhaps as few as 50—are left in the wild in their last natural habitat, a Venice-like system of canals and islands built by the Aztecs that still exists in the Mexico City borough of Xochimilco.
Forget Italy. Why Albania Should Be Smart Travelers’ Next Stop.

Nov 22, 2024 | msn.com | Robert Walzer

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Forget Italy. Why Albania Should Be Smart Travelers’ Next Stop.

Nov 22, 2024 | wsj.com | Robert Walzer

Once a year, a pal and I plan a bike trip—a gambit that both scratches our itch for cycling adventure and lets us explore a new corner of the globe at ground level. Committed bon vivants, we’ve managed to hit some of the usual suspects like France and Spain, and some less-usual ones, like Ethiopia. Still, when my friend suggested this year’s destination—Albania—my eyebrows shot up. I recovered quickly.