Project Type: Writing
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Why China-Taiwan Relations Are So Tense
Published on CFR.org and frequently updated. Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China (ROC), is an island separated from China by the Taiwan Strait. It has been governed independently of mainland China, officially the People’s Republic of China (PRC), since 1949. The PRC views the island as a renegade province and vows to eventually…
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Hong Kong’s Freedoms: What China Promised and How It’s Cracking Down
Published on CFR.org and frequently updated. China pledged to preserve much of what makes Hong Kong unique when the former British colony was handed over more than two decades ago. Beijing said it would give Hong Kong fifty years to keep its capitalist system and enjoy many freedoms not found in mainland Chinese cities. But…
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China’s Repression of Uyghurs in Xinjiang
Explainer originally published on CFR.org in Spring 2019. Frequently updated. The Chinese government has reportedly detained more than a million Muslims in reeducation camps. Most of the people who have been arbitrarily detained are Uyghur, a predominantly Turkic-speaking ethnic group primarily from China’s northwestern region of Xinjiang. Human rights organizations, UN officials, and many foreign…
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How Countries Are Holding Elections During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Backgrounder published on CFR.org. September 2020. The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted hundreds of elections scheduled in 2020. While more than sixty countries postponed voting, dozens of others, including Burundi, France, and South Korea, went forward with their elections. These countries took various steps to reduce the risk of voters and election officials contracting the new coronavirus disease,…
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India’s Muslims: An Increasingly Marginalized Population
Backgrounder published on CFR.org. August 2020. India is home to some two hundred million Muslims, one of the world’s largest Muslim populations but a minority in the predominately Hindu country. Since India’s independence, Muslims have faced systematic discrimination, prejudice, and violence, despite constitutional protections. Experts say anti-Muslim sentiments have heightened under the leadership of Prime…
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The Japanese Emperor’s Role in Foreign Policy
In Brief published on CFR.org in February 2019. Despite strict limits on his political power, Japan’s emperor serves an important diplomatic role. Emperor Akihito has worked to repair relations with Japan’s former wartime adversaries. Once he takes over the throne in May, Akihito’s son, Crown Prince Naruhito, is expected to promote diversity in Japan and…
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U.S.-Taliban Peace Deal: What to Know
Explainer published on CFR.org in Winter 2020. After more than eighteen years of war in Afghanistan, the United States and the Taliban reached an agreement in what were both sides’ most intensive efforts yet to end the war. Central to the deal is a significant drawdown of U.S. troops and guarantees from the Taliban that the…
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Virtual reality installation lets you walk in immigrants’ footsteps for 6 minutes
Published on 38 TEGNA websites. Main video shot and edited by me. Summer 2018. Hector Perez has crossed the U.S.-Mexico border twice. The first time, he was in his mother’s womb as she journeyed from Guatemala, through Mexico and finally to the U.S. Fifteen years later, Perez crossed again — virtually. After removing his shoes…
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Why federal law hasn’t stopped online ticket scalpers from cheating
Published on 38 TEGNA websites. Video shot and edited by me. Summer 2018. Sold out. Music fans trying to score tickets to concerts online are seeing those dreaded words more and more. But even worse is seeing those tickets marked up to three times the price on resale websites. Frustrated fans can blame scalpers who…
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A South Korean journalist explains why her country isn’t panicking
Published on Vox.com when I interned with their Foreign team in Summer 2017. Americans are afraid of war with North Korea, even though the United States probably wouldn’t be the first target if North Korea were to attack. South Korea is a different story. Seoul’s 25.6 million residents are in direct firing range of thousands of pieces of North…
Lindsay Maizland 