Rob Schmitz

Marketplace’s China correspondent, based in Shanghai

Rob Schmitz appears in the following:

Ukraine could become a candidate to join the EU. Here's what it takes to get in

Wednesday, June 22, 2022

European Union leaders will meet Thursday in Brussels where they are expected to approve Ukraine as a candidate to join the EU — a process that is neither quick nor easy.

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Lithuana urges the world to stand up against Russia

Monday, June 06, 2022

Lithuana has warned its neighbors for years about the dangers posed by Russia. The country is once again calling for the international community to do more to stop Russia.

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European Union leaders agree to ban 90% of Russian oil by the end of 2022

Tuesday, May 31, 2022

The European Union embargo covers only Russian oil brought in by sea — allowing a temporary exemption for imports delivered by pipeline.

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The EU will block most Russian oil imports as Hungary's Orbán fights off a total ban

Monday, May 30, 2022

Pipeline deliveries, which are critical to Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, won't be affected by the ban. The much more complicated issue of Russian natural gas remains unresolved.

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Lithuania has become the 1st European country to stop using Russian gas

Thursday, May 26, 2022

As Russia's war in Ukraine enters its fourth month, European countries are scrambling to wean themselves off of Russian gas. The Baltic nation of Lithuania has become the first to do so.

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After decades of wartime neutrality, Finland now wants to join NATO without delay

Thursday, May 12, 2022

The announcement was widely expected and has broad support in the country: A recent poll showed that about three-quarters of all Finns support joining the military alliance.

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What reproductive rights look like around the world

Monday, May 09, 2022

As the U.S. Supreme Court considers whether to overturn the constitutional right to an abortion, here's a look at abortion rights and access around the world.

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World leaders weighed in on the war in Ukraine on Victory in Europe Day

Monday, May 09, 2022

Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned peace is impossible under Russian dictatorship, saying "freedom and security will win the day, just as freedom and security triumphed over oppression, ... 77 years ago."

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The EU says it plans to ban Russian oil by the end of the year

Wednesday, May 04, 2022

The European Union says it intends to phase out Russian oil in the next few months. This was part of a package of new sanctions the EU announced Wednesday against Russia for its war in Ukraine.

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When this Shanghai building went into COVID lockdown, my WeChat message group blew up

Saturday, April 30, 2022

For nine years, I lived in a giant apartment complex called the Summit with hundreds of other people in the city of Shanghai. Now my old neighbors are entering week six stuck inside.

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In Hanna Bergholm's new horror film, a girl's adolescence is 'Hatching'

Friday, April 29, 2022

NPR's Rob Schmitz talks with Hanna Bergholm, the director of the new horror movie 'Hatching,' in which a girl finds a mysterious egg in the woods and nurtures it until it hatches.

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New book examines the link between German business families and Nazi fortunes

Thursday, April 28, 2022

NPR's Rob Schmitz talks with writer David de Jong about his new book that explores the relationship between Nazism and some of Germany's wealthiest families.

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What an election in Slovenia could mean for Europe

Thursday, April 28, 2022

Slovenia voted last weekend to oust Janez Jansa as their Prime Minister. NPR's Rob Schmitz talks with Judy Dempsey of Carnegie Europe on how that election reflects on European politics.

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2 Shanghai residents share how they've handled the city's lockdown

Thursday, April 28, 2022

NPR's Rob Schmitz speaks with two residents of a housing complex in Shanghai about how they have experienced the city's lockdown — which is approaching its sixth week.

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Trevor Reed came back home, but Paul Whelan is still imprisoned in Russia

Thursday, April 28, 2022

NPR's Rob Schmitz talks with David Whelan about his feelings about the release of Trevor Reese, while his brother Paul remains in a Russian prison on espionage charges.

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Tennis legend Martina Navratilova talks about Wimbledon's ban on Russian players

Wednesday, April 27, 2022

NPR's Rob Schmitz talks with nine-time Wimbledon singles champion Martina Navratilova about why she's upset about Wimbledon's decision to ban Russian tennis players.

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Over 12 years, Mark Emmert helped the NCAA make billions — but what's his legacy?

Wednesday, April 27, 2022

NPR's Rob Schmitz speaks with Nicole Auerbach, a senior writer with the Athletic, about Mark Emmert's announcement he plans to step down after 12 years at the helm of the NCAA.

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A Shanghai resident shares her views on the city's lockdown

Tuesday, April 26, 2022

NPR's Rob Schmitz talks with a former nanny from Shanghai about what life has been like since returning to the city during pandemic restrictions.

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A new documentary focuses on the near-fatal poisoning of Russian opposition leader

Monday, April 25, 2022

NPR's Rob Schmitz talks with Daniel Roher, director of the documentary Navalny, about the poisoning of the Russian opposition leader.

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Viktor Orban claims a 4th term and extends his autocratic rule in Hungary

Monday, April 04, 2022

Hungary's prime minister declared victory in Sunday's national elections — claiming a mandate for a fourth term as a partial vote count predicted a strong lead for his right-wing party.

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