LVIV — It’s a sunny summer evening here in Lviv, the café and cobblestones capital of Western Ukraine. But a steady stream of young couples are ducking down a secret archway. They rap once at a solid wooden door, then stand back. The door opens half way to reveal a man in forest green uniform, […]

Many countries have mafias. I’ve reported on gangsters in Colombia, Mexico, and Brazil. I’ve spent time mulling the human landscapes in Sicily and in the United States. In those countries, if credible, outside investigators produce an exhaustive report alleging the theft of nearly $1 billion in government money and the murders of five people, the […]

While many Russians were relaxing at the dacha or lolling on beaches overseas, back home in Moscow the air conditioning was humming around the clock in the Duma building.   After eight weeks of hard work, the parliamentary session ended on Friday — Friday the13th. Indeed, as regards to political freedom, the Duma session looks […]

If you travel overseas this summer, you may board the plane carrying a financial hand grenade in your pocket – your cell phone. Airport security will not detect its explosive power. But you will, when you get home and see your mobile phone bill. On May 2, I flew from Moscow to New York for […]