The Counteroffensive with Tim Mak | Substack

The H1-B Worker Visa and Me

The immigration pathway that brought me into America is now effectively closed, with a legally-dubious $100K fee added by the Trump administration.

Sep 24 • Tim Mak

How a Chinese pirate’s son muddled Taiwanese identity

In 1661, the first Chinese general seized Taiwan, replacing its inhabitants with his army’s descendants. Now, his legacy is used to support the Chinese…

Sep 22 • Elaine Lin

'Kukly': Putin's version of Jimmy Kimmel

In 2002, Putin shut down a puppet program. We're joined by fmr. U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul to talk about why; the Russian societal…

Sep 20 • Tim Mak

1:01:43

Why Putin and Belarus Banned This Theater

From secret shows in Minsk garages to exile abroad, the Belarus Free Theatre has defied Lukashenko and Putin through its storytelling.

Sep 16 • Clara Preve

BONUS: Inside Our Editorial Meeting! (and Tim speaks Ukrainian)

We often invite visitors to our daily editorial meeting, where we discuss world events & brainstorm ideas. Today, we're reviewing our AI/journalism…

Sep 14 • Tim Mak

50:47

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Gen Z rage turns to uprooting governments

Serbia & Nepal, divided by thousands of miles, have watched young people mobilize to build a better future. Gen Z doesn’t need leaders: they’re united…

Sep 13 • Anastasiia Kryvoruchenko and Tania Novakivska

Hypocrisy behind a Ukrainian refugee’s murder

A 23-year-old Ukrainian woman was killed in North Carolina. Now her murder has become exploited and politicized by people who don’t care about Ukrainian…

Sep 10 • Mariana Lastovyria and Tim Mak

NEWSFLASH: Poland shoots down Russian drones

In an unprecedented move, the Polish military says it shot down Russian drones which violated its airspace.

Sep 10 • Tim Mak

One month since Trump’s meaningless deadline

Families across the country are left with grief so strong “as if you can touch it with your fingers,” said Liudmyla. Why many Ukrainians have started…

Sep 8 • Tania Novakivska

How war made me hooked on adrenaline

The constant danger in Ukraine has led many to seek out experiences that replicate a rush. To understand why, Mariana jumped off a bridge (with a bungee…

Sep 6 • Mariana Lastovyria

Not even the flamingos can have peace

Russian drones terrorize Ukraine’s immigrant pink flamingos, forcing them to abandon their eggs. Nearly 1,000 have died in Odesa’s estuaries since 2023.

Sep 4 • Artem Moskalenko

How authoritarians can cut the global internet

As underwater cables snap in contested waters, suspicion falls on Moscow and Beijing, turning the oceans and seas into a new front of global conflict.

Sep 2 • Veronika Romanova