Carol Schaeffer

@ThenCarolSaid

Carol Schaeffer is a journalist based in New York. She was a 2019–20 Fulbright Scholar in Berlin, Germany, where she reported on the far right. She has written for Smithsonian Magazine, ProPublica, The Atlantic, and other publications.

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks on a panel on populism at the 62nd Munich Security Conference on February 13, 2026, in Munich, Germany.

The Munich Security Conference Marks the End of the US-Led Order The Munich Security Conference Marks the End of the US-Led Order

US politicians flooded the summit—but Europe no longer sees the United States as a reliable partner.

Feb 17, 2026 / Carol Schaeffer

How Heidi Reichinnek Saved Germany’s Left

How Heidi Reichinnek Saved Germany’s Left How Heidi Reichinnek Saved Germany’s Left

The co-leader of Die Linke helped rescue the party and make it into a political force. But can she beat back Germany’s ascendant far right?

Feb 12, 2026 / Feature / Carol Schaeffer

A man carries electronic waste at Agbogbloshie dumpsite in Ghanaian capital of Accra, 2017.

Want to Understand Global Inequality? Visit the Dump. Want to Understand Global Inequality? Visit the Dump.

Alexander Clapp’s Waste Wars, a world-spanning inquiry into the politics of garbage, makes a case that everything that is wrong with capitalism is embodied in our trash.

Jul 23, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Carol Schaeffer

President Donald Trump arrives for a NATO Summit dinner at Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague, Netherlands, on June 24, 2025.

NATO Rolls Out the Red Carpet for Trump, the President Who Would Be King NATO Rolls Out the Red Carpet for Trump, the President Who Would Be King

The NATO secretary general had one mission: Keep Trump happy. And to keep Trump happy, you sacrifice your dignity and play the vassal.

Jun 27, 2025 / Carol Schaeffer

Man with a microphone stands onstage as he speaks.

The Far Right Just Made Terrifying New Gains in Germany The Far Right Just Made Terrifying New Gains in Germany

One lesson from an Alternative für Deutschland rally and this weekend’s election results: The Cold War never ended.

Feb 24, 2025 / Carol Schaeffer

Mourners hug in front of a makeshift memorial of flowers and candles for the victims of a car-ramming attack on a Christmas market in Magdeburg, eastern Germany, on December 23, 2024.

A Far-Right Attacker Kills 5 in a Christmas Market. The German Far Right Takes Advantage. A Far-Right Attacker Kills 5 in a Christmas Market. The German Far Right Takes Advantage.

The eastern German city of Magdeburg mourns as the Alternative für Deutschland party sees an opportunity after one of its supporters plowed into a fairy-tale Christmas market.

Dec 23, 2024 / Carol Schaeffer

Activists protest against fossil fuels and for climate finance at the COP29 Climate Conference on November 22, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The “Worst COP” Concludes With a “Heartbreaking” Climate-Finance Deal The “Worst COP” Concludes With a “Heartbreaking” Climate-Finance Deal

Activists say the climate agreement effectively signed away the 1.5-degree Celsius target—”our only real chance to safeguard humanity’s future.”

Nov 27, 2024 / Carol Schaeffer

Activists, including one holding a piece of paper with “Pay Up!” written on it, in reference to demands for climate finance for developing countries, arrive to attend the “People’s Plenary on day 10 at the UNFCCC COP29 Climate Conference on November 21, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Rich Countries Must Pay Up or Humanity Will Pay the Price Rich Countries Must Pay Up or Humanity Will Pay the Price

The climate activist Lidy Nacpil says the climate bill owed to developing nations is in the “trillions, not billions.”

Nov 25, 2024 / Q&A / Carol Schaeffer

Participants walk and network in front of the main entrance during the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP29 at Baku Olympic Stadium in Baku, Azerbaijan, on November 14.

The “Dark Joke” of Having a Climate Summit in Azerbaijan The “Dark Joke” of Having a Climate Summit in Azerbaijan

COP29 in Baku reveals the contradictions of having climate negotiations in a petro-state.

Nov 19, 2024 / Carol Schaeffer

American flags on a makeshift memorial honor Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers killed in action on Independence Square in Kyiv, Ukraine, on November 5, 2024.

Behind Closed Doors, Ukraine Anxiously Watched the US Election Unfold Behind Closed Doors, Ukraine Anxiously Watched the US Election Unfold

Ukrainian officials maintain an optimistic, bipartisan approach to the US, but in private, many Ukrainians are pessimistic about an increasingly bleak war and the US role in it.

Nov 7, 2024 / Carol Schaeffer

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