The Russia Guy

Kevin discusses three stories in this episode:A conspiracy theory says the FSB leaked a hacker's confession to incriminate the U.S. government in the DNC hack!https://meduza.io/en/feature/2017/12/12/new-information-about-russian-officials-orchestrating-the-dnc-hack-could-be-designed-to-pin-the-cyber-attack-on-the-u-s-governmentRelated to this story, see Ellen Nakashima's WaPo report:https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/court-document-points-to-kaspersky-labs-cooperation-with-russian-security-service/2017/12/13/14ba9450-df42-11e7-bbd0-9dfb2e37492a_story.html?tid=ss_tw&utm_term=.5290e4ad429aThese religious traditionalists make for awful posterboys, if tolerance is your thing.https://meduza.io/en/feature/2017/12/11/a-moscow-university-student-is-attacked-and-forced-to-apologize-on-camera-for-offending-muslims-christians-and-all-women-by-criticizing-sexist-traditionsRussian media monitoring and censorship explained.https://meduza.io/en/feature/2017/12/13/a-hybrid-hunt-for-criminal-journalists

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Kevin commits Internet treason by criticizing his own country, moaning about Washington's inability to live up to its own word about FARA registration not interfering with media outlets' work. Then he moves on to moaning about the Russian Orthodox Church's weird obsession with an old and ugly conspiracy theory about Jews murdering the Romanovs in a “ritual killing.”How the U.S. says it treats ‘foreign agent’ journalists versus what it actually doeshttps://meduza.io/en/short/2017/11/30/how-the-u-s-says-it-treats-foreign-agent-journalists-versus-what-it-actually-doesFederal investigators have reopened the Tsar Nicholas II murder case, and the Russian Orthodox Church wants them to consider a notoriously anti-Semitic conspiracy theoryhttps://meduza.io/en/feature/2017/11/30/federal-investigators-have-reopened-the-tsar-nicholas-ii-murder-case-and-the-russian-orthodox-church-wants-them-to-consider-a-notoriously-anti-semitic-conspiracy-theorySupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/kevinrothrock)

Kevin's back and he's talking about four stories today:Russia's Security Council tells the government to develop a separate Internet for the BRICShttps://meduza.io/en/news/2017/11/28/russia-s-security-council-tells-the-government-to-develop-a-separate-internet-for-the-bricsThe Russian Investigative Committee's ‘Jewish problem’https://meduza.io/en/news/2017/11/29/the-russian-investigative-committee-s-jewish-problemNavalny's supporters accuse Ksenia Sobchak's campaign of inflating its support online, but her team says it has network TV to thankhttps://meduza.io/en/news/2017/11/28/navalny-s-supporters-accuse-ksenia-sobchak-s-campaign-of-inflating-its-support-online-but-her-team-says-it-has-network-tv-to-thank‘I won the role when the FSB needed to cast its next victim’ Meduza interviews the Polish historian deported from Russiahttps://meduza.io/en/feature/2017/11/28/i-won-the-role-when-the-fsb-needed-to-cast-its-next-victimAnd don't miss Meduza's long-read on the 1962 Novocherkassk story:https://meduza.io/en/feature/2017/11/23/the-novocherkassk-massacre

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In this episode, Kevin reviews Oleg Kashin's recent op-ed savaging the Western media's coverage of RussiaGate stories, which he says has robbed the country's young political culture of a celestial constellation (deep, right??). Kevin also reviews the hilarity of Russia Today's foreign-agent registration documents in the U.S.Kashin's op-ed, in Englishhttps://meduza.io/en/feature/2017/11/13/the-day-russians-stopped-believing-the-western-mediaFor more on RT's FARA docshttps://meduza.io/en/news/2017/11/14/rt-s-american-subsidiary-told-the-u-s-justice-department-that-it-doesn-t-know-where-its-money-comes-from-in-russiaSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/kevinrothrock)

After several weeks of silence, Kevin is back with a look at Evgeny Prigozhin, “Putin's favorite chef,” to talk troll factory, procurement deals, and American shortsightedness. He's also going to gab about two very fine pieces of original reporting — one very long, and the other not as much.For background about Mr. Prigozhin:https://meduza.io/en/feature/2016/06/13/evgeny-prigozhin-s-right-to-be-forgottenFor a summary of Navalny's May 2017 research on Prigozhin's "cartel":https://themoscowtimes.com/news/navalny-unmasks-a-cartel-allegedly-earning-billions-in-defense-contracts-58049For Sasha Sulim's epic work on the North Caucasus:https://meduza.io/en/feature/2017/10/31/guilty-by-bloodFor Mikhail Danilovich's probing look at unprosecuted hate crimes against gay men in Russia:https://meduza.io/en/feature/2017/11/02/he-wasn-t-worthy-of-being-a-manSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/kevinrothrock)

Today (Oct. 15), Kevin discuss an interview published hours ago with a former member of St. Petersburg's infamous Internet Research Agency.Read Meduza's summary of the interview in English here:https://meduza.io/en/feature/2017/10/15/an-ex-st-petersburg-troll-speaks-outOr read Dozhd's original text (in Russian, paywalled):https://tvrain.ru/teleshow/bremja_novostej/fabrika-447628/Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/kevinrothrock)

Today (Oct. 13), Kevin talks about Russian Investigative Committee head Alexander Bastrykin's prickly, revealing outburst at an academic conference. He also reviews a new Russian TV show all about American “sleeper agents” in Moscow. It's called “Sleepers” (not “The Russians”).Bastrykin's outbursthttps://meduza.io/en/news/2017/10/13/russia-s-investigative-committee-chief-seems-a-little-desperate-in-chechnyaMeduza's review of “Sleepers”https://meduza.io/en/feature/2017/10/13/there-s-a-new-spy-drama-on-russian-tv-about-american-sleeper-agents

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Today (Oct. 11), Kevin looks at a developing scandal involving top officials from Roskomnadzor, Russia's federal censor, and the still-escalating “foreign agent” conflict in the U.S. and Russian news media.Russia's Justice Ministry threatens ‘special restrictions’ on the work of U.S. journalistshttps://meduza.io/en/feature/2017/10/11/russia-s-justice-ministry-threatens-special-restrictions-on-the-work-of-u-s-journalistsSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/kevinrothrock)

Today (Oct. 6), Kevin talks about a ridiculous interview by the new U.S. ambassador to Russia, Jon Huntsman; rumors circulate that Moscow might ban American media outlets outright; Navalny plans nationwide protests on Oct. 7; and Meduza's new deep-dive report on “YouthArmy,” a “military-patriotic movement” created with support from the Defense Ministry.The Huntsman interview: https://twitter.com/foxandfriends/status/916252874622906371Police vs. Navalny activists:https://meduza.io/en/feature/2017/10/06/how-russia-s-cops-and-oppositionists-are-preparing-for-saturday-s-nationwide-protestsMeet the ‘YouthArmy,’ Russia's new hope for military-patriotic education:https://meduza.io/en/feature/2017/10/06/making-real-men-out-of-schoolchildrenSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/kevinrothrock)

On today's episode (Oct. 4), Kevin talks about this Putin quote: “I still haven’t decided if I’ll run at all, let alone against whom I’ll run.” He also summarizes a new interview with Russian media star Elizaveta Osetinskaya, and looks at five fake stories reported by Russia's “best evening news program” and “best analytical review program.”The Osetinskaya interview: https://meduza.io/en/feature/2017/10/04/russia-is-trending-in-america-but-expertise-is-in-short-supplyThe TEFIs roundup: https://meduza.io/en/feature/2017/10/04/this-is-what-earns-emmys-in-russiaSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/kevinrothrock)