Lawrence Lease
Bio
Alaska born and bred, Washington DC is my home. I'm also a freelance writer. Love politics and history.
Achievements (1)
Stories (304)
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Where the Water Moves One Way and the Truth Moves Another
The river had always flowed uphill, though no one in Bellmere ever said it that way. They said instead that the town was “cleverly engineered,” or that the water simply “knew where it needed to go.” Children were taught in school that Bellmere sat on a rare but perfectly respectable incline that confused outsiders more than locals. On field trip days, Mrs. Carrow would line the class up along the iron railing and point toward the water climbing, slow and patient, toward the distant hills.
By Lawrence Lease27 days ago in Fiction
At 2:14, the Earth Listens
The first time Mara noticed the hour, she assumed it was coincidence. 2:14 a.m. The clock on her bedside table glowed that soft, watery green that feels almost alive in a dark room. She had rolled over half-asleep, arm searching for Elias out of habit, and instead of warm skin she found cold sheets and the faint dip of where his body had been moments before.
By Lawrence Lease27 days ago in Fiction
Shadows in the Desert: Inside the Disappearance of Nancy Guthrie
The desert is quiet in a way that feels deceptive. At first glance, Tucson’s foothills look like the kind of place where nothing truly bad happens — open skies, endless cacti, distant mountains, and sprawling homes set far apart from one another. But standing outside the house of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, the mother of Today Show host Savannah Guthrie, that quiet feels heavier now. It feels charged. Tense. Almost fragile.
By Lawrence Lease28 days ago in Criminal
Don't Forget to Celebrate National Margarita Day
National Margarita Day doesn’t arrive with the gravity of a federal holiday or the chaos of a three-day weekend, but it holds a special kind of power anyway. It’s the rare celebration that asks very little of you—no gifts, no speeches, no complicated traditions. Just a glass, some ice, and permission to pause for a moment and enjoy something bright.
By Lawrence Leaseabout a month ago in Proof
Europe Thinks it Can’t Deter Russia Without America. It’s Already Doing So
Europe is in trouble. For decades, the United States has been Europe’s primary security guarantor. That arrangement now looks increasingly fragile. Political crises are pulling the two sides of the Atlantic apart, placing at risk the security framework Europe has relied on since the end of the Second World War.
By Lawrence Leaseabout a month ago in FYI
What’s the Deal with Pantalones Tequila?
If you’ve been anywhere near liquor store shelves, social media feeds, or celebrity-backed brand headlines lately, you’ve probably clocked the name Pantalones Tequila and thought… wait, what? It’s a name that’s impossible to ignore, a label that leans hard into irreverence, and a brand that seems determined to zig while every other celebrity tequila zags. But behind the cheeky branding and Hollywood association, Pantalones is actually doing something a little more interesting—and a little more intentional—than it might seem at first glance.
By Lawrence Leaseabout a month ago in Proof
Who Could Be The Next Leader of Iran
As the cameras roll and analysts sharpen their talking points, the United States appears to be quietly assembling the pieces for a major military move in the Middle East—one that, if carried through, could aim directly at the heart of Iran’s political system. Whether this buildup ultimately leads to the removal of Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, remains uncertain. Even senior officials in Washington admit as much. But the harder question, and the one that matters most, isn’t how such a move would happen. It’s what comes after.
By Lawrence Leaseabout a month ago in FYI
The Vanishing of China’s Most Powerful General
The most powerful general in China has vanished from public life—and in Beijing, that usually means only one thing. After nearly a decade as the man overseeing China’s military rise, second only to Xi Jinping himself, General Zhang Youxia has been publicly removed from his post. The announcement was brief. The implications are anything but.
By Lawrence Leaseabout a month ago in The Swamp
HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY: WHY MEMORY MATTERS
Every year on January 27, the world pauses for Holocaust Remembrance Day—a moment carved into the global calendar to remember one of the darkest chapters in human history. The Holocaust was not an abstract tragedy or a distant myth. It was a systematic, industrialized campaign of persecution and murder carried out by Nazi Germany during World War II, resulting in the deaths of millions of innocent people.
By Lawrence Leaseabout a month ago in FYI
Venezuela Fiasco Could Mean the End of Russia
The U.S. capture of Nicolás Maduro didn’t just redraw Venezuela’s political future. It may have quietly detonated a much larger charge—one aimed straight at the foundations of Vladimir Putin’s Russia. What looked like a regional power play in Caracas has exposed a web of weaknesses that stretch from Russian arms exports to oil markets and global credibility. And once those threads started snapping, the world noticed.
By Lawrence Leaseabout a month ago in FYI
WWE: Unreal Season 2 Is the Most “Wait, Should I Be Watching This?” Wrestling Show Ever
When Netflix dropped WWE: Unreal, it didn’t just give wrestling fans extra content — it basically handed us the keys to the writer’s room and said, “Go ahead. Look around.” Season 2 (released Jan. 20, 2026) leans even harder into that vibe: fascinating, addictive… and occasionally weirdly intimate in a way wrestling hasn’t really done before.
By Lawrence Leaseabout a month ago in Geeks
On National Cheese Lover’s Day, Don’t Feel Bleu—Celebrate the Curds That Bind Us
January 20th rolls around every year with a simple but powerful message: don’t feel bleu, throw a feta, and absolutely act capriciously if cheese is involved. National Cheese Lover’s Day is the perfect excuse to lean into one of humanity’s oldest and most beloved foods. Whether you’re reaching for cheddar, asiago, fontina, or something that smells questionable but tastes incredible, this is a gouda day to celebrate it all.
By Lawrence Leaseabout a month ago in FYI
