Lawrence Lease
Bio
Alaska born and bred, Washington DC is my home. I'm also a freelance writer. Love politics and history.
Stories (254)
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Why Does Superman THRIVE on TV & Struggle on the Big Screen?
It’s one of those questions that keeps coming up every time a new Superman project gets announced: Why can’t they get Superman right on the big screen anymore? The 1978 Superman: The Movie is still held up as a gold standard, but since then, the character’s cinematic track record has been—let’s just say—mixed at best.
By Lawrence Lease8 months ago in Geeks
Why the World Should Care About the Next Pope
I'm spending this week watching history unfold from the heart of Rome, where the world’s most powerful religious office is about to change hands. The papal conclave is underway — and whether you’re Catholic or not, this is something worth paying attention to.
By Lawrence Lease8 months ago in Journal
WWE Releases and SmackDown Recap: A Tough Week in the Wrestling World
These are never easy videos—or blog posts—to make, but sometimes ignoring what's right in front of us feels even more out of touch. When WWE releases talent, especially right after WrestleMania, it’s always a gut punch. And if you’re a creator, skipping over it like nothing happened? That feels worse.
By Lawrence Lease9 months ago in Geeks
REPORT: Commanders Stadium at RFK could cost public $3B
It’s a story that blends nostalgia, politics, and billions of dollars: the potential return of the Washington Commanders to the historic RFK Stadium site. For longtime fans, the idea tugs at the heartstrings. For city officials and watchdogs? It’s a full-blown, high-stakes debate over public spending and urban development.
By Lawrence Lease9 months ago in Cleats
The Blue Wall That Never Was: How Trump’s 2024 Victory Redrew the Political Map
Donald Trump didn’t just win in 2024 — he reshaped the modern political battlefield. Sure, the headline was 312 electoral votes, but the real story lies beneath the surface. It was how he won — and more importantly, where — that’s left political operatives on the left stunned and scrambling.
By Lawrence Lease9 months ago in The Swamp
Who Is Winning at WrestleMania 41!?
Hey friends—WrestleMania week is finally here, and Vegas is about to get loud. I’ll be in town working WrestleCon, so if you want the behind‑the‑scenes chaos, make sure you’re subbed on YouTube and stalking my socials. Now, onto the part where I turn my brain into a human pinball machine and guess the outcomes of matches that could honestly go ten different ways. Ready? Let’s dive.
By Lawrence Lease9 months ago in Geeks
A Love Divided by War: Letters Between Mary Whitmore & Captain James Ellsworth
April 14, 1863 My Dearest James, I scarcely know where to begin, save to say that my heart is heavy with longing. It has been three months since you last rode away, and each day without word from you is an eternity. I sit beneath the old willow tree where we once lay, watching the Susquehanna drift by, and I wonder—do you still carry my ribbon in your pocket, as you promised?
By Lawrence Lease11 months ago in History
The Day the Berlin Wall Came Down
Sometimes history flips on a single, unexpected moment. November 9, 1989, was one of those nights. What started as a routine press conference in East Berlin ended with people from both sides of a divided city climbing the Berlin Wall, hammering it apart, and dancing on the rubble. It was chaos, it was joy, and it was the beginning of the end for the Cold War.
By Lawrence Lease12 months ago in The Swamp
The Capture of Robert Hanssen: A Shocking Betrayal that Shaped the FBI’s Future
The arrest of Robert Hanssen, a veteran FBI agent turned Russian spy, stands as one of the most significant betrayals in the history of U.S. intelligence. His capture, in 2001, marked the end of a nearly 20-year espionage campaign that had compromised U.S. security on multiple fronts. The impact of his actions reverberated throughout the FBI and the broader intelligence community, forcing major reforms and a reevaluation of internal security practices. Hanssen's story is not just one of espionage, but of systemic flaws within the FBI and the intelligence community, lessons from which continue to shape practices today.
By Lawrence Leaseabout a year ago in Criminal
Aldrich Ames: The Spy Who Shook the CIA
Ever met someone who just blows up an entire system from the inside? That’s basically the story of Aldrich Hazen Ames, the guy who turned his CIA career into one of the biggest betrayals in American intelligence history. He didn’t just poke around with secrets—he sold them off to the Soviet Union (and later Russia) for some serious cash, and the fallout was colossal. This dude’s arrest in 1994 flipped a switch in the intel world, forcing the CIA and all the other three-letter agencies to rethink their game plans. Below, we’re going to break down how Ames got caught and why his capture still matters for the spy world today.
By Lawrence Leaseabout a year ago in Criminal
The Door to Korruption
There was only one rule: don’t open the door. Laura Kelly sat alone in the Schmoedown studio, the eerie silence a stark contrast to the usual roar of the crowd. Tonight, it was just her, her notes, and a single door at the far end of the room—a door that wasn’t usually there.
By Lawrence Leaseabout a year ago in Chapters
The Montreal Screwjob: A Necessary Evil
The Montreal Screwjob remains one of the most infamous moments in professional wrestling history. On November 9, 1997, at WWE’s Survivor Series, the match between Bret "The Hitman" Hart and "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels ended in controversy when Vince McMahon, owner of WWE, orchestrated an unscripted finish to forcibly remove the WWF Championship from Hart. To fans and many wrestlers, the event felt like a betrayal. However, despite the negative response from certain circles, there’s a compelling case that the Montreal Screwjob was not only justified but necessary from a business standpoint.
By Lawrence Leaseabout a year ago in Geeks
