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Thanks to everyone for helping us celebrate our 50th birthday in 2023!! Your purchases now and into the future will keep us here for another 50 years!!

We are open 7 days a week in the heart of Moscow's vibrant downtown and its "hip strip" on south Main street. 

Online ordering, free gift wrapping, and free local delivery are always available.

There is lots of free parking in downtown Moscow, both in front of the store on Main Street, and in back of the store in the Jackson Street parking lot.

Please note our old email address bookpeople @ moscow.com has been retired. Please use [email protected].

Thank you and see you soon!

To our Odyssey customers: We're deeply sorry that due to changes in the Odyssey program this year we are unable to fulfill Odyssey orders either in person at the store or through our website. We have done our best to work with the Odyssey staff and the Idaho State Board of Education, to no avail. Their new system requires an amount of technical expertise and staff time that we can't afford, severely limits customer choices and access to a wide range of titles, and also would require us to unfairly charge customers inflated shipping costs, even for local customers who don't need to pay shipping. We hope we can still serve you as a regular customer whenever possible. Thank you. - BookPeople of Moscow

CELEBRATING OVER 50 YEARS AS YOUR ORIGINAL, LOCAL, INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE!

BookPeople of Moscow has been the Palouse region's favorite independent bookstore since 1973. Locally owned and operated by Carol Price, Breanne Pickens, and Steffen Werner (plus a great staff team!), BookPeople of Moscow features a variety of high-quality fiction and non-fiction for readers of all ages, plus a wide selection of gifts, candles, journals, puzzles, calendars, greeting cards, and certified bean-to-bar chocolate.

BookPeople of Moscow staff members pride themselves on providing excellent customer service. We are also proud to contribute to the cultural life of our community by organizing and hosting author events, serving as a community "third place," and providing a safe place for people of all identities. We believe in the free and unfettered access to books for all people, and believe it is the individual's and parent's duty and privilege, not the government's, to choose which books to buy and read. While we do not have room for every book on our shelves, and curate our selection to cater to our customers' tastes and our own whims, we can get almost any book for customers and will do so, if it's available, when requested.

The owners of the store also take pride in providing a great working environment for our staff, paying wages that are as fair as we can manage, and providing essential benefits such as sick leave, paid time off, health care subsidies, and a matching retirement savings plan. Keeping this business profitable is a mutually beneficial project for us and the whole community, so we thank you for supporting your local bookstore!

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Putin begins his fifth term as president, more in control of Russia than ever

P resident Vladimir Putin began his fifth term at a glittering Kremlin inauguration Tuesday, embarking on another six years as leader of Russia after destroying his political opponents, launching a devastating war in Ukraine and concentrating all power in his hands.

At the ceremony in the gilded Grand Kremlin Palace, Putin placed his hand on the Russian Constitution and vowed to defend it as a crowd of hand-picked dignitaries looked on.

“We are a united and great people and together we will overcome all obstacles, realize all our plans, together we will win,” Putin said after being sworn in.

Since succeeding President Boris Yeltsin in the waning hours of 1999, Putin has transformed Russia from a country emerging from economic collapse to a pariah state that threatens global security. Following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine that has become Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II, Russia has been heavily sanctioned by the West and is turning to other regimes like China, Iran and North Korea for support.

Already in office for nearly a quarter-century and the longest-serving Kremlin leader since Josef Stalin, Putin’s new term doesn’t expire until 2030, when he will be constitutionally eligible to run again.

In a heavily choreographed performance, Putin was pictured in his office looking at his papers before walking along the Kremlin’s long corridors, pausing at one point to look at a painting, on the way to his inauguration.

His guard of honor waited in the sleet and rain for hours, in temperatures hovering just above freezing, while Putin made the brief journey to the Grand Kremlin Palace in his Auras limousine.

Putin used the the first moments of his fifth term to thank the “heroes” of his war in Ukraine and to rail against the West.

Russia “does not refuse dialogue with Western states," he said. Rather, he said, "the choice is theirs: do they intend to continue trying to contain Russia, continue the policy of aggression, continuous pressure on our country for years, or look for a path to cooperation and peace.”

He was greeted with applause when he entered the hall with more than 2,500 invited guests. They included senior members of the Russian government as well as celebrities including American actor Steven Seagal.

Neither the U.S., U.K. nor German ambassadors attended. The U.S. Embassy said Ambassador Lynne Tracy was out of the country on “prescheduled, personal travel.”

A handful of European Union envoys attended even though top EU diplomat Josep Borrell said he told them “the right thing to do is not to attend this inauguration,” because Putin is the subject of an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine .

Among those present was the French ambassador, according to a French diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

A 30-gun salute followed Putin's remarks. He reviewed the presidential regiment in the Kremlin's Cathedral Square in a light drizzle and then walked into nearby Annunciation Cathedral for a blessing from Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church.

During the brief service, Kirill compared Putin to Prince Alexander Nevsky, the medieval ruler who “courageously defended their people on the battlefield.”

He reminded Putin that the head of state sometimes “has to take fateful and formidable decisions” that can lead to victims, an apparent reference to the many casualties in Ukraine — a conflict the church has endorsed.

The question now is what the 71-year-old Putin will do over the course of another six years in the Kremlin, both at home and abroad.

Russian forces are gaining ground in Ukraine, deploying scorched-earth tactics as Kyiv grapples with shortages of men and ammunition.

Ukraine has brought the battle to Russian soil through drone and missile attacks, especially in border regions. In a speech in February, Putin vowed to fulfill Moscow’s goals in Ukraine , and do what is needed to “defend our sovereignty and security of our citizens.”

Shortly after his orchestrated reelection in March, Putin suggested that a confrontation between NATO and Russia is possible, and he declared he wanted to carve out a buffer zone in Ukraine to protect his country from cross-border attacks.

The Russian government has now been dissolved so that Putin can name a new prime minister and Cabinet.

One key area to watch is the Defense Ministry.

Last month, Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov — a protege of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu — was detained on charges of bribery amid reports of rampant corruption. Some analysts have suggested Shoigu could become a victim of the government reshuffle but that would be a bold move, with the war still raging.

At home, Putin's popularity is closely tied to improving living standards for ordinary Russians.

Putin on Tuesday once again promised Russians a prosperous future, but since the invasion of Ukraine, many have seen the cost of living rise.

Putin began his term in 2018 by promising to get Russia into the top five global economies, vowing it should be “modern and dynamic.” Instead, Russia's economy has pivoted to a war footing , and authorities are spending record amounts on defense.

Analysts say now that Putin has secured another six years in power, the government could take the unpopular steps of raising taxes to fund the war and pressure more men to join the military.

In the years following the invasion, authorities have cracked down on any form of dissent with a ferocity not seen since Soviet times.

Putin indicated Tuesday that he would continue to silence critics.

He told his audience in the Grand Kremlin Palace to remember the “tragic cost of internal turmoil and upheaval," and said that Russia “must be strong and absolutely resistant to any challenges and threats.”

Putin enters his fifth term with practically no opposition inside the country.

Laws have been enacted that threaten long prison terms for anyone who discredits the military. The Kremlin also targets independent media, rights groups, LGBTQ+ activists and others who don't hew to what Putin has emphasized as Russia's “traditional family values.”

His greatest political foe, opposition leader Alexei Navalny, died in an Arctic penal colony in February. Other prominent critics have either been imprisoned or have fled the country, and even some of his opponents abroad fear for their security .

Navalny's widow, Yulia Navalnaya, released a video ahead of the inauguration in which she said Putin's promises “are not only empty, they are false.”

Russia, she said, is "ruled by a liar, a thief and a murderer."

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A journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow

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Byzantium, Kyivan Rus’, and their contested legacies

Virgin of Vladimir, 12th century with later repainting, tempera on wood (State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow)

One of the most beloved artworks in Russia is a tempera on wood icon known as the Virgin of Vladimir, or Vladimirskaya . It presents a common composition known as the Virgin eleousa (“compassionate”), which shows Mary and Jesus in tender embrace, their faces pressed together. The Virgin gazes out at us, commanding our attention, but her hands seem to gesture toward her son, destined to die on the cross and rise from the dead as the savior of humankind. Through the centuries, many miracles have been attributed to this icon, and as a result, numerous patrons and artists have sought to produce copies of it.

Locations of the Virgin of Vladimir icon (underlying map © Google)

But despite the Virgin of Vladimir’s enduring religious and cultural importance in Russia, the icon is not Russian in origin. It was likely painted in the twelfth century in Constantinople (Istanbul), capital of the Eastern Roman “ Byzantine ” Empire, and brought to Kyiv, capital of Kyivan Rus’ , as a diplomatic gift around 1131. Later, the icon was transferred to the city of Vladimir (hence its name), and eventually to the Russian capital of Moscow, where it still remains.

The Virgin of Vladimir’s journey from Constantinople to Kyiv, and eventually, to Moscow, is part of a larger story of the conversion of Kyivan Rus’ to the Orthodox Christianity of the Byzantine Empire in the tenth century and Moscow’s subsequent rise as a new center of power in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. While neither the Byzantine Empire nor Kyivan Rus’ survive today, works of art and architecture like the Virgin of Vladimir can help us understand the relationship between these medieval states, as well as their contested legacies in today’s world.

The Byzantine Empire and Kyivan Rus’

Kyivan Rus’ emerged as a powerful confederation of city-states during the second half of the ninth century in Eastern Europe, where rivers helped link the Baltic Sea with the Black Sea and facilitated trade with Constantinople, the wealthy capital of the Byzantine Empire. The capital of Kyivan Rus’ was Kyiv on the Dnieper River , which is today the capital of Ukraine. The name “Kyivan Rus’” refers both to the state and its people.

Map of the Byzantine Empire and Kyivan Rus’ (underlying map © Google)

A modern monument to prince Vladimir I overlooks the Dnieper River in Kyiv, Ukraine, (photo: Library of Congress )

Kyivan Rus’ was sometimes a trading partner and other times an enemy of the Byzantine Empire. But in 987, Prince Vladimir I of Kyiv , ruler over Kyivan Rus’, formed an alliance with the Byzantine emperor Basil II , converting from paganism to Christianity and marrying Basil II’s sister Anna in 988. Historical texts describe the subsequent conversion of Vladimir’s formerly pagan subjects by mass baptism in the Dnieper River in Kyiv. With its conversion to the Orthodox Christianity of the Byzantines, Kyivan Rus’ now began appropriating and adapting Byzantine art and architecture for itself.

St. Sophia, c. 1037 (with later additions), Kyiv (photo: Daniel Kraft, CC BY-SA 3.0)

St. Sophia, Kyiv

Plan of St. Sophia, Kyiv, c. 1037 (Evan Freeman, redrawn after John Lowden, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Wishing to emulate the Byzantine capital of Constantinople and its cathedral Hagia Sophia (dedicated to Christ as “Holy Wisdom”), Vladimir’s son Yaroslav expanded Kyiv and built a magnificent new church to function as the city’s main cathedral, which he likewise dedicated to St. Sophia (“Holy Wisdom”) in imitation of Constantinople’s Hagia Sophia. St. Sophia in Kyiv illustrates how Kyivan Rus’ appropriated the art and architecture of the Byzantine Empire while also making it their own.

Built c. 1037, Kyiv’s St. Sophia was likely the product of collaboration between Byzantine and local craftsmen. The core of St. Sophia takes the form of a typical Middle Byzantine cross-in-square church, incorporating additional aisles and galleries to accommodate a large cathedral congregation, though still falling short of the astonishing scale of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. Kyiv’s St. Sophia was probably finished in the 1040s and even its first bishop, Theopemptos, came from Constantinople. St. Sophia in Kyiv still stands today, albeit with later restorations and additions.

The interior of St. Sophia displays  mosaics and frescoes —hallmarks of Byzantine church decoration—though the former are better preserved than the latter. And although church services in Kyivan Rus’ were celebrated in Church Slavonic, a language whose written form was first developed by Byzantine missionaries in the ninth century, St. Sophia’s mosaics are labeled in Greek, the language of Byzantium.

Dome mosaics, St. Sophia, Kyiv, c. 1037 (photo © Archimandrite Seraphim )

Christ Pantokrator

Byzantine worshippers probably would have found the interior of Kyiv’s St. Sophia very familiar. As in contemporary Byzantine churches, such as Daphni monastery , a bearded Christ Pantokrator (“almighty”) reigns over the church from the central dome. Christ is surrounded by angels with large wings in imperial garb. Apostles fill the spaces between the windows in the drum that supports the dome and the four evangelists (authors of the Gospels) appear in the pendentives just below the windows.

Annunciation mosaics, St. Sophia, Kyiv, c. 1037 (photos © Archimandrite Seraphim )

The Annunciation

The mosaics in the bema  where the altar is located similarly mirror contemporary Byzantine churches and point to the function of this part of the church as the place where the Eucharist was celebrated. Gabriel and the Virgin enact the Annunciation from either side of the bema. The angel announces to the Virgin that she will give birth to Jesus, suggesting a parallel between Christ’s incarnation (becoming flesh and blood) through the Virgin and the Eucharistic bread and wine believed to become Christ’s body and blood on the altar below.

Apse mosaics, St. Sophia, Kyiv, c. 1037 (photo © Archimandrite Seraphim )

Virgin orans

A towering Virgin orans (about 5.5 meters tall) looms against the gold ground of the apse. She stands on a gold platform and raises her hands in prayer beneath large Greek characters that identify her as the “Mother of God.” This mosaic echoed similar images of the Virgin installed in churches and the palace in Constantinople following Iconoclasm, which were associated with imperial power and authority. A large inscription frames the Virgin at Kyiv with the words of Psalm 45:6, which speak of a God-protected city: “God is in its midst; it shall not be shaken; God will help it in the morning.” [1]

The Communion of the Apostles

Below the Virgin, Christ presides at the celebration of the Eucharist in a scene known as the “Communion of the Apostles,” which became a common feature in Byzantine churches at this time, and which paralleled the celebration of the Eucharist unfolding at the altar below. Although reminiscent of the Last Supper , this image anachronistically depicts Christ presiding at a celebration of the Divine Liturgy like a Byzantine priest with all the trappings of a contemporary church altar. This image must have helped connect the experiences of contemporary worshippers with these holy figures of Christ and his apostles from the past: as worshippers drew near to the altar to receive the Eucharist, they mirrored the apostles who similarly approached Christ in the mosaic above.

Perhaps surprising to modern viewers, Christ actually appears twice in this image. The artists have employed a common medieval visual device known as continuous narration in an attempt to depict two moments within one scene: on the left, Christ offers the Eucharistic bread to six of the apostles; on the right, he offers the Eucharistic wine to six more apostles.

Virgin and Child flanked by emperors Constantine and Justinian, Southwest vestibule mosaic, early 10th century, Hagia Sophia, Constantinople (Istanbul) (photo: byzantologist , CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Fresco depicting the imperial box at the hippodrome in Constantinople, 11th century, St. Sophia, Kyiv

Badly damaged frescoes decorating the galleries and turrets of St. Sophia—privileged spaces reserved for the prince—once displayed portraits of Yarloslav, his wife Irene, and their children. Yaroslav, now lost, was once shown offering a model of St. Sophia cathedral to Christ, much as the Byzantine emperors Constantine and Justinian offer models of Constantinople and Hagia Sophia to the Virgin and Child in a tenth-century mosaic in Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. The southwestern turret also displayed images of chariot racing in the hippodrome of Constantinople, further linking Kyiv’s cathedral and prince with the Eastern Roman capital and empire.

Icon with the Battle of Novgorod and Suzdal (The Miracle of the Icon of the Mother of God of the Sign), c. 1475 (Novgorod Integrated Museum-Reservation, Novgorod, Russia) (photo: byzantologist , CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

The rise of Moscow, “Third Rome”

In the middle of the thirteenth century, Kyiv and many of its former territories fell to Mongol invaders, bringing an end to Kyivan Rus’. But after two centuries of Mongol rule in the region, the city of Moscow emerged as a new center of power. Moscow was a latecomer among the older cities of Kyivan Rus’, emerging in the twelfth century and gaining wealth and power in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. The Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan III “the Great” achieved independence from the Mongols around 1480 and established Moscow as the center of what now became known as “Russia.”

But as Moscow ascended, the Byzantine Empire declined. Constantinople (today Istanbul) fell to the Ottomans  in 1453, ending the long history of the Eastern Roman Empire that had begun when emperor Constantine dedicated the capital city of Constantinople in 330, which he also referred to as “New Rome.” In the years that followed, Moscow increasingly viewed itself as successor to Byzantium and even began referring to itself as the “Third Rome.” [2] In 1472, Ivan III married Sophia Palaiologina, niece of the last Byzantine emperor, symbolically cementing the continuation of Byzantium in Russia.

Rublev’s Trinity

In addition to the Virgin of Vladimir, one of Russia’s best-known artworks—an icon of the Holy Trinity attributed to Andrei Rublev—dates from this period of Moscow’s ascent. Rublev was an influential Russian painter who probably lived from the 1360s until around 1430. Texts describe him painting the Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Moscow Kremlin with the Byzantine painter Theophanes the Greek, although these paintings no longer survive. Rublev probably painted his icon of the Trinity  for the Trinity Lavra of Saint Sergius in Sergiyev Posad, an important monastery near Moscow, where it was part of a church iconostasis (the barrier that separates the sanctuary from the rest of the church).

Andrei Rublev, The Trinity, c. 1410 or 1425–27, tempera on wood, 142 × 114 cm (Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow)

The harmonious colors and rhythmic contours of the symmetrical composition depict three angels who visited and were served food by the biblical patriarch Abraham and his wife Sarah in Genesis 18  in the Hebrew Bible or “Old Testament.”Christian theologians long interpreted this visitation of the three angels as an image of the Holy Trinity. Byzantine depictions of this event, as seen, for example, in the sixth-century mosaic at San Vitale, typically include both Abraham and Sarah, who play a central role in the biblical episode. But Rublev eliminated Abraham and Sarah from his icon, allowing the viewer to focus on the simplified composition of the three angels seated around an altar-like table. Rublev’s innovative icon reflects new Russian contributions to the Byzantine artistic tradition it inherited.

Hospitality of Abraham and Sacrifice of Isaac mosaic, San Vitale, consecrated 547, Ravenna, Italy

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They made it! Women traveling 500 miles down Florida’s East Coast in toy cars arrive in Key West

The women lost the guinness world record, but not for the reason you may think.

Carianne Luter , Digital Media & Engagement Manager

KEW WEST, Fla. – By golly, they’ve done it.

Two women, Cassie Aran and Lauren, completed their 500-mile drive down the coast of Florida in an attempt to claim the Guinness World Record for “Longest Distance by Toy Cars.” The woman chronicled the extraordinary adventure — that took over three months — on social media to support their fundraising campaign aimed at helping and rescuing animals.

Cassie and Lauren started their journey at Friendship Fountain in Jacksonville and finished at the Southernmost Point Buoy in Key West. They drove a total of 596 miles in total. News4JAX interviewed the two at the beginning of their trip in Jacksonville Beach on March 8. After the story ran, multiple other news agencies worldwide decided to follow their journey.

The two had to overcome many trials and tribulations, one of which included the unfortunate news that they would have to forfeit their chance at winning the title unless they paid Guinness World Records. According to Cassie , Guinness emailed the women during their attempt saying they “were no longer allowed to raise money towards saving animals unless they paid them $16,000.”

Cassie and Lauren decided to make the hard decision to forfeit their chances of snatching the title in order to donate more money to help different organizations that raise money for animals.

Related: 500 miles in a toy car: A Guinness World Record attempt from Jacksonville to Key West for a worthy cause

“We are so incredibly sad that we had to make the decision to choose between the record title and saving animals...but I know we made the right move,” Cassie said in a post on her YouTube Channel . “I hope so many animals get saved from kill shelters and get the life they deserve because of this very sad decision. I hope you guys will still stay here for our 600-mile journey to the finish line in Key West. I love you guys and I’m going to go cry now..but I still stand by my decision 1000%.” ( Watch the heartbreaking announcement here )

News4JAX reached out to Guinness World Records on May 3 and did not receive a reply.

The good news? Cassie said after they finished the journey, they were going to do it again!

“We’re going to be doing this again in a few months but better and longer with a completely different route,” Cassie said. “I won’t announce what the route is yet, but it is nuts! But that will give us a few months to come up with the money that we have to pay Guinness so that our third attempt and final attempt will be able to still be a fundraiser to save animals. So don’t worry, we still plan on getting the record for the Longest Journey by Toy Car...”

During their journey, Cassie also said her YouTube page was taken down after someone hacked into it. After many tears and a battle with YouTube, her YouTube page was reinstated.

Despite it all, they made it! It took the pair over three months to complete the drive as millions watched and cheered them on along the way. When they arrived in Key West, the city welcomed the two with a proclamation and a key to the City from Commissioner Clayton Lopez and City Manager Childress!

Way to go, Cassie and Lauren!

Cassie and Lauren’s Story

Cassie and Lauren have been close friends since their kindergarten days in New Jersey, where they rode battery-powered toy cars in the neighborhood.

“This just kind of came as this wild idea because we had these cars as kids,” Lauren said. “We used to ride around with toy cars as kids and have always wanted a Guinness World Record attempt. So we’re like, this would be a fun way to kind of honor our childhood.”

The two have a great relationship and love pushing the boundaries to add excitement and spontaneity into their lives. They aim to inspire others to do the same throughout this process and to remind everyone not to take life so seriously.

“We just love to do crazy adventures and push the limits of what is possible and try to inspire other people in the process,” Lauren said.

Click here to read more of Cassie and Lauren’s story.

Copyright 2024 by WJXT News4JAX - All rights reserved.

About the Author

Carianne luter.

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NPHY “Homecoming” Gala Celebrates the Journey Home For Homeless Youth

Las Vegas(KLAS)-It’s a night a full of nostalgia and purpose with the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth. Their “Homecoming” gala celebrating the journey home is on May 16th at World Market Center, and here to officially pin the surprise emcee’s corsage is the homecoming court, CEO Asrash Ghafoori, and gala committee co-chairs Stacey Gualandi, and Nicole Hollimon. Head to nphy.org to support.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.

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Moldova — Russia’s Last Chance to Derail the Journey to Europe?

This year’s elections for the Moldovan presidency and a vote on EU membership are causing Russia to change tactics.

The fugitive pro-Russian businessman Ilan Șor presumably has multiple skills in business, but there’s little sign that he understands irony.

“Moldova lost its independence a long time ago,” Ilan Șor lamented on April 21 at a conference of Moldovan opposition parties in Moscow, the former imperial capital. “Today we have foreign control.”

Șor was the messenger for what is visibly a Russian-backed effort to seize the political initiative from pro-Western forces led by President Maia Sandu. He has been absent from Moldova since 2019 and faces a 15-year jail sentence for involvement in a $1bn bank theft if he returns.

Moldova’s smaller pro-Russia parties, including Șor’s, announced the launch of a “Victory” election bloc to contest the upcoming presidential election and referendum on European Union (EU) accession scheduled for October 20.

Tired of the losing streaks and concerned for the future of the geriatric leadership of Russia’s longtime communist and socialist proxies in Moldova, the Kremlin has thrown immense resources behind a new Moldovan opposition centered on Șor. But with little to show for the tens of millions spent already and little sign that Șor can appeal to uncommitted voters, Russia risks cannibalizing its own vote from better-established Russophile opposition groups.

Russia had long thrown its weight behind communist leader Vladimir Voronin and socialist leader Igor Dodon, both Russian citizens and presidents from 2001-2009 and 2016-2020, respectively. But following bruising defeats to Sandu’s Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) for the presidency in 2020 and for parliament in 2021, Russia began investing in the up-and-coming, 37-year-old Șor.

He is married to the Russian pop star Jasmine, and is an entertainment television fixture, earning the adoration of Russia’s public. He has also proven himself willing to disrupt the system in Moldova and has as a result been sanctioned by the US as a pro-Russian agent . In June 2022, he organized a series of long-lasting and chaotic protests against Sandu in Chisinau, which it later transpired was funded by Russia. That resulted in a court’s deregistration of Șor’s party, although that was later reversed .

The court case came just after a Șor ally won the governorship of Gagauzia, a Turkic autonomous region long dominated by pro-Russian parties that is now at the center of a Kremlin pay-for-votes scheme. In local elections a few months later, another shell party  — Chance — was organized with the help of $55m in Russian funding funneled through Șor , Moldova’s security service said. Despite the deregistration of Șor’s party, the socialists and communists made significant gains .

His new grouping has allied with Chance and three others to form the so-called Victory coalition. Its platform rests heavily on well-worn tropes from Russian propaganda, above all that Moldova’s problems all stem from the lack of cheap gas that a pro-Russian leader could ensure. This appeals in a country where the cost-of-living crisis heads voter concerns .

In fact, the inflation surge of 2022 was a direct result of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russian gas is indeed cheaper under pro-Russian rulers, but Russia’s ability to deploy access to energy as a form of political warfare has repeatedly undercut Moldovan sovereignty. One of Sandu’s major accomplishments has been to wean Moldova from Russian gas.

It’s not entirely clear Russia will get much out of its dalliance with Șor. A recent poll from IRI found Șor receiving only 4% of the vote in a hypothetical election, nearly the same as the difference between Dodon and Sandu. And more recent polls have shown Sandu up by 20 points on Dodon and Șor a nonfactor.

Victory’s platform, drawing almost exclusively from past campaigns by pro-Russian leaders, is unlikely to pull many voters away from Sandu. But with Moldovans ambivalent about Russia (almost three-quarters judge relations with the Kremlin to be poor, but 59% believe it to be Moldova’s most important political partner), it is early days to make a judgment.

October’s votes are absolutely critical for Russia. Its war against Ukraine was largely triggered by that country’s decision to seek EU membership, and the stakes are just as high this time.

The Kremlin fears that it has a diminishing chance of preventing a decisive move toward Western Europe and away from its Eurasianist vision for Moldova. Polls show an 8% lead for those likely to back the pro-EU vote, which may mean the Kremlin’s best chance to derail the process will come from winning control of the country’s presidency and parliament.

Ben Dubow is a Nonresident Fellow at CEPA and the founder of Omelas, a security firm that tracks authoritarian influence online.

Europe’s Edge  is CEPA’s online journal covering critical topics on the foreign policy docket across Europe and North America. All opinions are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the position or views of the institutions they represent or the Center for European Policy Analysis.

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Seton Hall basketball adds Assane Mbaye, 7-foot-3 center from Patrick School

Shaheen Holloway has gone back to his alma mater to help fill out Seton Hall basketball’s frontcourt for the 2024-25 season.

Assane Mbaye, a senior center from The Patrick School who stands 7-foot-3, committed to the Pirates late Thursday.

Here are three things to know about him.

1. He’s a shot-blocker

The Patrick School’s national team went 27-4 this past winter. Mbaye appeared in about half the games, averaging 2.2 points, 6.4 boards and 3.4 blocks. New Jersey’s top talent evaluator Jay Gomes, publisher of the authoritative NJHoops.com, ranked Mbaye as the state’s No. 18 senior in the Class of 2024.

“He’s very intriguing," Gomes said by phone Friday. "He’s definitely raw, but you don’t find many 7-foot-3 kids who are that long and that agile walking around. He’s long as can be and he runs the floor pretty well. So I was a little surprised he wasn’t getting that much recruiting interest."

Gomes said Mbaye was part of the Patrick School's rotation this past season and got noticeably better from his junior year, which was his first at the school.

"I like his upside a lot," Gomes said. "He’s not a finished product by any means, but there’s something there to work with for sure. Seton Hall’s had luck with (finding and developing) rim protectors before – big guys who don’t have to score much, so I think he’s got a chance to help them out.”

2. He’s had a multinational journey

Mbaye, who is 19 and will turn 20 in December, hails from the Canary Islands. He played on the under-18 club circuit in Spain in 2021-22, winning a title with the City of Badajoz Academy. He arrived in the U.S. two years ago after a stop in Senegal.

"His dedication and work ethic are throwbacks, and it's clear that he has a bright future ahead in basketball," Patrick School coach Chris Chavannes said. "It's wonderful to see how far he has come since arrival from the Canary Islands." 

3. The Patrick School pipeline continues

In addition to Holloway, the long list of St. Pat’s/Patrick School alums to play for the Hall include Sam Dalembert, Grant Billmeier, Jeff Robinson, Angel Delgado, Jordan Walker, Bryce Aiken, Jamir Harris, and Al-Amir Dawes. Holloway remains close Chavannes, a longtime mentor.

Chavannes said Mbaye's recent workout with Holloway, his assistants, and outgoing postgrads Dawes and Jaden Bediako left a strong impression as they went over skill development, team strategies and offensive and defensive concepts.

"Assane and I discussed the potential for him to further his game at Seton Hall, emphasizing the importance of ongoing skill enhancement and physical strength in determining his contribution timeline," Chavannes said. "Overall, the pro-level workout showcased Assane's capabilities and highlighted his potential for growth and success at Seton Hall."

Mbaye is the third high-school senior headed to the Hall in the fall, joining guard Jahseem Felton and forward/center Godswill Erheriene.

Seton Hall’s projected 2024-25 depth chart

Guards (4):  Chaunce Jenkins, Dylan Addae-Wusu, Scotty Middleton, Jahseem Felton.

Wings (1):  Isaiah Coleman.

Bigs (5):  Prince Aligbe, Gus Yalden, David Tubek, Godswill Erheriene, Assane Mbaye.

Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. He is an Associated Press Top 25 voter. Contact him at  [email protected] .

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Center for Transformative Undergraduate Experiences

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A Grand Journey

March 15, 2024

RSB, Grand Canyon 2024

Last spring of 2024 I and other RSBers went to the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona for an alternative spring break; our main objective was to learn as well as contribute to the National Park by offering volunteering services. As an alternative spring break, we used this time to learn about many different things in career, life, personal, and the communities we are a part of. We got to learn and see firsthand the impact giving back to the community or to the world can make the world a better happier world. We explore alternative uses for our careers, especially in the Natural Parks services. Our time there gave me an alternative view of the natural world around me. And overall, many people's lives were impacted in the process.

This experience was filled with many impactful moments both on me and on the community that was involved. Throughout this experience, I got to grow my communication and interpersonal skills by interacting with people from across the globe. I can name a few experiences that I believe stood out to me and had a positive impact overall, but one was around meeting a stranger. On Wednesday, we had the chance to explore and see the amazing wonders that the canyon had to offer. This day was particularly special to me because I got to see the world in a new light. On my hike back up from when I went down to hike the canyon, I met a man who to some degree shifted my outlook on life. My values, goals, and sources of happiness were forever shifted by bonding with a stranger that I shared the same goal with. The goal of hiking back up to the top after underestimating the canyon. One thing that most people shared with me is that the canyon truly highlights how there is a lot more to the world than just our jobs and careers. The stranger opened to me on his purpose of visiting the canyon and overall highlighted the different goals and comforts that many find in the canyon. Some people came to grow in their faith, spirituality, and many other reasons that they believed the canyon was going to help them in their respective goals. 

Overall, I met several people from different states and countries from Germany all the way to South Korea all with a goal to see this amazing wonder of the world. I met people of all ages from young toddlers to people that are in the later stages of their lives. One thing that stood out to me for all the days that I spent in the park is that no matter where a person came from, what age they are, or what their background may be, they all had almost the same rhythm in excitement. All had an indescribable amount of joy and excitement when they were at the park. It was amazing being a part of the global whole and feeling more excited each day than the last when I saw the canyon. 

I plan on being more aware of what goes on around me to know how to best contribute to our world. On this trip I learned that there was a lot more to the world than just Texas tech, my degree and whichever path I may choose in life. I learned that you could work in technology in parks services and see the changes you work on be applied immediately. The group I journeyed with to the Grand Canyon also helped me be more relaxed and learn how to live in the moment, one factor I tend to ignore in my daily life.  The reservation of the park truly changed me, and I wish more places like this existed, where nature thrives remaining untouched by men. I plan to learn how I can use my degree to help preserve nature so that many others may share my experience in spaces like the Grand Canyon.

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Blinken to Meet With Arab Officials in Saudi Arabia About Israel-Gaza War

The U.S. secretary of state plans to raise the issues of hostages held by Hamas, a potential cease-fire, humanitarian aid and a long-term political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

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By Edward Wong

Reporting from Washington

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will travel to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday to speak with top Arab officials and try to figure out possible solutions for the thorniest issues of the Israel-Gaza war, including humanitarian aid, reconstruction and hostages, the State Department said on Saturday.

One of Mr. Blinken’s priorities on Monday and Tuesday will be discussing “ongoing efforts to achieve a cease-fire in Gaza that secures the release of hostages,” a department spokesman, Matthew Miller, said in a statement. He added that Mr. Blinken would underscore his belief that it is Hamas that stands in the way of a cease-fire for the Palestinian people, since the group is not budging on the hostage negotiations.

Saudi Arabia is hosting a three-day meeting of the World Economic Forum, and top Arab officials, including Mr. Blinken’s diplomatic counterparts, are attending. They include senior ministers from Qatar and Egypt, which have been the two Arab mediators in multiple rounds of talks over a potential hostage agreement between Israel and Hamas.

The forum’s website says Mr. Blinken will be in a half-hour public “conversation” starting at 12:45 p.m. on Monday, the final day of the conference.

American officials are pushing for Hamas to release about 40 of the 100 or more hostages it is holding in exchange for the liberation of many more Palestinian prisoners and a six-week cease-fire. U.S. officials say that would be the first step in securing a permanent cease-fire, and Israel supports the proposal. However, Hamas has insisted on a commitment to a permanent cease-fire, and many Arab officials, including in Saudi Arabia, have been calling for the same; those officials say that such a cease-fire should take place immediately.

Mr. Blinken and other top aides of President Biden have also been trying to push for a long-term political solution to the conflict. In their best-case scenario, they envision Saudi Arabia and perhaps a few other Arab nations agreeing to normalize diplomatic relations with Israel. In exchange, Saudi Arabia would receive advanced weapons and security guarantees, including a mutual defense treaty , from the United States, and a commitment for U.S. cooperation on a civilian nuclear program in the kingdom .

For its part, Israel would have to commit to a concrete pathway to the founding of a Palestinian nation, with specific deadlines, U.S. and Saudi officials say.

Before the war started last October, U.S. and Saudi officials were in intense discussions to reach an agreement on the terms of such a proposal. For those negotiators, a big question at the time was what Israel would agree to. Since the war began, the Americans and Saudis have publicly insisted that Israel must agree to the existence of a Palestinian state.

But Israeli leaders and ordinary citizens have become even more resistant to that idea since the Oct. 7 attacks, in which Hamas and allied gunmen killed more than 1,200 people and took about 240 people as hostages. About 100 of the hostages were released last November in a prisoner swap during a weeklong cease-fire. The Israeli military has launched attacks to eradicate Hamas from Gaza, where the health ministry says more than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed.

Mr. Miller also said on Saturday that Mr. Blinken planned to discuss “continued progress on climate change mitigation and the global energy transition” at one of the World Economic Forum events. The secretary also expected to attend a meeting of ministers from nations in the Gulf Cooperation Council, a regional organization, to talk about security coordination.

An Israeli official told The New York Times on Friday that Mr. Blinken planned to visit Israel while in the region.

If Mr. Blinken does go there, the topics he is likely to discuss would no doubt be the same ones on his agenda for Riyadh, including increasing humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza, a potential political solution in the form of a multicountry megadeal and the impasse over a hostage/cease-fire agreement. He would also probably discuss Israel’s plans for a major offensive in the Rafah area of Gaza, which Mr. Biden opposes.

The details of Mr. Blinken’s scheduled trips to the Middle East often change at the last minute . As of Saturday night, the State Department has not announced any stops beyond Riyadh.

Edward Wong is a diplomatic correspondent who has reported for The Times for more than 24 years from New York, Baghdad, Beijing and Washington. He was on a team of Pulitzer Prize finalists for Iraq War coverage. More about Edward Wong

Our Coverage of the Israel-Hamas War

News and Analysis

The flow of aid to Gaza through border crossings has come to a near-total stop , first closed off by Israel and then further restricted, officials say, by Egypt.

A White House spokesman told Israel that an assault on Rafah, where more than one million people are sheltering, would not eradicate Hamas . For months, the U.S. has urged Israel to do more to protect Palestinian civilians .

The main United Nations agency that aids Palestinians, known as UNRWA, said that it had temporarily closed its headquarters  in East Jerusalem for the safety of its staff after parts of the compound were set on fire following weeks of attacks.

A Presidential Move: Ronald Reagan also used  the power of American arms to influence  Israeli war policy. The comparison underscores how much the politics of Israel have changed in the United States since the 1980s.

Netanyahu ' s Concerns: Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, under pressure from all sides, is trying to reassure his many domestic, military and diplomatic critics. Here’s a look at what he is confronting .

Al Jazeera Shutdown: The influential Arab news network says it will continue reporting from Gaza and the West Bank, but its departure from Israel mark s a new low in its long-strained history with the country .

Hobbling Education for Years: Most of Gaza’s schools, including all 12 of its universities, have severe damage that makes them unusable , which could harm an entire generation of students, the U.N. and others say.