Why subscribe?
Because you are one of my friends, family, sources, or former colleagues who want to stay updated on my latest stories in the post-Twitter/X era.
Because it's the easiest way to receive an email update for the bigger stories I publish on what we have dubbed the "chaos beat"—the intersection of national security, technology and politics. Recent stories include my cover story on how Ukraine is turning its battlefields into a war lab, my profile of Secretary Blinken amid the war in Gaza, the use of controversial facial-recognition software in war zones, a profile of RFK Jr. and his very online campaign, Russia's recruitment of young Cubans to fight in its military, and deep dives into grifters peddling fake Covid drugs or QAnon taking over local elections.
Because you're interested in receiving an email with a bit of the behind-the-scenes of how journalism works and the reporting process for my bigger stories, including investigations, profiles and features.
Wait, who are you again?
I'm a senior correspondent at TIME Magazine's Washington Bureau. In the past I’ve covered the Pentagon, the White House, Latin America, immigration, investigations, and elections for BuzzFeed News (RIP) and McClatchy, the parent company of my hometown Miami Herald, where I was part of the team that worked on the Pulitzer-winning Panama Papers investigation in 2016. My reporting has spanned everything from retracing an accused Russian spy's steps in South Dakota to tracking down the story of a Jan. 6 insurrectionist in rural Alabama, and I've reported from several countries including Bulgaria, Cuba, Ecuador, Turkey, South Korea, and Ukraine.
I'm originally from Uruguay but grew up in Chile, Germany, Mexico and Miami.
Talk to me
You can email me at vera.bergengruen@time.com, or find me on Twitter, Threads, LinkedIn, or whatever social media site we migrate to next. Email or DM me if you want to communicate securely on Signal.
