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Hello, everyone.
Donald Trump, in part, came to power again through his endless promises to seal off the US-Mexico border and carry out “mass deportations.” The president likes to present himself as a break from the supposedly open-border presidents of the past — believe me, that border was already heavily policed — but there’s questions about that. As Johannes Streeck reports, Trump was, in fact, inheriting a highly militarized border apparatus.
I don’t need to tell you this, but things are grim all over these days, and few places have endured as much relentless misery as the Gaza Strip. But Palestinians in the coastal enclave are humans like anyone anywhere else, and like you and me, they seek out joy where they can find it. That’s why we published a both moving and gutting excerpt of Mohammed Omer Almoghayer’s new book, On the Pleasures of Living in Gaza, courtesy of OR Books.
And if you missed my email last week, there’s a coming war on the press. Inkstick’s a nonprofit newsroom that covers war, conflict, the defense industry, and migration, among other human security concerns. We’re ready for the fight to keep independent journalism alive, but can we count on you for your support?
That’s not all we’ve got at Inkstick. And if you’re not already, please follow us on LinkedIn, Threads, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube.
“The ‘Necropolitics’ of the American Borderlands” by Johannes Streeck (April 21)
Trump has deployed active-duty troops to the southern border and pledged to devote the full force of the Armed Forces to counter it. Between El Paso and its Mexican sister city Juárez, this is escalating a process of militarization that has been going on for decades.
“In the Face of War, There Are Dreams, Hopes, and Joy in Gaza” by Mohammed Omer Almoghayer (April 22)
Adli and Mansour each lost a leg in Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip. Inseparable at the hip, the two of them happen to wear the same size shoe. Whenever they need a new shoes, they pool their money and split a single pair.
“Trump’s Rush to Arm Foreign Clients Undermines US Security” by Ashley Gate and William D. Hartung (April 23)
The Trump administration recently issued a new executive order designed to accelerate the approval and delivery of US arms to foreign partners. If past “reform” efforts are any guide, the new policy will involve weakening guardrails on the export of deadly weapons technology.
“Withdrawing from Mine Ban Treaty Would Be a Self-Inflicted Strategic Defeat for European Security” by Matthew Breay Bolton (April 24)
The Mine Ban Treaty is under threat. Not just from Russia, which has used mines in Ukraine. Nor only from the new US Administration, which has put at risk life-saving aid for demining. Five European states are threatening a self-inflicted strategic defeat by withdrawing from the treaty.
“Deep Dive: Executions Are on the Rise Around the World” by Inkstick (April 25)
Altogether, authorities in 15 countries across the world executed more than 1,500 people in 2024. In many cases, the authorities targeted protesters and specific ethnic groups, and there was an increase in executions stemming from drug-related crimes.
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