Global Nuclear Race, German Border Crackdown, Tariff Obsessions, and More

Hello, everyone.

I bet you’re doing swell, so let me ruin the mood. Even before this weekend’s news of US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, as Inkstick’s Deep Dive column examines, there was a growing nuclear arms race taking place: a new report points out that the deployment of new nuclear warheads may soon outpace the dismantling of old ones.

Amid an ongoing political crisis in Haiti, gangs are moving into the power vacuum, violence is spreading, and a growing number of people are being displaced. The country’s capital and revolutionary heart, Port-au-Prince, once rose with defiant grace, writes Anne-Gaëlle Lissade, but has now died by a thousand cuts.

Halfway across the world, in Germany, the government is ratcheting up a crackdown on migration. Yet, its new border rules test EU solidarity, reports Marc Martorell Junyent, and could backfire politically across Central Europe.

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.

“What’s Behind Trump’s Obsessive Tariff Policies?” by Adults in a Room (June 16)

Trump has put tariffs at the center of his trade policy, imposing sweeping tariffs on US allies and adversaries alike. In this month’s installment of the Adults in a Room column, experts debate the impact and fallout of these tariffs on Washington’s international relationships.

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“Germany’s Migration Crackdown Faces EU Resistance and Domestic Doubts” by Marc Martorell Junyent (June 17)

During the first month of recently intensified border controls in Germany, 160 people who claimed asylum were turned back at the border, according to official statistics. The new German government argues that it is entitled to do this because Germany is land-locked and so surrounded by other EU countries.

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“A Eulogy for the Prince” by Anne-Gaëlle Lissade (June 18)

On Jan. 1, 1804, Port-au-Prince became the capital of Haiti, the first free Black Republic in the Americas. Word of this city traveled the world, and it grew in stature and fame. But across decades and decades, as the city grew, so did the divide.

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“Deep Dive: The Global Nuclear Arms Race Heats Up” by Inkstick (June 20)

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released its annual Yearbook for 2025, detailing global military expenditure, arms transfers, nuclear developments, and emerging security concerns. The report paints a picture of rising geopolitical tensions, increased military investments, and fading prospects for nuclear disarmament.

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