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Hello, everyone.
When you think of national security, melting Arctic ice probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. Yet, as Kate Johnston and Maeve Drury argue in a new op-ed, climate change and melting ice are hitting the region in a way that will only heighten geopolitical tensions involving the US, Russia, and China.
Meanwhile, India is one of just nine nuclear-armed countries in the world, a fact that figures into New Delhi’s frequent tensions with neighboring Pakistan. But it’s often the Indigenous, impoverished villagers who live near nuclear sites that pay the biggest price for that weapon arsenal. In a new photo essay and dispatch, Adib R. Baba and Yousuf Sarfaraz highlight the grim consequences.
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.
“In Photos: Inside India’s ‘Nuclear Graveyard’” by Abid R. Baba (Sept. 8)
Far from the India’s corridors of power is Jadugoda, a largely forgotten town tucked among the region’s mineral-rich forests. For more than five decades, Jadugoda’s indigenous Adivasi communities have paid the true price of the country’s nuclear arsenal.
“Melting Arctic Ice is a National Security Threat” by Kate Johnston & Maeve Drury (Sept. 9)
The United States is woefully unprepared to address the challenging and changing geostrategic environment in the Arctic. Russia, on the other hand, is positioned and primed to take advantage of the coming changes.
“The Exploitation at the Heart of Lebanon’s Kafala System” by Angie Mrad & Matt Kynaston (Sept. 10)
In Lebanon, an estimated 250,000 foreign domestic workers — mostly from Ethiopia, Philippines, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka — face a flawed system that fails to protect them. Although kafala translates to “sponsorship,” the system grants employers excessive authority over workers, enabling exploitation and abuse.
“Boeing Workers to Vote on Potential Strike Deal” by Sophie Hurwitz (Sept. 11)
Boeing is the nation’s fourth-largest defense contractor. Currently, the average salary of a Boeing machinist is around $75,000. Boeing’s former CEO, David Calhoun, made some $33 million in 2023. (That’s nearly $16,000 per hour.)
“Deep Dive: How Much Does US Nuclear Construction Really Cost?” by Inkstick (Sept. 12)
The US Government Accountability Office says contractors managing construction at National Nuclear Security Administration sites routinely underestimated costs and failed to follow best practices for estimating fixed-price subcontracts. In fiscal year 2023 alone, final costs exceeded initial estimates by over $37 million.
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