As fentanyl crisis evolves, experts say US is still ‘behind the eight ball' The Trump administration's militarised approach and cuts to health programmes threaten progress against fentanyl.

The Trump administration’s militarised approach and cuts to health programmes threaten progress against fentanyl.

As fentanyl crisis evolves, experts say US is still ‘behind the eight ball’ The Trump administration's militarised approach and cuts to health programmes threaten progress against fentanyl.

In my new @aljazeera.com story, I cover the impact of Trump admin cuts on addiction prevention — just as the global fentanyl market shifts.
www.aljazeera.com/economy/2026...

DHS Paying Local Police Millions in Quieter Approach to Immigration Enforcement Facing public backlash, the Trump administration is outsourcing more immigration enforcement to local agencies and politically connected contractors.

Markwayne Mullin appears to be scaling back the visibility of ICE agents in enforcement, saying he’d “love to see” ICE spend more time doing “transport” and less on the “front line.”

One way to do that is by paying local police to take on more of the investigations and arrests of immigrants.

The same week the NYTimes was devoting its significant resources to producing this ridiculous piece about Lauren Sanchez Bezos's call for rich people to not worry and be happy, Ryan Hass, an independent journalist in Oregon, was investigating this horrifying story about a death in an Amazon plant.

Great work as always from @tkbarnes.bsky.social

After Trump's threat that a "whole civilization will die tonight," I asked the White House about concerns Trump is considering using nuclear weapons.

They directed me to Trump's post. Their follow-up stated: "Only the President knows where things stand and what he will do."

Can't tell you how many members of Congress who *at best* had nothing to say when I asked about the Minab girls school attack. There is a profanely cold detachment inside Capitol Hill, a mode completely unrecognizable to common human decency I wish I could properly convey to you.

As Trump Looks to Suffocate Havana, Cubans Feel the Hurt The Trump administration is attempting to suffocate Havana by tightening the embargo. Everyday Cubans are feeling the hurt.

While Washington pushes Cuba to the brink of humanitarian catastrophe, one general suggests using Guantanamo Bay to detain people fleeing the fallout.

By: @tylerfromtexas.bsky.social

inkstickmedia.com/as-trump-loo...

A War Zone, Minus the War: One Year Into the Military Buildup of the U.S.-Mexico Border An investigation into how President Trump’s emergency declaration along the southern border expanded military power, blurred legal lines, and helped spread the use of military-grade technology.

One year into Trump's military border buildup: 20,000+ troops, 40% of the border now military zones, battlefield tech in U.S. cities — yet thousands still cross monthly. Our investigation with @thewarhorsenews.bsky.social exposes the illusion of national security.

Read the full investigation🔗🦂:

How Trump's DOJ is Targeting Anti-ICE Protesters and Leftists After a summer of revolt in Los Angeles, Donald Trump's Justice Department is finding precious few wins in the courtroom.

Since Los Angeles's anti-ICE protests last summer, the Department of Justice has intensified its efforts to target demonstrators and leftists.

inkstickmedia.com/how-trumps-d...

Anand Gopal Explores Syria's 'Days of Love and Rage' | Inkstick In a new book, the author Anand Gopal looks at the complexities of Syria's nearly 14-year civil war.

“If there’s a way to uncover something hopeful in what seems to be one of the bleakest situations on earth, then maybe they can give us a sense of hope in our own circumstances.”

Iran War, Demilitarizing a Shipyard, Arctic Climate Change, and More The latest at Inkstick Media.

The Latest at Inkstick: Iran War, Demilitarizing a Shipyard, Arctic Climate Change, and More

Read & Subscribe for Free:

inkstick.substack.com/p/iran-war-d...

A Democrat has won the mayor's seat in Boca Raton... by one vote:

Everybody Loses Thank God I was working with an illegal bookie when I was addicted to gambling.

As usual, what @jonnyauping.bsky.social writes is a must-read.

mytimeback.beehiiv.com/p/everybody-...

Anand Gopal Explores Syria's 'Days of Love and Rage' In a new book, the author Anand Gopal looks at the complexities of Syria's nearly 14-year civil war and the eventual ouster of Assad.

Anand Gopal's 'Days of Love and Rage' covers six decades of life in Syria, from the rise of the Ba’athist Party to the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 2024.

By: @tylerfromtexas.bsky.social

inkstickmedia.com/anand-gopal-...

THREAD: I got laid off from NYMag/Vulture after 14 years. The family lost 75% of income + medical. Now mzs.press bookstore, once a side project. is do-or-die for Judith & I. I feel weird telling you this because others are doing much worse. But if you could like or share this, we'd be so grateful!

Exclusive: US investigation points to likely US responsibility in Iran school strike, sources say Military investigators believe it is likely that U.S. forces were responsible for an apparent strike on an Iranian girls' school that killed scores of children on Saturday, two U.S. officials told Reu...

Reuters Exclusive

"U.S. military investigators believe it is likely that U.S. forces were responsible for an apparent strike on an Iranian girls' school."

"The strike would rank among the worst cases of civilian casualties in decades of U.S. conflicts in the ​Middle East."

How Trump's DHS is Fighting to Pull Local Cops to its Side As Trump's DHS grows in size and power, it is attempting to pull local law enforcement on its side in its war on sanctuary policies.

Kristi Noem is fired on the same day my new @inkstickmedia.com story comes out. Coincidence? Absolutely. But this dive into the human toll of DHS’s efforts is worth your time.

inkstickmedia.com/how-trumps-d...

No Help and Few Options for Travelers Stranded by Mideast Conflict

One woman who called the State Department helpline looking for help said they told her to "stop ranting and raving" and hung up on her.

Another woman said they asked her how to spell Oman.

www.nytimes.com/2026/03/04/t...

In a new @inkstickmedia.com story, I talked to a man that DHS has relentlessly depicted as a gang member. (A claim he vehemently denies.) Here’s what the agency said about the apparent evidence linking him to a gang. More soon.

How Trump's DHS is Fighting to Pull Local Cops to its Side As Trump's DHS grows in size and power, it is attempting to pull local law enforcement on its side in its war on sanctuary policies.

As Trump's DHS fights to pull local police onto its side, an immigrant’s safety largely depends on how much their community stands up for them.

By: @tylerfromtexas.bsky.social

inkstickmedia.com/how-trumps-d...

Once a Prisoner, Behrooz Ghamari Dissects the 'Long War on Iran' In his new book 'The Long War on Iran,' Behrooz Ghamari takes a scalpel to decades of misguided US policy toward Tehran.

"For Trump, all of this is a spectacle," says a former Iranian political prisoner and sociologist named Behrooz Ghamari, author of the new book 'The Long War on Iran.'

He adds, "The interventionist policy only creates disasters."

At Inkstick, @tylerfromtexas.bsky.social spoke to Behrooz Ghamari, a former political prisoner in Iran and author of the new book 'The Long War on Iran' (from @orbooks.bsky.social)

"The interventionist policy only creates disasters," he said.

Progressive Texas organizers hail shock win as far-right Republicans left reeling Elation as anti-extremists fight back against influence of billionaire megadonors through grassroots organizing

“Tackett and his wife Mendi, the organisation’s (See It Name It Fight It) sole members, now live in Fort Worth, where they’re part of a scrappy community of progressives and anti-extremist organizers who are building momentum amid their town’s deeply embedded Christian nationalism.”

Heck yeah!

How Trump's ICE Is Locking Up Longtime Texans with Paths to Legal Status The case of one Houston man, nearly deported to India after a quarter-century here, shows what happens when prosecutorial discretion is abandoned.

New from @jlbuch.bsky.social: “That facility is, like, terrible, horrible. There’s a lot of people in there. A lot. Each room has like 45 capacity. And they’re putting like 60 people in each room. The restroom is a mess. Dirty. People are sleeping on the floor, people are sleeping in the restroom.”

Does Taylor Rehmet’s Victory Foreshadow an Anti-MAGA Wave? As the dust settles, Texas Dems and Republicans weigh the lessons from the shock upset in Senate District 9.

Our top story: Rehmet’s win was a 31-point swing from President Donald Trump’s victory there less than a year and a half ago—and a 37-point swing from the GOP incumbent’s margin in that district in 2022.

Does Taylor Rehmet’s Victory Foreshadow an Anti-MAGA Wave? As the dust settles, Texas Dems and Republicans weigh the lessons from the shock upset in Senate District 9.

Our top story: “He’s a union leader, veteran, very disciplined on his messaging and very hyper-focused on the working class and making life better for people. Leigh is a zealot who spends all of her time denigrating public school teachers and trying to dismantle public school institutions.”

Does Taylor Rehmet’s Victory Foreshadow an Anti-MAGA Wave? As the dust settles, Texas Dems and Republicans weigh the lessons from the shock upset in Senate District 9.

Read my first (of at least two) stories about this! It talks about the effort that went into electing him, plus several other important factors: www.texasobserver.org/taylor-rehme...