Tyler Hicks

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...

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

“For the first time in a very long time, Democrats were operating as a team, moving in the same direction with the same goal, and that’s to win an election.”

New from Tyler Hicks: What can we learn from the historic upset in Tarrant County?

With Defense of ICE, JD Vance Clarifies His Next Target: You | Inkstick The vice president wants to use law enforcement to punish his critics — regardless of any proof of criminality.

As JD Vance doubles down on his limitless support for ICE, he is also clarifying his next target: you.

By: @tylerfromtexas.bsky.social

Donate to Washington Post 2026 layoff fund, organized by Rachel Siegel On Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, The Washington Post laid off hundreds of journalists. We ar… Rachel Siegel needs your support for Washington Post 2026 layoff fund

Whatever you think of the Washington Post at this moment, here's a chance to support the dedicated, hard-working journalists who were just laid off. If you have the means, your donation is most welcome. If you don't, a kind thought and maybe spreading the word to others is support enough 💙

Homeless Oregon youth got $1,000 a month for two years. Most found housing after • Oregon Capital Chronicle Oregon is the second of its kind in the nation to implement the direct cash transfer program after New York City.

"By the end of the two-year period, 94% of participants reported they were housed."

A million pilot programs show the same thing: when people are given enough money to afford housing, homelessness ends.

Other supports matter, but housing comes first. Not policing. Not moralizing. Homes.

Was inspired by @jamellebouie.net while writing this one

With Defense of ICE, JD Vance Clarifies His Next Target: You US Vice President JD Vance wants to use law enforcement to punish his critics — regardless of any proof of criminality.

This admin says dissent is terrorism, and JD Vance has been the chief messenger of that idea. New @inkstickmedia.com story:

inkstickmedia.com/with-defense...

With Defense of ICE, JD Vance Clarifies His Next Target: You US Vice President JD Vance wants to use law enforcement to punish his critics — regardless of any proof of criminality.

US Vice President JD Vance wants to use law enforcement to punish his critics — regardless of any proof of criminality.

By: @tylerfromtexas.bsky.social

inkstickmedia.com/with-defense...

Again, this is FALSE. Administrative warrants are NOT signed by an immigration judge (or any judge at all). They are generated and signed by ICE officers themselves with no external oversight whatsoever.

Here is a blank sample warrant. Note who signs off on it; an "immigration officer."

Sharing this crucial excerpt from my new @us.theguardian.com story.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

‘They killed him inside’: man who was son’s caretaker detained by ICE and denied final goodbye Wael Tarabishi, who has a lifelong muscle disorder, died after Maher, his father and primary caretaker, was detained

@adamserwer.bsky.social said it best: The cruelty is the point. My latest for @us.theguardian.com.

‘They killed him inside’: man who was son’s caretaker detained by ICE and denied final goodbye

Wael Tarabishi, who has a lifelong muscle disorder, died after Maher, his father and primary caretaker, was detained

ICE detains two more students from Liam Ramos’s school, officials say The brothers’ mother was taken by ICE and Minnesota educators were forced to bring the children to her

Liam, 5, has been freed, but four other students from his school district remain detained in Texas. Two boys from his elementary school were taken Thurs

“This isn’t something we are prepared or trained for. We’ve dedicated our lives to protecting + educating children,” school superintendent told me

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.

In his new book 'The Long War on Iran,' former political prisoner and sociologist Behrooz Ghamari takes a scalpel to decades of misguided US policy toward Tehran.

By: @tylerfromtexas.bsky.social

inkstickmedia.com/once-a-priso...

‘ICE conveyor belt’ illegally detaining, moving Minnesota children to Texas faster than courts can respond ICE is pulling Minnesota immigrant families with legal status out of their driveways, homes and school commutes and sending them to Texas within hours — in at least two cases against a judge’s order. ...

This is one of the reasons I have argued that ending immigrant jail should be a core demand. The capacity to hold people in jails around the country makes it easier to arrest and deport. (It also kills people and holds them hostage, but I digress).
www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...

i have just gotten off a productive call with sauron where i laid out our requests

- nazgul bodycams
- morgul knife must remain sheathed unless suspect is determined to be carrying the one ring
- shelob will be the new point of contact

ICE Threw Thousands of Kids in Detention, Many For Longer Than Court-Prescribed Limit Former immigration staffers argue ICE is choosing to detain families for prolonged periods to speed deportations and compel them to leave.

We don't really know how many children are in immigration jail. A few thousand. Many are being held long past the permitted time (20 days, which, ...). Some are babies.
www.themarshallproject.org/2025/12/17/c...

When the Border is Both the Crime and the Crime Scene In a world divided by borders, the US has a long tradition of blaming people fleeing the wars and violence it played a large part in fueling.

"You can buy into the claim that the most powerful countries on Earth are the victims of invasions or remember that actual invasions and the military campaigns that create lethal cycles of mass displacement are happening in all too many places on this planet."

Your Leaders Were Lying. Now The People Are Driving The depravity of ICE, the enthusiasm of Republicans and the cowardice of Democrats is breaking through hypernormalization

This is so good @attackerman.bsky.social

Book cover: Nobody is Protected How the Border Patrol Became the Most Dangerous Police Force in the United States Reece Jones Author of White Borders

Border Patrol executed a man in MN. "Nobody is Protected" by @reecejones.bsky.social traces the history of this incredibly violent & racist agency (recall the agents on horseback whipping Haitians during the Biden admin), inc the 1970s Supreme Court cases that sanctioned its use of racial profiling.

Could This State Senate Runoff Be a Tipping Point for Tarrant County? The special election in Senate District 9 pits “people power” against mountains of conservative cash and the rising influence of Christian nationalism.

The January 31 runoff pits Taylor Rehmet against Leigh Wambsganss, a conservative activist and executive with Patriot Mobile, the Christian nationalist cell phone carrier in North Texas.

hey, y'all. my name is madi and i'm a reporter for the minnesota reformer. i cover the trump administration's impact on minnesotans, which means i've been out on the streets covering ICE in the twin cities. let me walk you through how we got here:

Wow.

Anduril’s planned autonomous weapons factory in rural Ohio is projected to destroy/reroute wetlands and waterways - so the Ohio EPA went ahead and approved a “lowering of water quality” for the area.

In order to protect “economic considerations”

sciotovalleyguardian.com/2026/01/16/o...