what happened last week

Australia is potentially deporting hundreds of people to an island five hours away What happened Australia has started deporting people it calls “non-citizens” to Nauru, a tiny Pacific island nation. These are mostly long-term residents who lost their Australian visas after criminal convictions but couldn’t be sent back to their home countries because it wasn’t safe. The move follows a new US$1.62 billion deal between Australia and Nauru, lasting 30 years, that allows Australia to “relocate” hundreds of people there. At least three men have already been flown out, and several others are being held for removal.

What's the reaction been? There's been a lot of criticism. What's the difference? Ian Rintoul (Refugee Action Coalition) called it “replacing indefinite detention in Australia with indefinite detention on Nauru.” Who's accountable for this? Ogy Simic (Asylum Seeker Resource Centre) said the deportations are happening “under a veil of secrecy,” with no transparency or accountability. Are they OK? Will they be OK? Sarah Dale (Refugee Advice and Casework Service) said people are being sent away “without knowing if they had legal advice, health checks, or even due process.” Not much public information on the deal The biggest criticism is that the process is secretive and opaque.

Here’s some important news I learned from @shamjaff.bsky.social’s global newsletter today: Australia secretively shipping people for indefinite detention in Nauru

This world sucks sometimes, but this newsletter is great, and you should sign up for it.

Africa Malawi wants to keep more of its resource wealth within the country What happened Malawi just banned the export of raw minerals. The government wants foreign companies to stop digging up its resources and shipping them out for processing elsewhere. Instead, it’s saying: if you want Malawi’s minerals, process them here. Create jobs here.

Here’s an example of something interesting and important I learned today from @shamjaff.bsky.social. A link to her free weekly newsletter of underreported stories is in her profile. 📰

This kind of journalism is reinforcing the same flattening logic that treats the world as content that is interchangeable, aesthetic, consumable. The cost of that is empathy that never lands where it should.

The One Piece Generation The protest movement inspired by anime is fueled by frustration. Madagascar’s Gen Z is done waiting for light, water, and change — and they’re not afraid to say so.

I’m seeing a lot of “wow, look at all these Gen Z protests”-articles that lump all of these very legitimate protests in very different countries together. Just because young people lead them, and most use the One Piece logo. This is lazy journalism.

If you read today’s issue, you now hopefully have a good amount of skepticism, maybe even EWWW towards Takaichi, or “potentially Japan’s first female prime minister”, as other media call her.

You’ve entered a designated Ezra Klein–analysis exclusion zone.

Roses are red, and the skies are blue. I am finally here, and so are you.