Sunday, November 23, 2025

New Book Examines the Fight for the Future of the Arctic

Fellow political geographer Klaus Dodds and I have just published a new book called "Unfrozen: The Fight for the Future of the Arctic." We’re tremendously grateful to our publisher, Yale University Press, for making the book a reality.

"Unfrozen" examines the twinned geopolitical and ecological crises facing the Arctic, where Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and climate change are both altering the terrain for cooperation and conflict. While the media hones in on the potential for a battle to break out, the region is not simply a battleground for great power projection. It remains a homeland for dozens of Indigenous Peoples, whose cultures, languages, and practices have evolved over millennia to make one of the world’s most inhospitable environments a place of sustenance, shelter, beauty, and hope. And while the Arctic is warming four times faster than the global average, issues dating back to the Cold War, like radioactive waste and decaying nuclear submarines left behind by the Soviet Union, stalk the region, too.

Change has always been a constant in the Arctic, where ice sheets have ebbed and flowed for hundreds of thousands of years. Yet some change is irreversible, at least on human timescales. Sea ice has shrunk to a quarter of its former volume. Fires fanned by a warming atmosphere now blast through ancient boreal forests whose sylvan creatures are migrating north in search of colder pastures. Some of the damage could be reversed if we halt greenhouse gas emissions. Yet as that seems unlikely, a turn towards geoengineering, which we discuss in the book, seems increasingly inevitable.

Klaus and I wrote "Unfrozen" over the past year, submitting our first draft in January 2025. As we raced against the printing deadline, we made countless updates to the text. The second inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump and his desires to annex Greenland threw one obvious wrench in the works. But we also tried to update the manuscript to reflect less bombastic yet still consequential events like Greenland’s election in March 2025 and the deteriorating security and economic situation in the NATO-Russian borderlands, where cross-border trade and exchange have dwindled to shadows of their former selves.

Additionally, as I spent a lot of time traveling in northern Norway, Svalbard, and Greenland in spring 2025 with the support of the Fulbright Arctic Initiative, we made sure to include some recent photographs, such as the one of a Greenland sled dog and her frisky puppies. The book includes 30 color photographs and three maps (all of which I made – and whose mistakes are all my own).

"Unfrozen" is out now. We’ve been delighted to receive some positive reviews from historian Michael Burleigh in The Literary Review and by writer and critic Caroline Eden in Engelsberg Ideas. I also spoke on BBC World Newshour in late September.

Mia Bennett is an associate professor in the University of Washington's Department of Geography. She researches the politics of infrastructure development in the Arctic by combining fieldwork and critical remote sensing.

This article appears courtesy of Cryopolitics and is reprinted in an abbreviated form. The original may be found here.

The opinions expressed herein are the author's and not necessarily those of The Maritime Executive.

Racing Team Launches Scientific Mission to Antarctica on Aluminum Sailboat

sailboat bound for Antarctica — The expedition is heading to Antarctica on an 85-foot sailboat (Flore Hartout photo courtesy of Team Malizia)

A team of researchers led by environmental advocate Boris Herrmann is undertaking an audacious scientific expedition to a remote archipelago at the north-eastern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. The mission marks the maiden voyage for an aluminum sailboat and team best known for its competitive racing.

Team Malizia, a professional offshore sailing team that has been racing around the world, says its goal is to create awareness of environmental issues. Known as competitors in races including The Ocean Race and the Vendee Globe, this time they are setting off on a new 85-foot (26-meter) research vessel, Malizia Explorer. They departed Ushuaia, Argentina, for the Danger Islands to undertake a survey of the remote archipelago.

The sailboat, which is designed to navigate in both polar and tropical regions, is undertaking its first mission to Antarctica, having been launched in April this year. The vessel had to wait for several days in Ushuaia for a safe weather window to cross the Drake Passage before exiting the Beagle Channel and setting sail towards Antarctica.

Pre-departure from Ushuaia, Argentina (Malizia Explorer)

The interdisciplinary team of sailing professionals, scientists, and media creators hopes to reach the southern continent after roughly four days at sea and look for the next weather window in order to continue their journey to the Danger Islands, where they will begin the scientific operations planned within the Antarctic specially protected area (ASPA) in the expedition dubbed the Danger Islands 2025.

The Danger Islands, an archipelago at the north-eastern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, consist of seven islands with a total area of around 4.5 square kilometers. Compared to the rest of Antarctica, the team reports that the peninsula is the most affected by global warming. However, it is considered a hotspot of biodiversity.

The islands are a breeding ground for a majority of Antarctic seabirds and a species-rich seabird community. It is also home to the largest population of Adelie penguins on the entire Antarctic Peninsula, with over one million breeding pairs. Germany has been spearheading efforts to safeguard the unique ecosystem and has placed the islands under strict protection with ASPA designation.

Team Malizia is highlighting that as part of Germany’s broader commitment to protecting Antarctica, researchers aboard Malizia Explorer will conduct the first detailed field study of the ecologically significant islands. The team will use drone mapping to study colonies, investigate food chains, vegetation and biodiversity, and monitor microplastic and chemical contamination, as well as take water profiles.

The team is expected to return to Ushuaia by mid-December with findings that could help lay the groundwork for future ocean protection efforts. In particular, the data collected is intended to help improve global climate models and support political decision-making.

“Over the next month, we will be operating in an exceptional environment, doing science more sustainably and sharing the experience openly with the public,” said Herrmann, Team Malizia founder and expedition leader.

The team includes researchers from the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, the Thuringian Institute of Sustainability and Climate Protection, and the German Environment Agency.

NOAA Ocean Mapping Expedition in Cook Islands Hailed as Resounding Success

Published Nov 21, 2025 9:11 AM by The Maritime Executive

[By: NOAA]

Exploration Vessel Nautilus, operated by the Ocean Exploration Trust, successfully completed a groundbreaking three-week mission to map and explore the Cook Islands’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). This collaborative effort, led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) through its Ocean Exploration program and supported by a grant to the Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute (OECI), marks a significant milestone in strengthening U.S.-Cook Islands partnerships in marine resource management.

Guided by priorities set by the Cook Islands Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA), the expedition employed remotely operated vehicles, advanced mapping technology, and telepresence to collect critical data on abyssal plain habitats. Seven Cook Island-based scientists joined the mission, which included imaging and cataloging seabed and biological compositions, providing valuable insights into diverse seafloor habitats. This publicly available data will help inform and advance the responsible management of marine resources in the region.

The mission concluded with a port event hosted by the Cook Islands Government, showcasing the expedition’s findings to the local community. U.S. representatives, including Embassy New Zealand Chargé d’Affaires David Gehrenbeck, NOAA Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere Erik Noble, and International Trade Administration Deputy Assistant Secretary for Textiles, Consumer Goods, Materials, Critical Minerals & Metals Joshua Kroon, joined Cook Island leaders to celebrate the mission’s findings.

“The success of this expedition underscores the power of international collaboration in advancing ocean exploration and sustainable resource management,” said NOAA Administrator Neil Jacobs, Ph.D. “We deeply value our relationship with the Cook Islands and we are proud to be a key partner in their mission to understand and manage the marine environment while prioritizing environmental stewardship and identifying areas for economic development.”

The products and services herein described in this press release are not endorsed by The Maritime Executive.

Eregli Shipyard Begins Construction Of Turkey's Most Powerful Escort Tug

Published Nov 22, 2025 10:14 AM by The Maritime Executive

[By: Med Marine]
On November 3, 2025, a significant milestone was celebrated at Eregli Shipyard, marking the official commencement of construction for two of Türkiye’s most powerful escort tugs, being built for the General Directorate of Coastal Safety (KEGM). The steel-cutting ceremony symbolized the first tangible step in bringing this major project to life—one that reflects Türkiye’s steadfast commitment to advancing maritime safety and operational capability in its territorial waters, and once again demonstrates the engineering excellence of Med Marine’s Eregli Shipyard.
Under the contract signed on May 5, 2025, Eregli Shipyard will construct, outfit, test, and deliver two state-of-the-art escort tugs, each measuring 42 meters in length and boasting a minimum bollard pull of 130 tonnes. Designed to perform under the most challenging conditions, these vessels will feature FiFi-I class firefighting systems, advanced control technologies, and high-precision manoeuvrability to ensure rapid and reliable response in emergency operations.
The ceremony was attended by senior representatives from KEGM and Eregli Shiyard, including Mr. Mustafa Bankao?lu, General Director of KEGM, and Mr. Gökmen K?n?k, Deputy General Director of KEGM, among other distinguished guests from the organization. The event highlighted the shared sense of pride and responsibility in building vessels that will enhance the safety of Turkish seas and contribute to the nation’s maritime strength.
Reflecting on the occasion, Mrs. Y?ld?z Bozkurt Ozcan, General Manager of Med Marine Holding, expressed his enthusiasm, stating:
“Today, we begin a project of national importance—two powerful escort tugs that will stand as symbols of Türkiye’s maritime resilience and engineering excellence. Each plate of steel we cut today represents our dedication to safeguarding our coasts, advancing our shipbuilding capabilities, and contributing to a safer maritime future for the nation.”
As sparks flew and steel met flame, this ceremony marked more than the beginning of construction—it marked the continuation of Eregli Shipyard’s enduring mission to serve Türkiye’s maritime future through innovation, reliability, and craftsmanship.
Technical specifications of the tugboats:
Length: 42 m
Max. Draft: 7,5 m
Depth: 6,4 m
Beam: 16 m
Bollard Pull: Min. 130 tons
Speed: 14 knots
Crew: 11 persons
The products and services herein described in this press release are not endorsed by The Maritime Executive.

Kongsberg Maritime to Power Med Marine’s Next-Generation Tugs

[By: Kongsberg Maritime]

Kongsberg Maritime has signed a significant contract with Turkish shipbuilder and leading tugboat operator Med Marine to supply US series azimuth thrusters and a combination of electric and hydraulic towing winches for nine new tug designs. The agreement includes Med Marine’s new ‘VoltRA’ all-electric tug, which will be built at the company’s Eregli Shipyard, renowned for its modern infrastructure and craftsmanship.

The new contract covers the supply of eight shipsets of Kongsberg Maritime’s high-performance US255 azimuth thrusters for Med Marine’s RAmparts 2500-W and RAstar 3200-W tug designs. The pioneering ‘VoltRA’ electric tug will be powered by Kongsberg Maritime’s US205 azimuth thruster. The project further strengthens Med Marine’s position as one of the most experienced builders of technologically advanced tugboats serving global operators.

The scope of supply also includes five shipsets of Kongsberg Maritime’s newly launched electric towing winches and four shipsets of hydraulic winches. Introduced earlier this year specifically for the tug market, the new electric winches have been engineered to meet the demanding operational requirements of next-generation electric tug operations. Powered by frequency converter-driven electric motors, they deliver improved efficiency and reduced environmental impact compared with conventional hydraulic systems.

Kongsberg Maritime’s US-series azimuth thrusters have long been the trusted choice for vessels where reliability, performance, and efficiency are critical. The latest generation is fully compatible with hybrid and all-electric propulsion systems, supporting the industry’s transition to sustainable maritime operations.

“This agreement with Med Marine marks a significant milestone for both our companies and for the maritime industry as a whole,” said Nils-Reidar Valle, Senior Vice President, Naval & Workboat Sales at Kongsberg Maritime. “By integrating our proven US-series thrusters and electric winches into Med Marine’s tug fleet, we’re demonstrating how advanced propulsion technology and energy-efficient engineering can work hand in hand to deliver powerful, sustainable performance. It’s an honour to support a project that sets a new benchmark for clean maritime innovation.”

The construction of the ‘VoltRA’ electric tug series underscores Med Marine’s commitment to innovation, quality, and environmental responsibility. Designed to set new standards in efficiency and emissions reduction, the ‘VoltRA’ combines cutting-edge propulsion with robust operational performance, redefining the future of tug operations.

Designed to set new standards in efficiency and emissions reduction, the VoltRA combines cutting-edge propulsion with robust operational performance, reflecting Med Marine’s vision to lead the global tug industry toward a cleaner and smarter future.

“This collaboration represents an important step forward for Med Marine as a global shipbuilder focused on innovation and sustainability,,” said Y?ld?z Bozkurt Ozcan, General Manager of Med Marine. “Partnering with Kongsberg Maritime enables us to integrate world-class propulsion and deck machinery solutions with our proven shipbuilding expertise. The ‘VoltRA’ series represents our shared vision to lead the tug industry toward a more efficient, electric, and environmentally responsible future.”

The products and services herein described in this press release are not endorsed by The Maritime Executive.

HD Hyundai Becomes First Yard Ever to Build 5,000 Ships

Welding robots at work on a panel at HD Hyundai (HD Hyundai)

HD Hyundai has passed a major milestone with the delivery of its 5,000th ship, making it the most prolific shipbuilder in history - all in just 50 years.

The total count came mostly from HD Hyundai's main yard (HHI), but HD Hyundai Mipo and HD Hyundai Samho together account for a bit less than half. Stacked bow-to-stern, the line of HD Hyundai's delivered ships would extend from Seoul all the way to Tokyo, the yard said.

"Our 5,000-vessel milestone represents the pride of Korea’s shipbuilding industry and the history of bold challenges that have reshaped the global maritime paradigm," said Chung Kisun, HD Hyundai's Chairman, in a statement.

The 5,000th vessel is a patrol ship, the Diego Silang, built and delivered for the Philippine Navy. The vessel has a range of 4,500 nautical miles and will be useful for monitoring the archipelago's far-flung waters; it is one of ten vessels the Philippine government has recently ordered from HD Hyundai.

China is now by far the most prolific shipbuilding nation, and state-owned CSSC has become the world's biggest shipbuilding group by deadweight. But HD Hyundai wants to keep the momentum going for its next 5,000 hulls, and is putting more investment into advanced technologies. On Thursday, the yard announced an agreement with the Ulsan National Institute of Science & Technology (UNIST) to move ahead with integration of AI with the shipbuilding industry. The objective is to build an "AI foundation model" for shipbuilding and maritime.

The firm has also moved responsibility for management of AI research activities directly under the office of KSOE's CEO. These operations were previously housed in KSOE's technology research institute, but are being combined and placed under the control of Kim Hyung-kwan.

Among other use cases for the technology, HD Hyundai plans to implement AI in its design process with next-gen CAD tools. AI CAD is making inroads in industry already, including in shipbuilding, and it promises to increase speed and efficiency in the drafting shop. Each business area has different uses for AI, hence the need to centralize control of implementation, the firm said.

"AI is a core technology and game changer that will fundamentally change the future manufacturing industry, and it has already begun to dominate the overall management of companies," the company said in a statement.

EU Says Going After Russia’s Shadow Fleet Remains a Priority

shadow tanker inspections — Germany at the beginning of 2025 detained the tanker Eventin (Havariekommando)

European leaders continue to work to increase the pressure on Russia with the shadow fleet and cutting Russia’s revenues from oil remaining a high priority. The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, told reporters the EU’s plan is to continue to weaken Russia, saying the sanctions are working.

Speaking to reporters are the end of the monthly Foreign Affairs Council session, Kallas said the next steps the EU is exploring include pre-boarding agreements with the flag states that register vessels. She reported that there have been “extensive diplomatic talks” to establish the inspection rights targeting the shadow tankers.

Kallas asserted that “slowing down the shadow fleet costs Russia revenues.” French President Emmanuel Macron advocated for this stance after France detained a shadow fleet tanker for a few days in September. Estonia has also taken aggressive actions to challenge some of the tankers to confirm their flags and valid insurance.

“The export of Russian crude oil is the lowest it has been in months,” Kallas told reporters. “Russian tax revenues from oil are the lowest since the war started.”

When the EU started the sanction efforts targeting the shadow fleet, Kallas reported revenues from oil shipped via the Baltic and Black Sea dropped by 30 percent. She contends the impact has increased further, saying the ministers want to work with the European Commission to be “more agile” and to do it faster. She said they do not want to wait for the next sanctions package to take further steps against the tankers.

“Sanctions are hitting Russia hard, and more are coming,” warned Kallas.

She noted that the EU has already listed more than 550 ships. It has also authorized member states to challenge tankers transiting local waters to demand proof of insurance. The EU and NATO also supported the Baltic countries in increasing monitoring efforts and in the efforts to protect the undersea infrastructure.

“Russia has repeatedly paid lip service for peace talks, and previous talks fell apart because Russia never made any real commitments,” Kallas said during the briefing. She said if Russia really wanted peace, it would have accepted the unconditional ceasefire offer made in March.

The comments came as news of a proposed new peace plan developed by the United States in consultation with Russia was announced. Critics were quick to say the plan contains large concessions from Ukraine, and it was unclear, other than a promise not to attack again, what concessions Russia might be proposing in the plan. Ukraine acknowledged the receipt of the plan and said it would be talking with the United States in the coming days about the opportunities for peace.

Danwatch: Uniformed Overseers Appear on "Shadow Fleet" Tankers in Baltic

Shadow fleet tanker Eagle S, detained in Finland and later released (Finnish Border Guard)

The steady flow of Russian "shadow fleet" tankers through the Baltic has unnerved authorities in Denmark for years, since the aging vessels transit through the Danish Straits en route to Primorsk and Ust-Luga. The straits are pilotage waters, narrow, congested and close to populated areas, and a grounding or collision could cause a billion-dollar spill. The concerns grew when a shadow fleet tanker was implicated in the launch of the drone attack on Copenhagen airport on September 22. Now, investigative outlet Danwatch has obtained unusual reports of Russian men in military uniforms aboard "shadow fleet" vessels, exercising authority and rebuffing ordinary requests from Danish pilots - a hint that the Russian government may be installing its own personnel aboard outlaw merchant tankers, which have become vital to Moscow's finances.

Danwatch received the tip from an accomplished maritime professional, Bjarne Caesar, who is an admiralty court judge in addition to his active role as a licensed marine pilot. Caesar told the outlet that shadow fleet vessels have men in uniform on deck; that pilots are treated with disdain on board, and the crews are uncooperative - an inversion of the deference and respect that pilots can normally expect; and that there is an overall atmosphere of intimidation in the wheelhouse, seemingly aimed at keeping the foreign crew in check.

Denmark's state pilotage agency, foreign minister, ministry of foreign affairs and ministry of public security all declined to comment on the matter when asked by Danwatch.

Other NATO member states have been reluctant to directly confront Russian interests in the shadow fleet. The head of Estonia's navy, Commodore Ivo Vark, told BBC that dozens of questionably-registered shadow fleet vessels pass by Estonia's waters each year - but rarely are they pursued for a flag state verification boarding.

"With the Russian presence next to our borders, the risk of escalation is too high to do it on a regular basis," Commodore Vark told BBC.

UK Accuses Russian Spy Ship of Aiming Laser at Surveillance Aircraft

The Russian spy ship Yantar has had run-ins with British forces before, but this time it has gone too far, according to the UK Ministry of Defence. The ship allegedly directed lasers at Royal Air Force pilots off the coast of northern Scotland, creating a real hazard to health and safety - and prompting a strong reaction from the British government.

At some point in the past few weeks, the Royal Navy dispatched a Type 23 frigate and a P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft to monitor the activities of the Yantar, a subsea espionage vessel belonging to the Russian Ministry of Defense's Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research (GUGI). The directorate operates Russia's top-secret minisubs, which are designed to dive deep for special missions - like emplacing subsea sensors and tampering with critical infrastructure. Yantar is a platform for deploying a manned submersible, the Project 16810 Rus-class, which is titanium-hulled and capable of reaching 20,000 feet of water depth.

The Russian threat to subsea cables and pipelines is a top concern for British defense planners, and Yantar is emblematic of that threat. While British forces were tracking the vessel off Scotland, Yantar's crew aimed a laser at a British aircraft in a "deeply dangerous" manner, according to Defence Secretary John Healey.

"We have military options ready should the Yantar change course. I am not going to reveal those because that only makes President Putin wiser," Healy said. "My message to Russia and to Putin is this: we see you. We know what you're doing. And if the Yantar travels south this week, we are ready."

The Russian Embassy in London denied any improper behavior and accused the British government of "Russophobia" and "militaristic hysteria." The embassy asked the UK to "hold off taking any destructive steps which might aggravate the crisis situation on the European continent."

Earlier this week, Russian-funded saboteurs blew up tracks on a strategic rail line in eastern Poland, according to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Loss of civilian lives was prevented by early detection of gaps in the rail line, authorities said. In response, the Polish government has closed the last Russian consulate in the country, accused Russia of state terrorism, and arrested four suspects. Pursuit of additional suspects is under way.

Thousands march in France to demand action on violence against women

By AFP
November 22, 2025

Protesters gathered in cities across France, including in Bordeaux in the south to demonstrate against violence against women - Copyright AFP ROMAIN PERROCHEAU
Marine PENNETIER, with AFP teams in Lille and Bordeaux

Thousands of protesters across France braved the cold on Saturday to express their anger over the persistence of violence against women and demand more public action and funds to combat the scourge.

In Paris, crowds of demonstrators — 50,000 according to organisers, 17,000 according to the police — waved signs, chanted, danced and sang as they moved through the capital in the protests organised by the Greve feministe (Feminist Strike) collective of some 60 organisations.

“A man kills a woman every 2.5 days in France,” read one placard distributed by the feminist collective NousToutes (All of us Women).

“Nine out of 10 victims know their rapist,” read another.

“It’s 2025, is it still normal to count our dead women?” said Sylvaine Grevin, president of the national femicide victims’ federation, whose sister was killed in 2017, ahead of the start of the Paris demonstration.

Hundreds of protesters also gathered in the cold in other cities, creating crowds awash in purple — a colour linked to feminism.

“We have the right to be loved without being abused,” said 20-year-old student Juliette in Lille in northern France.

The associations behind the protests are calling for the adoption of a comprehensive framework law against violence, along with a three-billion-euro budget ($3.5-billion) to implement it.

They are also calling for improved education and funding for groups that support victims of violence.

According to official figures published Thursday by MIPROF, a government organisation tasked with protecting women from violence and fighting human trafficking, the number of intimate partner femicides rose by 11 percent between 2023 and 2024, with 107 women killed by their partner or ex-partner.

A woman is a victim of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault every two minutes, and every 23 seconds of sexual harassment, indecent exposure, or the unsolicited sending of sexual content, according to MIPROF.

The Women’s Foundation rights group estimates the minimum annual budget the government should allocate to protecting victims of domestic, gender-based and sexual violence in France is 2.6 billion euros — equivalent to 0.5 percent of the state budget.

mep-kal-ldf-lby/sw/kjm/rsc

When it Comes to Women’s Health, The Trump Admin’s Hypocrisy is on Full Display

President Donald Trump and his cronies are peddling lies about abortion care while touting their farce advancements for women’s health.

(Photo by Shuran Huang for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Nikki Sapiro Vinckier
Nov 22, 2025

Common Dreams

Earlier this month, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made an announcement regarding the removal of broad “black box” warnings from Hormone Replacement Therapy products for menopause.

As an OB-GYN PA with more than a decade of experience in reproductive care, I know what decisions women and patients are grappling with when it comes to their health and maternal care. I also know first hand the devastating consequences of denying patients critical care when they need it the most and stripping access to care that’s been proven to be safe and effective after decades of research.

The Republican Health Care Apocalypse

President Donald Trump and his cronies are peddling lies about abortion care while being hypocrites when touting their farce advancements for women’s health. Right now, Trump and his anti-abortion administration are pulling every string possible to ban abortion and that includes banning abortion medication.

Ironically, Commissioner Makary said in a statement that “women and their physicians should make decisions based on data, not fear,” and anti-abortion extremist Kennedy Jr. said that the administration is “returning to evidence-based medicine and giving women control over their health again.”

Contrary to their assertion of trusting research and doctors, right now, the Trump administration is working to roll back access to mifepristone and reproductive care, with Makary and Kennedy Jr. at the helm.

At the press event for this announcement, while responding to a question from a reporter, Makary said that the administration is “sticking with our philosophy that the government is not your doctor.”

So, which is it? Does this administration trust women and patients to consult their physicians for what’s best on making personal medical decisions, or is that only convenient messaging when it’s pushing forward their extreme agenda?

The healthcare crisis in America is a dire one, and yet, the Trump administration continues to play political games and feign ignorance as to how their efforts to ban abortion nationwide will have a catastrophic impact on women and patients across the country.

It has been 25 years since the FDA approved mifepristone, a safe, effective medication that has reshaped abortion care in the US.

Contrary to their assertion of trusting research and doctors, right now, the Trump administration is working to roll back access to mifepristone and reproductive care, with Makary and Kennedy Jr. at the helm.

At the urging of anti-abortion politicians and junk science, the FDA has agreed to revisit its approval of mifepristone, because extremists condemned the FDA approving a generic abortion pill just last month.

We must continue to call out this hypocrisy, because Republicans know that imposing Project 2025’s abortion agenda risks significant political backlash, particularly in battleground states where abortion is either legal or popular. More than 6 in 10 Americans support keeping medication abortion available. Even many Trump voters oppose new restrictions.

Let’s be clear—this administration’s attacks on mifepristone are a national abortion test.

Project 2025, spearheaded by Trump, Kennedy Jr., and Makary, would dismantle access to one of the safest, most widely used medications in the country. Medication abortion accounted for nearly two-thirds of all US abortions in 2023.

Will women and families retain the ability to make private medical decisions—or will patients have their rights ripped away and be forced to jump through unimaginable hoops just to receive care?

If Republicans were actually committed to prioritizing women’s health in their agenda, they would invest in healthcare so expecting mothers across the country have access to the most comprehensive care available, including abortion care.

If Republicans were actually committed to protecting women and advancing medical research, they wouldn’t pull funding from clinics and hospitals dedicated to providing care for women and patients nationwide, especially in rural communities where resources are already sparse.

I’m not buying this feigned effort toward showing allyship toward women, when everything that this administration has done since January has been an assault on women’s health and the care we undoubtedly need. Physicians and providers like me spend years in schooling and training so we can provide the best care to our communities, and yet this administration undermines those years of dedication and expertise to appease an extreme anti-abortion minority.

If Trump, Makary, and Kennedy Jr. want to walk the walk in advancing women’s healthcare, they should start with looking at themselves and acknowledging the harm that they are doing across the country to the detriment of the American people.

Lives are at stake, and we are waiting for them to mean what they say.

Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.

Nikki Sapiro Vinckier
Nikki Sapiro Vinckier, PA-C, is an OB/GYN physician assistant, reproductive health strategist, Free and Just storyteller, and founder of Take Back Trust—a national platform providing tools, education, and advocacy to help people navigate reproductive care in all 50 states. With over a decade of clinical experience and a growing digital presence, she works at the intersection of medicine, media, and movement to defend reproductive freedom and build patient power.
Full Bio >

AMERIKAN GESTAPO

We Go As We Please: What the Fuck Is Wrong With Y’all

Jittery ICE agent in Chicago randomly points weapon at kid in crowd
Photo by Anthony Vazquez/Chicago Sun-Times

Abby Zimet
Nov 19, 2025

Further

COMMON DREAMS

The American Gestapo’s brutish, racist, unholy crusade rampages on. They’ve now left Chicago - trailing tear gas, court losses, manifest lies, the wrath of a people - to terrorize diverse blue Charlotte NC with its “cowardly fascist pigs doing cowardly fascist pig things.” In a new “offense to history,” they even named their latest depravity Operation Charlotte’s Web. its author E.B. White, a stirring voice for democracy and inclusion who decried the “smell” arising from those who “adjust to fascism,” weeps.

Thanks to his big butt-ugly bill’s profane gift of $75 billion to thugs fighting an imaginary invasion of “criminal illegal aliens” and other forms of “domestic terrorism” by brown people, nearly half of FBI agents and countless Homeland Security workers have been pulled off other issues (like homeland security) and reassigned to round up deadly day laborers, taco makers and baby-sitting abuelas - coincidentally and not vengefully at all, mostly in Dem-run cities. Key to keeping the ethnic cleansing program churning is fascist ghoul Stephen Goebbels Miller, who sees every critic or court loss as “legal insurrection” and “domestic terrorist sedition” - what Jan. 6?- against federal government heroes who have immunity no matter their atrocities because, “This campaign of terrorism will be brought down.”

Miller’s fever dreams are echoed in the frenzied white nationalist agit-prop DHS spews to lure thugs to JOIN.ICE.GOV: “America has been invaded by criminals and predators. We need YOU to get them out.” The rhetoric is brown-shirted: “We’re Taking Back America,” “The Enemy Is At the Gates,” “America For Americans,” “We Are Asleep No Longer,” and, from the video game Halo whose villains are zombie parasites, “Destroy the Flood.” They’ve even tossed into their state-sponsored domestic terrorist campaign Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders from the Spanish-American War - “We have room for but one flag, the American flag” - evidently unaware they were famously diverse, from cowboys to elites to Native Americans. George Conway on the brazen language: “It’s hard to Nazi what’s going on here.”

Despite vastly lowering standards and offering $50K bribes, DHS is still struggling to find enough sadists, losers, sexual predators, “pudgy militia stooges” and Marx’ “scum, offal, refuse of all classes” to fill their ranks of bounty hunters. As a result critics, often cops, say it’s clear from videos of wild, ham-fisted abductions, “There’s something off with those guys - they’re out of control.” Many cite operations “built on spectacle, not evidence,” with “a total abrogation of responsibility or training” and illegal practices like chokeholds meant to “send a message of brutality...”They’re just fascist shows of force to satiate the creepy desires of an old man who wants to seem macho.“ In Chicago, those abuses led to multiple court orders to rein them in, and even a call from Mayor Brandon for the UN to investigate them.

Response from a Chicago bounty hunter when a resident began filming him.

Photo from Bluesky

“Operation Midway Blitz,” the terrorizing of Chicago’s brown-skinned population from early September to last week, saw 3,100 people, including U.S. citizens and children, detained, perhaps 1,100 of them deported or agreed to leave, lively communities shrunk to ghost towns, widespread trauma, inspired resistance, and a shitshow of often deranged violence by grossly ill-trained goons. They shot at least 2 people, killing one. They repeatedly, indiscriminately shot rubber bullets, flash-bang grenades, teargas and smoke bombs at protesters, journalists, first responders, pastors, and outside an elementary school. They handcuffed a city alderman at a hospital, pepper-sprayed a one-year-old in the face, beat up and bloodied the people they detained. They undertook 8 car chases that ended in 8 crashes.

In one of their most ludicrous, performative flops, they launched a flamboyant raid on an apartment building allegedly filled with Venezuelan gang members - rappelling from a Black Hawk helicopter, smashing doors, seizing families and crying kids, dragging them into the cold, zip-tying, leading away and slickly videotaping 37 victims in what Goebbels hailed as a counterterrorism victory that “saved God knows how many lives” - except all the drama resulted in zero criminal charges. Again and again, the bombastic cruelty proves both hollow and illegal: In a lawsuit about conditions at Broadview detention facility, a judge “literally ordered DHS to clean up their shit” after agreeing detainees were being held without access to beds, toilets,food, water, counsel, telephones, anything approaching basic humanity.

The malfeasance kept bigly backfiring on them. Last week, another judge, citing “repeated, material violations,” ruled that 614 detainees at Broadview should be released on a $1,500 bond following an earlier class action lawsuit charging their detentions contravened a Biden-era consent decree limiting warrantless arrests; he also barred them from being deported. Of the 614 named, just 16 have criminal records, usually minor, and will not be freed. The other 97.4% were just randomly grabbed and shoved in vans, mostly while working, commuting to or from work, or at Home Depot looking for work, leaving little time for the gang murders they’re alleged to indulge in. Sensibly and hysteria about terrorism notwithstanding, the judge decided it was “highly unlikely” they constitute the infamous “worst of the worst.”

Overseeing much of this hapless carnage is preening, Napoleonic, 5’4“, Nazi-coiffed Greg Bovino, who goes to work ”with a Bowie knife in his belt - it’s all for show.“ Bovino often posted heroic photos of his time in Chicago, like on a Mekong-esque patrol boat - ”Where streets end, our Marine Unit begins“ - and when he slammed a city official to the ground and paraded him around ”like in some kind of masked-domination fantasy reboot of the Battle of Midway and the London Blitz, but where the Nazis were the good guys.“ His contempt for heeding the law is so great that, when he got hauled before another judge in a lawsuit ripping his violence - teargassing students, no body camera, repeatedly lying, ”force (that) shocks the conscience“ - and she issued a restraining order, it took him just days to violate it.

On Friday, ongoing protests at Broadview erupted in scuffles that ended in several injuries and 21 arrests. Among the detainees was Rev. Michael Woolf, pastor at Lake Street Church and one of many faith leaders who’ve long put their bodies out there to decry a “black hole” of a facility, tell those inside “we didn’t forget you,” offer weekly witness “at the picket line, amid the tear gas,” and declare the moment “absolutely a spiritual emergency...We are somewhere in 1930s Germany, and whether the church is going to be silent is being tested.” In this commitment, he joins Catholic bishops, journalists, rights advocates, former federal officials and other critics who’ve blasted the months of mindless brutality, abduction, fear-mongering and gutting of communities. One attorney: “This is not law enforcement. It is terror.”

The Rev. Michael Woolf was slammed to ground at Broadview protest

Photo by Ashlee Rezin/Chicago Sun-Times

Still, Chicago has sought to rise to the challenge. The nation’s third-largest city, with a history of fierce labor activism, it likes to view itself as “a collection of small towns with Midwest sensibilities,” where “people know their neighbors (and) word spreads quickly.” Organizers began building a broad grassroots coalition right after Trump’s election: “We knew what was coming. Trump wants to terrify Chicagoans into submission - we aren’t having it. Mayor Brandon Johnson created an Office of Immigrant, Migrant, and Refugee Rights to strengthen sanctuary protections, declare an ”ICE Free Zone,“ expand access to resources and local groups launched multiple resistance efforts, many in the largely Latino Little Village: Rapid Response teams, neighborhood patrols, ICE-spotting hotline, Know-Your-Rights flyers.

Volunteers escorted kids to school and families dropping them off; for those afraid to go out, they did grocery runs and gave out ride-share gift cards. A West Side group hosted “Whistlemania” events, packing over 17,000 kits with warning whistles, resource guides, tips on what to do if ICE turns up. MigraWatch trained over 2,000 people to monitor raids and tell people their rights. Everyone honked horns. To help often-targeted Latino street vendors - tacos, flowers, candy, tamales - cyclists organized “buy-out” events, emptying stands and delivering the goods to shelters or families in need. Pop-up events raised money for vendors, restaurant crawls helped keep Latino-owned eateries open, students held walkouts, tracked unmarked SUVs, monitored ICE hot spots to keep neighbors safe.

“The strategy here is to make us afraid. Our response is a bunch of obscenities and ‘no,’” said one resident. Of those threatened, she said, “We’re showing we care about them, even if the federal government doesn’t.” Organizers also sought to create a template for other besieged cities to follow - a tactic that’s evidently worked as North Carolina towns face their own “reign of terror.” Tellingly, before leaving, Bovino berated Chicago as “a very non-permissive environment”; weirdly, he then gathered his gang of armed sadists in their masks and fatigues for a photo op by their agit-prop team at Anish Kapoor’s landmark sculpture Cloud Gate, or The Bean; preposterously, because they exist beyond irony, on command they shouted not “cheese” but “Little Village,” the community they’ve been terrorizing.

Saturday, they moved on to Charlotte, which has a black female mayor and black male sheriff; he and four other black sheriffs in the state’s largest counties were all elected on platforms opposing ICE after fierce organizing by immigrants’ groups. DHS said they were “surging“ agents to Charlotte ”to ensure Americans are safe“; they also charged ”sanctuary politicians“ letting alleged criminals ”roam free on American streets“ ”failed to honor“ ICE detainers - so, keep people in prison to not hurt goons’ feelings? Given Charlotte’s diversity, its low crime rate, and Dem Gov. Josh Stein’s charge ICE is just ”stoking fear,“ their arrival was widely deemed ”pure racism and retribution.“ Also, Bovino is from there and attended Western Carolina University before becoming a stormtrooper; his parents, if he had any, must be so proud.

The abuses came fast. En route to work Saturday morning, Willy Aceituno stopped at Pollo Campero to get breakfast; Honduran-born, he’s a U.S. citizen. At the door, he was confronted by thugs for living while brown; he showed his REAL ID, they let him go. Minutes later, in his truck, more thugs; he declined to open his window or answer their questions with, “Why don’t you ask other people? Why just me?” They smashed his window, dragged him out, slammed him to the ground; livid bystanders yelled, “They just I.D.'ed him!”, “Don’t you guys coordinate?”, “This whole thing’s wrong, man!” and “What the fuck is wrong with y’all?” After driving off with him, he later said, they finally looked at his I.D. and let him out of the car; when he asked for a ride back, they told him to get lost or they’d arrest him again.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Charlotte, meanwhile, grew quiet, with residents “reeling” from the ugly incursion. Protesters marched and chanted, “Fuck Donald Trump”; drivers honked thug warnings; a woman in a car kept yelling, “This is an illegal traffic stop” until nervous goons pointed guns at her. But many restaurants stood empty, street vendors dwindled, small businesses and foreign markets shut down. Manolo’s, a Colombian bakery that’s closed once in 28 years, did again after thugs chased and tackled customers when they left; the owner didn’t want to carry the weight “of maybe a kid to lose their father or mother on their way (to) get a cake.” Outside apartment complexes, auto parts stores, Wal Mart, masked agents menacingly patrolled, grabbing “whoever they see as Latino” and bumbling with handcuffs before driving off with them.

Panicked churchgoers fled after masked agents came and snatched a member as scared kids cried; one 15-year-old: “We thought church was safe.” Thugs “geared up like they’re in Fallujah” chased a flower-shop owner into the woods; bystanders followed, filmed, shamed them into clumsily retreating. The owner of a laundromat stayed open but locked the door behind each customer. as louts patrolled outside: “I know these folks, and I’m pretty sure they’re not criminals...People need to do laundry. Laundry does not discriminate.”An older woman having coffee on her porch as two guys she’d hired hung her Christmas lights chased off goons who came by “looking for easy pickings.” “We’ve got two human beings in my yard trying to make a living,” she raged. “It’s an abuse of all our laws.”

At a grocery store, Bovino heroically helped bulky guys in camo snare a teenager pushing carts and pin him to the ground; as agents drove out, they smirked at appalled residents filming them. And a neighbor filmed goons chasing down two women, U.S. citizens, who’d been honking at drivers to warn of a raid; as they pulled into their driveway, the guys aimed a rifle, screamed to open the car window, smashed it, hauled them off. The neighbor, in disbelief: “This is our reality now.” In a scathing editorial, The Charlotte Observer blasted that reality of a hateful regime that’s “already failed...with every unnecessarily smashed window, every sneer at due process, every federal agent’s smirk.” While the cruelty is still the point, they write, “It turns out Americans don’t like masked federal agents gleefully stomping on our core values.”

An oblivious, Bovino keeps celebrating doing it anyway, crowing on social media of his success in Charlotte. He touted the arrest of a “criminal illegal” with an alleged history of drunk driving, bragging he took him “off the streets so he can’t continue to ignore our laws (like he is) and drive intoxicated on the same roads you and your loved ones are on.” He gloated about capturing his latest victim with a photo of her in tears. He boasted 81 people were detained Saturday - the total eventually climbed to 130 - with, “We had a record day today!!!!!” He added, “With some good criminals also,” evidently forgetting the tired, worst-of-the-worst claim. Many had “significant criminal and immigration history,” he said, then listing minor breaches like DUI, larceny, and removal orders - which have always been, and remain, a civil offense.

His transgressions grew yet more egregious when he doubled down on the assault’s grotesque Charlotte’s Web shtick. Alongside a video of two victims, Bovino quoted, wildly out of context, the gentle, eloquent, freedom-loving E.B. White, who created a generous, compassionate spider, Charlotte, who uses her web and words for good, to save Wilbur the pig. “By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift up my life a little,” she says. “Heaven knows anyone’s life can stand a little of that.” Bovino, deeply ignorant of lifting up a life, appropriated the words of Charlotte’s babies as they hatch and fly off: “Wherever the wind takes us. High, low. Near, far. East, west. North, south. We take to the breeze, we go as we please.” He then crudely, basically added, “Us too!” with, “Our agents go where the mission calls.” Just fucking fuck off, you fascist fucking loser.

Bovino, raged both White’s granddaughter and literary executor Martha White and Law Dork‘s Chris Geidner, “is exactly who E.B. White warned us about.” Geidner praises White, who once shamelessly admitted he believed in freedom “with burning delight,” as “a leading voice for American democracy.” In a 1940 essay, before the U.S. entered World War II, White described America’s worrisome reaction to the rise of Nazism as “a sort of dim acquiescence.” “The least a man can do at such a time is to declare himself and tell where he stands,” he wrote, adding he was “suspicious of people beginning to adjust to fascism and dictators. From such adaptable natures a smell rises. I pinch my nose.” After Charlotte, Bovino and his thugs went to Raleigh, where they were fiercely denounced; said Mayor Janet Cowell, “We didn’t ask for this.” Neither did 16-year old Manny Chavez. “Everyone is scared,“ he said. Still, he spoke up.

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment