Sex! Drugs! Community care! How do you use secure messaging apps?

By now, we’ve all heard the story that members of the Trump administration chatted casually about the country’s war plans in Yemen in a group chat on messaging app Signal, and accidentally included a journalist, sharing quite a bit of classified information and underscoring the hot mess that’s unfolded since Trump has returned to office.

I found it funny that this happened on Signal, a messaging app I use explicitly for things I don’t want the government to know about, like upcoming protests and direct actions led by organizers, or to have conversations with individuals sharing sensitive information. This is influenced by both my passion and my job, though, and I got curious: how many other people already use Signal, or why?

So I took it to the group chat and was pretty entertained with what my friends (who I’ll keep anonymous) had to say:

How about you? Do you use more secure, private messaging apps? Why? Have you made a shift recently? Let’s have a little group chat of our own – head to the web version of this newsletter and leave your thoughts in the comments. Please be sure to take our Community Values into consideration as you do! 👊🇺🇸🔥

Go deeper:

• Learn which messaging apps (including Signal, WhatsApp, and iMessage) are the most secure.

• Read a long-form article, written in 2020, on how Signal became the private messaging app for “an age of fear and distrust.”

• Explore how Signal, in its efforts to go mainstream, has always walked the line between “anarchy and pragmatism”

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

Trump wants to ‘defund’ Planned Parenthood. The Supreme Court will hear a case aimed at that. The case concerns a South Carolina policy that would prevent people from using Medicaid — which predominantly insures people of color — at the nation’s largest family planning provider. 19th News >

ENVIRONMENT

The world’s biggest youth climate lawsuit lost in court, but it “changed the world.” The landmark Juliana v. United States sparked a global movement to defend children's rights to a healthy climate, a campaign that's already scored two wins. Grist >

• More: In a Q&A with Prism, Juliana v. United States plaintiff and college student Sahara Valentine discusses the lawsuit they joined at age 10, and why various administrations fought to silence it. Prism >

The government aims to cut funding for safer streets. Here’s who would be hurt most. The Department of Transportation considers freezing funding for bike lanes and other pedestrian safety projects as the Trump administration leans into fossil fuels. Grist >

CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Family of Texas college student killed by police launches their own investigation.  Erskin Charles Jenkins, 20, was shot and killed by a 28-year-old Lubbock County, Texas, sheriff’s deputy. Capital B News >

Twelve people have died in LA jails this year, continuing deadly trend. 87 people have died in LA County jails since the start of 2023, raising concerns as Proposition 36 takes effect with stricter sentencing for low-level crimes while cutting funding for treatment programs. Advocates call for investment in community-based alternatives rather than incarceration. Vera >

Mississippi’s no-knock raids have led to death and injury. Dozens of warrants lacked clear justification. Some local courts have backed off approving no-knocks, but there are still no statewide limits on these dangerous types of raids. Marshall Project >

GAZA

Oscar-winning Palestinian director is attacked by Israeli settlers and detained by the army. Hamdan Ballal, the Oscar-winning Palestinian director of No Other Land, was attacked by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank community of Masafer Yatta, arrested by Israeli soldiers and held overnight. Democracy Now >

• More: This week, the Academy apologized for not adequately supporting Ballal.

• Also, here’s how ‘No Other Land’ became an “unlikely box office success.”

“This Eid Was Supposed to Be a Moment of Respite — Not Another Day of Mourning.” “Last Eid in Gaza was overshadowed by destruction, heavy bombardment and bloodshed. I’d hoped this Eid wouldn’t be too.” Shahad Ali, an English literature student and writer from Gaza, shares a heartbreaking first-hand account of the latest in the region. Truthout >

Children in Gaza are so hungry, they’re drawing pictures of food in the sand. Israel has blocked all aid from entering Gaza for over three weeks, the longest total aid blockade so far. Truthout >

ICE arrests of university students evoke Israel’s detainment of Palestinians. Turkish national and Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk is the latest student targeted by the Trump administration’s crackdown on speech in support of Palestinians. Prism >

IN PROTEST

From Seattle to Miami, anti-Musk protesters gather at hundreds of Tesla locations. At a rally in Los Angeles, 65-year-old Phil Ansell said he wanted to participate because "I want to do everything possible to protect democracy in this country." NPR >

The new administration’s anti-woke efforts effectively killed Women’s History Month. After Ohio University canceled a beloved women’s conference citing the Trump administration’s DEI policies, women in the community quickly organized an off-campus event. 19th News >

March for Our Lives lays off most of its staff, names new executive director. Jaclyn Corin, a Parkland survivor and one of the organization’s co-founders, plans to focus on digital strategy and youth mobilization. 19th News >

March Book Club Pick

This month, we’re reading Pet by Akwaeke Emezi!

“In a world that believes it has rid itself of all monsters, Jam discovers that some truths can’t stay buried. With a mix of fantasy and deep insight, Pet challenges us to look beyond what we’re told and consider what justice really means.”

Read along with us by subscribing to the Banned Books Book Club newsletter, following us on Instagram, and joining the live discussion on Wednesday, April 9 at 7pm EST.