March 4, 2024

While border politics and mass migration will be key issues in this year's presidential election, back in the 1980s candidates were all about getting tough on crime. Historian Reiko Hillyer traces the changes in America's prison systems throughout the 20th century in her new book, "A Wall Is Just a Wall." She joins Michel Martin to discuss.

The threat of an Israeli incursion into Rafah still looms large. Daiana Al-Bukhari is now a Rafah resident, having been displaced three times from her home in Gaza City. Despite internet connection problems, Al-Bukhari has kept her nearly 100,000 Instagram followers up to date. She joins the show to describe what life is like in Gaza under siege and heavy bombardment.

Conditions are desperate in Gaza. Meanwhile, Israel refuses to send a delegation to Cairo for ceasefire talks with Egyptian, Qatari and U.S. mediators. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak has been a prominent critic of the Israeli government’s handling of this war and recently called for early general elections in Israel. He joins the show from Tel Aviv.