Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Andrew Couts

Katie Drummond @katie-drummond.bsky.social · 4h

This is a jaw-dropping, terrifying number. The CDC's workforce has decreased by 3,000 people since January.

Another round of terminations, combined with previous layoffs and departures, has reduced the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention workforce by about 3,000 people since January.

www.wired.com

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Reposted by Andrew Couts

WIRED @wired.com · 5h

Protesting this weekend? Law enforcement has more tools than ever to track your movements and access your communications. Here’s how to protect your privacy.

How to Protest Safely in the Age of Surveillance

Law enforcement has more tools than ever to track your movements and access your communications. Here’s how to protect your privacy if you plan to protest.

www.wired.com

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Reposted by Andrew Couts

Jonathan Keane @jonathankeane.bsky.social · 7h

This one's been brewing for a long time and the fact that companies making this tech have not yet properly considered people with facial differences or people with disabilities speaks volumes.

I mean, I wrote a piece about this almost 10 years ago.
www.vice.com/en/article/f...?

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Andrew Couts @couts.bsky.social · 7h

NEW: People with facial differences are being shut out of essential services due to the proliferation of face recognition tech—and at best forced to experience further rejection due to technological failures. @mattburgess1.bsky.social reports: www.wired.com/story/when-f...

When Face Recognition Doesn’t Know Your Face Is a Face

An estimated 100 million people live with facial differences. As face recognition tech becomes widespread, some say they’re getting blocked from accessing essential systems and services.

www.wired.com

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Andrew Couts @couts.bsky.social · 23h

NEW: A plan circulated among Trump officials and the Netanyahu government for rebuilding Gaza includes some 30 companies as part of the proposal. Turns out, many of them tell @wired.com they have no involvement.

@carolinehaskins.bsky.social with the scoop: www.wired.com/story/a-plan...

A Plan to Rebuild Gaza Lists Nearly 30 Companies. Many Say They're Not Involved

A presentation that has been shared with the Trump administration references Tesla, Ikea, TSMC, and more in its plan to rebuild Gaza. Some of these companies say they had no idea they were mentioned.

www.wired.com

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Andrew Couts @couts.bsky.social · 1d

🫥 www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

‘I love Hitler’: Leaked messages expose Young Republicans’ racist chat

Thousands of private messages reveal young GOP leaders joking about gas chambers, slavery and rape.

www.politico.com

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Andrew Couts @couts.bsky.social · 1d

NEW: US and UK authorities have disrupted one of the largest alleged scam operations in the world, with the US seizing a record-breaking $15 billion in Bitcoin—more money of any type in DOJ history. @mattburgess1.bsky.social and @agreenberg.bsky.social report: www.wired.com/story/feds-s...

Feds Seize Record-Breaking $15 Billion in Bitcoin From Alleged Scam Empire

Officials in the US and UK have taken sweeping action against “one of the largest investment fraud operations in history,” confiscating a historic amount of funds in the process.

www.wired.com

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Andrew Couts @couts.bsky.social · 1d

To be frank, this kind of research—straightforward with profound global privacy and surveillance implications—is rare. There is usually some caveat that makes it niche or insubstantial. This one is not that.

Andrew Couts @couts.bsky.social · 1d

NEW: A stunning new study finds that satellite transmissions—from calls and texts on T-Mobile to US and Mexico military communications—were sent unencrypted for any snoop to grab. @agreenberg.bsky.social and @mattburgess1.bsky.social have the scoop: www.wired.com/story/satell...

Satellites Are Leaking the World’s Secrets: Calls, Texts, Military and Corporate Data

With just $800 in basic equipment, researchers found a stunning variety of data—including thousands of T-Mobile users’ calls and texts and even US military communications—sent by satellites unencrypte...

www.wired.com

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Andrew Couts @couts.bsky.social · 1d

The study captured an estimated 15% of all geostationary satellites, which raised the prospect that as much as 85% of the world’s satellite communications remain insecure—subject to surveillance by anyone with $800 in equipment www.wired.com/story/satell...

Satellites Are Leaking the World’s Secrets: Calls, Texts, Military and Corporate Data

With just $800 in basic equipment, researchers found a stunning variety of data—including thousands of T-Mobile users’ calls and texts and even US military communications—sent by satellites unencrypte...

www.wired.com

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Andrew Couts @couts.bsky.social · 1d

NEW: A stunning new study finds that satellite transmissions—from calls and texts on T-Mobile to US and Mexico military communications—were sent unencrypted for any snoop to grab. @agreenberg.bsky.social and @mattburgess1.bsky.social have the scoop: www.wired.com/story/satell...

Satellites Are Leaking the World’s Secrets: Calls, Texts, Military and Corporate Data

With just $800 in basic equipment, researchers found a stunning variety of data—including thousands of T-Mobile users’ calls and texts and even US military communications—sent by satellites unencrypte...

www.wired.com

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Reposted by Andrew Couts

Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai @lorenzofb.bsky.social · 5d

SCOOP: Spyware maker NSO Group confirmed to us that the company has been acquired by a U.S. investment group.

NSO's spokesperson said the group "has invested tens of millions of dollars in the company and has acquired controlling ownership," but declined to say who is behind the investment.

Spyware maker NSO Group confirms acquisition by US investors | TechCrunch

NSO Group confirmed to TechCrunch that an unnamed group of American investors has taken “controlling ownership” of the surveillance tech maker.

techcrunch.com

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Andrew Couts @couts.bsky.social · 5d

It's so wild!!

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Andrew Couts @couts.bsky.social · 5d

NEW: Everything's... fine... @aarianmarshall.bsky.social reports: www.wired.com/story/shutdo...

The Shutdown Is Pushing Air Safety Workers to the Limit

Federal employees say that flying is still safe despite the strain on air traffic controllers. But expect even more airport delays ahead.

www.wired.com

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Andrew Couts @couts.bsky.social · 5d

exsqueeze me?

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 5d

Hegseth: "I'm also proud that today we're signing a letter of acceptance to build a Qatari Emeri air force facility at the Mountain Home Airbase in Idaho."

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Reposted by Andrew Couts

Jessica Washington @jesswash.bsky.social · 5d

ICE isn't supposed to detain pregnant women except in extenuating circumstances, but our reporting found that the Trump administration appears to be detaining pregnant women at alarming rates in deplorable conditions.

Read my latest for @theintercept.com

theintercept.com/2025/10/10/i...

The Trump Administration Is Hiding How Many Pregnant People Are in ICE Detention

The evidence indicates ICE is detaining pregnant women at alarming rates, in rapidly deteriorating conditions.

theintercept.com

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Andrew Couts @couts.bsky.social · 5d

Would love if you'd subscribe, of course! But absent that, here's the blog by the researchers this story is based on: www.kelacyber.com/blog/espiona...

Hidden Threat: North Korean IT Workers Exposed | KELA

North Korean operatives infiltrate global companies through fake freelancer profiles, funding weapons programs while stealing data and accessing infrastructure.

www.kelacyber.com

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Andrew Couts @couts.bsky.social · 5d

NEW: Apple is offering up to $2 million for exploits that can be used to infect iPhones with spyware, and bonuses for exploits used to bypass Lockdown Mode that bring total possible awards for a bug bounty to $5 million. @lhn.bsky.social reports: www.wired.com/story/apple-...

Apple Announces $2 Million Bug Bounty Reward for the Most Dangerous Exploits

With the mercenary spyware industry booming, Apple VP Ivan Krstić tells WIRED that the company is also offering bonuses that could bring the max total reward for iPhone exploits to $5 million.

www.wired.com

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Andrew Couts @couts.bsky.social · 5d

NEW: North Korean scam workers now appear to have moved from freelance IT work to designing buildings for customers in the US. @mattburgess1.bsky.social has the scoop: www.wired.com/story/north-...

North Korean Scammers Are Doing Architectural Design Now

New research shows that North Koreans appear to be trying to trick US companies into hiring them to develop architectural designs using fake profiles, résumés, and Social Security numbers.

www.wired.com

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Andrew Couts @couts.bsky.social · 6d

NEW: The developers whose ICE-related apps were removed from the Apple App Store say they're preparing to fight back. @thiccreese.bsky.social and @lhn.bsky.social report: www.wired.com/story/apple-...

Apple Took Down ICE-Tracking Apps. Their Developers Aren't Giving Up

“We are going to do everything in our power to fight this,” says ICEBlock developer Joshua Aaron after Apple removed his app from the App Store.

www.wired.com

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Reposted by Andrew Couts

David Gilbert @davidgilbert.bsky.social · 6d

How Mark Bray, author of the book on antifa, was targeted with death threats:

— Trump signs EO designating antifa as terrorists
— DHS memo warns about "antifa-aligned" individuals
— Far-right trolls target Bray on X
— TPUSA treasurer launches petition against Bray

www.wired.com/story/mark-b...

He Wrote a Book About Antifa. Death Threats Are Driving Him Out of the US

Rutgers historian Mark Bray is trying to flee to Spain after after an online campaign from far-right influencers was followed by death threats. He was turned back at the airport on his first attempt.

www.wired.com

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Reposted by Andrew Couts

Thomas M. Keck @tmksyracuse.bsky.social · 7d

Weber State administrators told student they couldn't present their research on the state's anti-DEI law at an on-campus conference on censorship(!) unless they removed all mentions of DEI from their slides

www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty...

Weber State Censors, Then Cancels, Censorship Conference

University officials said that several planned presentations violated a Utah state law banning diversity, equity and inclusion at public universities.

www.insidehighered.com

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Reposted by Andrew Couts

kate conger @kateconger.com · 7d

Jonathan Rinderknecht, a white man, was charged with starting the Palisades Fire. But on X, the company's news summary tab shows a photo of a black man.

Screenshot depicting posts on X, one showing the suspect accused of starting the Palisades Fire, a white man. The X news tab reports on the suspect's arrest, but shows a photo of a black man instead.

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Reposted by Andrew Couts

Kyle Cheney @kyledcheney.bsky.social · 7d

JUST IN: A federal judge has granted the New York Times’ demand for a list of Elon Musk’s security clearances. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

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Andrew Couts @couts.bsky.social · 8d

Read this Globe piece for the great local reporting, stay for a banger kicker

Several of the people employed there declined to speak with the Globe late last week as they walked from the center to their cars. When a reporter pressed a buzzer on the front door and identified himself, a person on the other end of the line said he would see if anyone was available to talk.

About 15 minutes later, an armed private security contractor exited the building and handed the reporter a sticky note with the phone number for ICE’s Washington-based Office of Public Affairs scrawled on it.

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Andrew Couts @couts.bsky.social · 9d

NEW: Security researchers warn that the rise of vibe coding can lead to dangerous insecurities in the software supply chain. @lhn.bsky.social reports www.wired.com/story/vibe-c...

Vibe Coding Is the New Open Source—in the Worst Way Possible

As developers increasingly lean on AI-generated code to build out their software—as they have with open source in the past—they risk introducing critical security failures along the way.

www.wired.com

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