Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by emptywheel

Daphne Keller

@daphnek.bsky.social

The @nytimes.com coverage of France's Grok investigation casts it as part of a conflict between U.S. & European speech rules. That's true only if you buy Elon's version.

This is a case about CSAM and NCII. Those are crimes in France, and crimes in the U.S. There's no transatlantic divide here. 1/

February 3, 2026 at 5:01 PM

emptywheel

@emptywheel.bsky.social

DOJ doesn't want Marimar Martinez to have the ability to release texts from her shooter Charles Exum, bc it might further "sully" him.

I mean, DHS is still calling her a terrorist and he called her a bitch before he shot her.

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

As such, they have no bearing on the key basis that Ms. Martinez invokes in
her motion, namely, her ability to have her voice heard in response to the DHS press
releases. Indeed, the release of these messages after the charges against Ms.
Martinez have been dismissed with prejudice will serve only to further sully Agent
Exum, his family, and co-workers without any corresponding benefit to Ms. Martinez
based on the stated reasons in her motion. In addition, Ms. Martinez has not
articulated how these text messages would or could have been introduced at trial,
further underscoring the irrelevance of the messages especially at this after-the-fact
stage in the proceedings.

February 3, 2026 at 5:34 PM

Reposted by emptywheel

Dave Byrnes

@djbyrnes1.bsky.social

Marimar Martinez will speak today at a forum organzied by Dem CT Sen. Richard Blumenthal & Dem CA Rep. Robert Garcia, on the "violent tactics and disproportionate use of force" by DHS agents.

The event begins 3 pm ET, 2 pm CST, and will be livestreamed on Facebook.

More info here:

February 3, 2026 at 2:30 PM

emptywheel

@emptywheel.bsky.social

Is anyone ever going to ask Markwayne whether he believes he'll be snatched now that ICE is snatching Native Americans?

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 16h

Markwayne Mullin: "I agree with what Lindsey is saying on defunding these sanctuary cities. We should pull our TSA agents out of their airports and not allow their airpot to be classified as international or even a regional hub. We should pull all of our aid."

February 3, 2026 at 4:35 PM

emptywheel

@emptywheel.bsky.social

From @jonseidel.bsky.social's interview with Marimar Martinez, the Chicago woman who survived being shot by CBP officer Charles Exum.

chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...

Driving away from a collision with three agents at 39th and Kedzie, Martinez felt her fingers go stiff. Her body began to feel warm, and she felt light-headed. She touched her side, looked down and realized her hand was full of blood.

The Chicago native had been shot five times. She needed a plan.

Martinez, 30, thought about driving to a hospital, but she knew she wouldn’t make it. The blood covering her phone made it impossible to dial 911. Eventually she used Siri, the voice assistant, to call for help through her car’s Bluetooth speaker.

She spotted a repair shop near 35th and California. Martinez pulled over, ran inside and found help just as consciousness began to slip away. Someone inside the repair shop helped her to a chair and held onto her. She remembers looking out a door.

“I just saw the light getting brighter and brighter,” Martinez said. “In my head, I was like, ‘I’m losing this battle.’ I wasn’t scared. … I don’t know how to explain it. But I wasn’t in pain.”

February 3, 2026 at 4:21 PM

Reposted by emptywheel

Gabriel Malor

@gabrielmalor.bsky.social

3d Cir. holds that habeas corpus petitions challenging immigration detention are "civil actions," so prevailing noncitizens may be entitled to attorneys' fees and costs under the Equal Access to Justice Act.

Gonna be a loooooooooot of these.

www2.ca3.uscourts.gov/opinarch/242...

Today the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA) provides that the prevailing private party “in any civil action (other than cases sounding in tort)” brought by or against the United States is entitled to attorneys’ fees and costs if the Government’s position was not “substantially justified” or “special circumstances make an award unjust.” 28 U.S.C. § 2412(d)(1)(A). Adolph “Lee” Michelin and Adewumi Abioye prevailed in habeas actions under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 challenging their immigration detentions. The District Courts found the Government’s positions were not “substantially justified” and awarded the detainees fees and costs. The main question these consolidated cases present is whether a petition for a writ of habeas corpus from immigration detention under § 2241 is an EAJA “civil action.” We answer yes and thus affirm.

February 2, 2026 at 6:20 PM

emptywheel

@emptywheel.bsky.social

There's no reason to believe the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers indicted on the main indictments, plural, are in ICE (though some affiliates might be, and it doesn't much matter bc Jonathan Ross is a Proud Boy fan).

Asha Rangappa @asharangappa.bsky.social · 5h

The indictment of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers revealed that they had a cache of weapons, entered the Capitol in military formation, and were prepared to harm lawmakers. They were all pardoned and no doubt many of them are now in ICE

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 16h

Bondi accuses Don Lemon of "performing an attack-style infiltration of a church"

February 3, 2026 at 3:27 PM

emptywheel

@emptywheel.bsky.social

Welcome to the New Digs, Take Two

emptywheel.net/welcome-to-t...

Welcome to the New Digs, Take Two - emptywheel

Welcome to the new digs, take two.

emptywheel.net

February 3, 2026 at 3:04 PM

emptywheel

@emptywheel.bsky.social

Here's an example of why the US frame of "escalation" is so stupid.

One of the allegations France is reportedly investigating is CSAM dissemination. That's a straight up crime, in the US and the EU. Say as much.

And explain what the DSA fine is--it's about fraud.

www.nytimes.com/2026/02/03/w...

The search on Tuesday marked an escalation in a broader dispute between European governments and American tech companies — one that has revealed sharp trans-Atlantic differences over the definition of free speech and the question of whether and how to regulate social media platforms. The issue has become particularly tense under the Trump administration, which has spoken and acted increasingly aggressively against Europeans it associates with the push to regulate American tech firms.

In recent years, the European Union has enacted sweeping regulations over the companies, whose platforms pervade modern communication, threatening them with fines unless they police their platforms for illicit content, misinformation and hate speech.

In December, the European Union issued the first fine under its new Digital Services Act, penalizing X with $140 million for violations. Last week, European Union regulators announced an investigation into X over the spread of sexualized images generated by Grok.

Europeans see their actions as a democratic prerogative necessary to protect citizens from abuse. The Trump administration sees the fines as an unfair money grab from American companies and considers the regulations to be an attack on free speech. Though there are very few restrictions on speech in the United States, in countries like France there are criminal penalties for hate speech, Holocaust denial and attacks on religion.

February 3, 2026 at 12:43 PM

Reposted by emptywheel

Jason Linkins

@dceiver.bsky.social

really see a "actually, it's hebephilia" segment in 60 MINUTES future

February 3, 2026 at 4:01 AM

Reposted by emptywheel

Raphael Satter

@raphae.li

New: Together with colleagues I’ve been testing Grok.

The chatbot still produces sexualized images —

even when told the subjects don’t consent.

even when told the photos will be used for public humiliation.

even when told the subjects are survivors of abuse.

www.reuters.com/business/des...

Exclusive: Despite new curbs, Elon Musk’s Grok at times produces sexualized images - even when told subjects didn’t consent

Elon Musk’s flagship artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, continues to generate sexualized images of people even when users explicitly warn that the subjects do not consent, Reuters has found.

www.reuters.com

February 3, 2026 at 11:37 AM

emptywheel

@emptywheel.bsky.social

I mean, he bought Xitter because it is a machine for fascism that moderation had been neutralizing.

His ability to create propaganda to lie about himself at scale is part of the reason it IS a machine for fascism.

Ryan Mac 🙃 @rmac.bsky.social · 1d

In the last 48 hours, Musk's reactions to the Epstein release show exactly why he bought Twitter.

He's used the platform to call coverage of his emails with Epstein as "lies," elevated his fans who have defended him, and gotten positive reinforcement from his AI chatbot.

February 3, 2026 at 11:40 AM

Reposted by emptywheel

Social Media Lab

@socialmedialab.ca

Looking for tools to detect AI deepfakes? A hands-on collection of methods and tools for identifying deepfakes and other AI-generated content and and verifying digital media. deepfakestracker.org/digital-fore...

Digital Forensics – Deepfakes Tracker

Digital Forensics Deepfake Detection Tools Hive Moderation provides multiple deepfake detection tools capable of identifying deepfake images, audio, and videos. Tag(s): Audio, Image, Video DeepFake-O-...

deepfakestracker.org

February 3, 2026 at 11:35 AM

Reposted by emptywheel

Sam Levin

@samtlevin.bsky.social

After Border Patrol shot two people in Portland, DHS claimed they were "vicious gang members" tied to a past shooting.

But records I obtained reveal a US prosecutor has since directly contradicted DHS, saying, "We're not suggesting he is a gang member." My dive into how DHS' claims have collapsed:

DHS’s account of two Venezuelans shot by border patrol falls apart in court: ‘A smear campaign’

Immigration officials said agent shot two ‘vicious gang members’ in Portland, but records obtained by the Guardian reveal US prosecutor contradicted claims

www.theguardian.com

February 3, 2026 at 12:45 AM

Reposted by emptywheel

Chris Geidner

@chrisgeidner.bsky.social

BREAKING: Judge Ana Reyes, in DC, issues a stay of DHS Sec. Noem’s decision to end Haiti’s temporary protected status (TPS) designation, a decision that was to go into effect on Tuesday and could have ended legal status for up to 350,000 people overnight. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
FRITZ EMMANUEL LESLY MIOT, et al.,
Plaintiffs,
Case No. 25-cv-02471 (ACR)
V.
DONALD J. TRUMP, et al.,
Defendants.
MEMORANDUM OPINION
On December 2, 1783, then-Commander-in-Chief George Washington penned: "America is open to receive not only the Opulent & respected Stranger, but the oppressed & persecuted of all Nations & Religions." More than two centuries later, Congress reaffirmed President
Washington's vision by establishing the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program. See 8
U.S.C. § 1254a (TPS statute). It provides humanitarian relief to foreign nationals in the United
States who come from disaster-stricken countries. It also brings in substantial revenue, with TPS
holders generating $5.2 billion in taxes annually. See Part VI.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem has a different take.?
eSec Noem
I just met with the President.
I am recommending a full travel ban on every damn country that's been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies.
Our forefathers built this nation on blood, sweat, and the unyielding love of freedom-not for foreign invaders to slaughter our heroes, suck dry our hard-earned tax dollars, or snatch the benefits owed to AMERICANS.
WE DON'T WANT THEM. NOT ONE.
6:52 PM - Dec 1, 2025 - 13.2M Views
' Letter from George Washington to Joshua Holmes (December 2, 1783).
2 Dkt. 90 (Second Am. Compl.) 1110 n.91. But see supra n.l.

So says the official responsible for overseeing the TPS program. And one of those (her word)
"damn" countries is Haiti. Relevant here, three days before making the above post, Secretary
Noem announced she would terminate Haiti's TPS designation as of February 3, 2026. See 90
Fed. Reg. 54733 (Nov. 28, 2025) (Termination).
Plaintiffs are five Haitian TPS holders. They are not, it emerges, "killers, leeches, or
entitlement junkies." They are instead: Fritz Emmanuel Lesly Miot, a neuroscientist researching
Alzheimer's disease, Dkt. 90 (Second Am. Compl. (SAC)) 1 1; Rudolph Civil, a software
engineer at a national bank, id. 1 2; Marlene Gail Noble, a laboratory assistant in a toxicology
department, id. | 3; Marica Merline Laguerre, a college economics major, id. 9| 4; and Vilbrun Dorsainvil, a full-time registered nurse, id. 9|5. They claim that Secretary Noem's decision violates the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), 5 U.S.C. § 706(2), and the Fifth Amendment of
the U.S. Constitution. The Government counters that the Court does not have jurisdiction, and, in any case, the Secretary did not violate the law.
Plaintiffs seek to stay the Secretary's decision under 5 U.S.C. § 705 pending the outcome
of this litigation. See Dkt. 81 (§ 705 Mot.). To decide their motion, the Court considers first whether it has jurisdiction. It does. See Part II. It then considers: whether Plaintiffs have a
substantial likelihood of success on the merits; whether they will be irreparably harmed absent a
stay; and whether a merged balance of the equities and public interest analysis favors a stay. See
Part III. Each element favors Plaintiffs. See Parts IV, V, and VI.

Finally, the balance of equities and public interest favor a stay. The Government does not
cite any reason termination must occur post haste. Secretary Noem complains of strains unlawful immigrants place on our immigration-enforcement system. Her answer? Turn 352,959
lawful immigrants into unlawful immigrants overnight. She complains of strains to our economy. Her answer? Turn employed lawful immigrants who contribute billions in taxes into the legally unemployable. She complains of strains to our healthcare system. Her answer? Turn the insured into the uninsured. This approach is many things— in the public interest is not one of them.
For the reasons below, the Court GRANTS Plaintiffs' Renewed Motion for a Stay Under
5 U.S.C. § 705, Dkt. 81.

February 3, 2026 at 12:42 AM

Reposted by emptywheel

sarah jeong

@sarahjeong.bsky.social

I interviewed an expert on what's happening with connectivity in Iran:

The longest blackout in Iran's history. Thousands dead. Documentation of war crimes dependent on Starlink. A regime that uses AI's ubiquity to undermine the credibility of evidence. www.theverge.com/policy/87184...

Shedding light on Iran’s longest internet blackout

A staggering death toll.

www.theverge.com

February 1, 2026 at 6:37 PM

Reposted by emptywheel

Erin Reed

@erininthemorning.com

Hey everyone!

Huge news! Our trans girl scout list has sold a total of 146,000 boxes as of today!

But MANY trans girl scouts only have 20, 30, 40 boxes sold.

I just resorted our list to put those on the top.

Go get your girl scout cookies and make a trans kid's day!

2026 Trans Girl Scouts To Order Cookies From!

This year, consider ordering your Girl Scout cookies from a trans girl scout to make their day!

www.erininthemorning.com

February 3, 2026 at 12:18 AM

emptywheel

@emptywheel.bsky.social

"Populist politics, online disinformation, cyber warfare, & cryptocurrency were all just scaffolding for his work as a financier and sex trafficker. A way to destabilize the global order, make connections with the world’s elites, and continue enriching himself and preying on vulnerable young girls."

Ryan Broderick @ryanhatesthis.bsky.social · 19h

I read thousands of pages of Epstein files this weekend trying to understand what he wanted out of his meeting with 4chan's Christopher Poole. Here's everything we know about Epstein's plans to dismantle the internet and, eventually, democracy.
www.garbageday.email/p/here-s-how...

February 3, 2026 at 12:21 AM

emptywheel

@emptywheel.bsky.social

Remember that the pretext for invading MN was fraud committed by Somalis (on a scale smaller than some of the fraud Trump has pardoned and/or committed).

Now, BECAUSE of the abuse arising out of the invasion has led ~14 AUSAs to quit, plus ~6 in Civil Rights.
www.startribune.com/ice-raids-mi...

Jeff Meitrodt
More prosecutors leaving Minnesota U.S. Attorney's Office
Another eight federal prosecutors have left or announced their intentions to leave the Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation.

The departures come as the office is reeling from a mass resignation last month when six veteran prosecutors quit in mid-January because of recent directives from the U.S. Department of Justice, including the department’s refusal to initiate a civil rights investigation into the killing of Renee Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross.

Among those leaving is Ana Voss, the civil division chief, who was handling hundreds of wrongful detention petitions filed since Operation Metro Surge was launched in December.

February 2, 2026 at 11:22 PM

Reposted by emptywheel

Laura Belin

@laurarbelin.bsky.social

New, by me: A must-read NYT Magazine report showed how Senator Chuck Grassley's oversight work as Judiciary Committee chair led to career FBI agents or supervisors being forced out, in some cases with no investigation supporting their alleged wrongdoing.
www.bleedingheartland.com/2026/02/02/n...

NYT report: Chuck Grassley helped end FBI careers

Laura Belin: Grassley's oversight work led to senior FBI agents or supervisors being forced out, in some cases with no due process.

www.bleedingheartland.com

February 2, 2026 at 1:46 PM

Reposted by emptywheel

Stand Up for Science!

@standupforscience.bsky.social

Big news, dorks: We're going NATIONAL! Join us for our National Day of Action on March 7th in Washington DC, or at one of our satellite rallies across the US. We're taking back our science, health, and democracy!

Find or host your local rally! standupforscience.net/march7
(Link in bio!)

February 2, 2026 at 6:54 PM

emptywheel

@emptywheel.bsky.social

It really feels like all of our theories of conspiracy are coalescing.

Byline Times @bylinetimes.bsky.social · 1d

🔴 Tommy Robinson and the London News Website Linked to a Putin-Backed Propaganda Network

Far-right activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon was appointed as an ambassador to an unregistered charity connected to a Russian 'black PR' operation, Matt Bernardini reports

Tommy Robinson and the London News Website Linked to a Putin-Backed Propaganda Network

Far-right activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon was appointed as an ambassador to an unregistered charity connected to a Russian 'black PR' operation

bylinetimes.com

February 2, 2026 at 6:29 PM

Reposted by emptywheel

Elana Levin

@levin.bsky.social

ICE was stealing equipment from the Islip Long Island fire department and a Islip Forward member documented it. ICE tried to arrest the community member but the firemen said “I don’t think so” www.islipforward.org

Press statement From Islip Forward:

At approximately 9:30 a.m. this morning, federal agents were documented using infrastructure located on the property of the Central Islip Fire Department Station 2, at 110 Wheeler Road-without prior authorization to be on or use that space.

When a volunteer with Islip Forward approached to document the activity, federal agents threatened the volunteer with arrest for alleged trespassing, despite the agents themselves operating in an area where no prior permission had been granted.

Immediately following this interaction, the Central Islip Fire Department took swift action to protect its property and the public. Temporary restrictions were implemented, including closing the gate to the area being used and preventing external access.

The use of municipal fire department property for federal enforcement activity—without authorization-and the subsequent threat directed at a community volunteer raise serious concerns about transparency, overreach, and respect for local institutions.
We are deeply grateful to the volunteer firefighters of the Central Islip Fire Department for their decisive and responsible response.

February 2, 2026 at 5:32 PM

emptywheel

@emptywheel.bsky.social

From this weekend: Among the things Harmeet Dhillon did in the days before her office personally indicted Don Lemon and others was to magnify tweets from right wing trolls about betting on criminal charges.

emptywheel.net/2026/01/31/d...