Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Tim Steller

@timsteller.bsky.social

2.2K followers 280 following 630 posts

Metro columnist, Arizona Daily Star, Tucson Email: [email protected] Signal: timsteller.87

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Tim Steller @timsteller.bsky.social · 6h

Column: Across Tucson, conflicts have surged over people setting up camps, doing drugs and trashing the area. The cause of the latest, where neighbors say a church has done little to reduce the impacts of its charity work, is like the others: A sense of powerlessness.
tucson.com/news/local/s...

Tim Steller's column: Powerless feeling causes Tucson homeless conflicts

For Star subscribers: Across Tucson, conflicts are popping up between neighborhood residents and the city over homeless camps. The residents aren't always right, but they ought to be listened to.

tucson.com

1 2 1

Tim Steller @timsteller.bsky.social · 4m

How did you become "aware"? By reading it?

Tim Steller @timsteller.bsky.social · 4h

There are many ways for you to read a story in the Arizona Daily Star, your local newspaper. I suggest you utilize one of them.

Tim Steller @timsteller.bsky.social · 4h

80 of the University of Arizona's most elite faculty, all Regents professors, are calling for rejection of the Trump administration's proposed compact. They make a key point I hadn't really focused on: The compact's benefits are completely nebulous.
tucson.com/news/local/s...

About 80 top U of A professors urge rejection of Trump compact

There's no assurance the University of Arizona would actually get funding benefits for complying, the Regents professors warn.

tucson.com

1 9 16

Tim Steller @timsteller.bsky.social · 6h

Tim Steller's column: Powerless feeling causes Tucson homeless conflicts

For Star subscribers: Across Tucson, conflicts are popping up between neighborhood residents and the city over homeless camps. The residents aren't always right, but they ought to be listened to.

tucson.com

1 2 1

Reposted by Tim Steller

Andrea Hoerr @awilddre.bsky.social · 20h

Yaay!! Rain in Tucson is amazing. 💚⛈️

Thunder clouds over the mountains. The clouds are illuminated by the sun and are a vibrant yellow orange. The light is reflected in the rainy street.

9 17 310

Reposted by Tim Steller

Scott MacFarlane @macfarlanenews.bsky.social · 22h

Loss in court for Trump Admin:

Appeals court blocks the deployment of National Guard troops in the Chicago area amid ongoing protest

www.cbsnews.com/news/nationa...

Appeals court temporarily blocks deployment of National Guard troops in Chicago

The Defense Department announced earlier this week that about 200 National Guard soldiers from Texas and another 300 from Illinois were federalized and sent to the Chicago area.

www.cbsnews.com

11 210 790

Tim Steller @timsteller.bsky.social · 1d

Before the Trump compact arose, University of Arizona leaders already embarrassed themselves and the university with their impetuous, harmful decision to close four microcampuses in China serving 2,200 students. @preranawrites.bsky.social reports on the impacts.
tucson.com/news/local/s...

Chinese students blast U of A for closing campuses under GOP pressure

For Star subscribers: Students and faculty of four micro-campuses in China the University of Arizona closed last month are blasting the school's decision as abrupt and leaving them without a

tucson.com

4 7

Reposted by Tim Steller

Matthew Terrill @matthewterrill.bsky.social · 1d

I was already a hard AI-skeptic but this cements my long suspicion that there is no feasible path to anything close to return on invested capital for these data centers. Tech would need 15 to 25 times current AI revenues within the next 2-3 years just to break even. Not financially viable.

"I clearly hit a nerve in the industry, when judging by the number of individuals who reached out to chat," he wrote in an followup blog post. "In total, l've spoken with over two-dozen rather senior people in the datacenter universe, and there was an interesting and overriding theme to our conversations: no one understands how the financial math is supposed to work. They are as baffled as I am, and they do this for a living."
Kupperman's original skepticism was built on a guess that the components in an average Al data center would take ten years to depreciate, requiring costly replacements. That was bad enough: "I don't see how there can ever be any return on investment given the current math," he wrote at the time.
But ten years, he now understands, is way too generous.
" had previously assumed a 10-year depreciation curve, which I now recognize as quite unrealistic based upon the speed with which Al datacenter technology is advancing," Kupperman wrote. "Based on my conversations over the past month, the physical data centers last for three to ten years, at most."
In his previous analysis, Kupperman assumed it would take the tech industry $160 billion of revenue to break even on data center spending in 2025 alone. And that's assuming an incredibly generous 25 percent gross margin - not to mention the fact that the industry's actual Al revenue is closer to $20 billion annually, as the investment manager noted in his previous blog.

"In reality, the industry probably needs a revenue range that is closer to the $320 billion to $480 billion range, just to break even on the capex to be spent this year," Kupperman posited in his updated essay. "No wonder my new contacts in the industry shoulder a heavy burden - heavier than I could ever imagine. They know the truth."
Kupperman called that gulf between tech industry spending and actual revenue in 2025 "astonishing."
However, it doesn't even begin to scratch the surface. For example, how does it all shake out when we account for 2026, when hundreds of new data centers are expected to pop up?
"Adding the two years together, and using the math from my prior post, you'd need approximately $1 trillion in revenue to hit break even, and many trillions more to earn an acceptable return on this spend," he writes.
"If the economics don't work, doing it at massive scale doesn't make the economics work any better
- it just takes an industry crisis and makes it into a national economic crisis," he concludes.
Overall, the pessimists broadly agree: it's no longer a matter of if Al is massively overhyped, but when the whole thing comes crashing down.
More on Al hype: Data Shows That Al Use Is Now Declining at Large Companies

13 170 480

Reposted by Tim Steller

LongTime🤓FirstTime👨‍💻 @longtimehistory.bsky.social · 1d

ICE secretly kidnap autistic boy during bathroom break—never notify parents.

Mother reported him missing a week ago—turns out ICE had him detained the whole time.

He was helping sell fruit and asked to go to the restroom—by the time she was done helping a customer he was gone.

Houston, Texas

200 2.2K 3.9K

Reposted by Tim Steller

Clara Jeffery @clarajeffery.bsky.social · 1d

One of the best distillations of this moment I have come across www.tiktok.com/t/ZTMDhSBVc/

“I was socialised through misogyny, like most boys. I still remember as an eight-year-old, nine-year-old, that our socialisation process as boys revolved around hating girls.” Economist Yanis Varoufak...

TikTok video by Novara Media

www.tiktok.com

5 21 91

Reposted by Tim Steller

Mark Joseph Stern @mjsdc.bsky.social · 2d

This arrest appears to be in direct violation of a temporary restraining order prohibiting DHS officers from arresting journalists. The officers here may well be subject to contempt of court. protectdemocracy.org/wp-content/u...

It is hereby ORDERED that Defendants,' their officers, agents, assigns, and all
persons acting in concert with them (hereafter referred to as "Federal Agents"), are temporarily
ENJOINED in this judicial district from:
a.
Dispersing, arresting, threatening to arrest, threatening or using physical
force against any person whom they know or reasonably should know is a Journalist, unless Defendants have probable cause to believe that the individual has committed a crime.

120 1.3K 3.2K

Tim Steller @timsteller.bsky.social · 2d

The University of Arizona's president has issued his first response to the proposed "compact" with the Trump administration.
tucson.com/news/local/e...

U of A president breaks silence on White House compact

University of Arizona President Suresh Garimella sent an email to the campus community about the White House’s proposed higher education compact, a week after receiving it.

tucson.com

2 2 4

Tim Steller @timsteller.bsky.social · 2d

I’m calling utter bullshit.

CJ Ciaramella @cjciaramella.bsky.social · 2d

UPDATE: In emailed statement to me / @reason.com, DHS alleges that WGN-TV producer Debbie Brockman "threw objects at Border Patrol’s car and she was placed under arrest for assault on a federal law enforcement officer."

Screencap of email from DHS public affairs: Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin:

“U.S. Border Patrol was conducting immigration enforcement operations and when several violent agitators used their vehicles to block in agents in an effort to impede and assault federal officers. In fear of public safety and of law enforcement, officers used their service vehicle to strike a suspect’s vehicle and create an opening. As agents were driving, Deborah Brockman, a U.S. citizen, threw objects at Border Patrol’s car and she was placed under arrest for assault on a federal law enforcement officer.

“This incident is not isolated and reflects a growing and dangerous trend of illegal aliens violently resisting arrest and agitators and criminals ramming cars into our law enforcement officers. These attacks highlight the dangers our law enforcement officers face daily—all while receiving no pay thanks to the Democrats’ government shutdown.”

2 3 12

Reposted by Tim Steller

Emissary Of Night | ليلى @diplomatofnight.com · 3d

Netanyahu's mouthpiece, Amit Segal, casually admits on Twitter that his country has been holding 1,700 people from Gaza hostage, including children.

Among other things, according to the decision:

- 250 security prisoners will be released.
- 1,700 residents of the Gaza Strip who were not involved in the events of October 7 and were arrested after the massacre will be released.
- 22 minors under the age of 18, residents of the Gaza Strip who were not involved in the events of October 7 and were arrested after the massacre, will be released.
- 360 bodies of terrorists will be returned.

33 740 1.6K

Reposted by Tim Steller

Mark Jacob @markjacob.bsky.social · 2d

BREAKING: Federal Judge April Perry is ordering a temporary halt to Trump's deployment of National Guard troops in Illinois.

Jon Seidel @jonseidel.bsky.social · 2d

Perry says the order will say defendants are "temporarily enjoined from ordering the federalization and deployment of the National Guard of the United States within Illinois."

6 110 390

Reposted by Tim Steller

Danny K @dannykpolitics.bsky.social · 6d

WATCH: ‘Portland Frog’ pepper balled by ICE agents

330 2.4K 9.4K

Tim Steller @timsteller.bsky.social · 3d

The Tucson City Council unanimously passed a resolution opposing the Trump administration's proposed compact with the University of Arizona. "Tucson's future depends on protecting that freedom to learn, to question, to innovate without fear of political pressure."
tucson.com/news/local/g...

'Capitulation is not in Tucson's nature': City Council opposes Trump compact

The Tucson City Council passed a resolution Wednesday night opposing the Trump administration's "compact" sent to the University of Arizona last week.

tucson.com

4 13

Tim Steller @timsteller.bsky.social · 3d

No, it’s part of the decline of the financial model. They have cut so many positions as revenue declined, and found it easier to cut the ones that don’t produce “content.”

Tim Steller @timsteller.bsky.social · 3d

Amen. The decline of journalistic institutions has meant the near disappearance of editors who catch your mistakes, big and small.

violent alien @blipstress.bsky.social · 3d

An actual hot take: Too many authors are afraid of editors watering down their voice or whatever and not afraid enough of editors letting you put any old slop on the page.

1 1 7

Reposted by Tim Steller

Steve Randy Waldman @interfluidity.com · 5d

a way to understand Bari Weiss’ ascendance is that capital absolutely does not want to “turn down the temperature” on culture war, au contraire they understand culture war to be their most successful media project and want more more more.

39 260 1.2K

Tim Steller @timsteller.bsky.social · 4d

Chicago is punished, and Florida is rewarded, for Trump's ICE and National Guard deployments.

The Associated Press @apnews.com · 4d

A soccer match between Argentina and Puerto Rico was moved from Chicago to Florida amid immigration crackdown, AP source says.

Soccer match between Argentina, Puerto Rico moved from Chicago to Florida amid immigration crackdown

A soccer match between Argentina and Puerto Rico, originally scheduled for next week in Chicago, has been relocated to Florida because of unrest linked to the immigration crackdown in the city, according to a person familiar with the decision.

bit.ly

Tim Steller @timsteller.bsky.social · 4d

I hear you, but public transit is not unusable. Most people who use it find it safe enough. We're talking about a real problem plus a perception problem.

Tim Steller @timsteller.bsky.social · 4d

Column: Bus safety has become a big problem in Tucson's Sun Tran system, so you'd think the candidates and interests talking about it would have proposed fixes, right? Actually, not so much. The City Council is weighing solutions, though, as the election approaches.
tucson.com/news/local/s...

Tim Steller's column: Bus safety now a politically charged Tucson campaign issue

For Star subscribers: The union for Tucson bus drivers made a surprising endorsement Monday, but neither the Teamsters nor the candidate have much of a proposal for reducing violence on,

tucson.com

1 3

Reposted by Tim Steller

John Pfaff @johnpfaff.bsky.social · 4d

Um, ICE just coldly shot an unarmed PRIEST in the head w a pepper ball when he (and everyone around him) clearly posed no threat.

For the crime of … complaining about government policy.

Core 1A speech.

With cameras rolling, they’re sniping priests for sport.

Kurt @flglchicago.bsky.social · 4d

Here’s video of the incident

900 9.5K 17K

Reposted by Tim Steller

Gillian Brockell @gbrockell.bsky.social · 4d

I’ve been anxiously awaiting this story about the private jet that has done most of the ICE flights to Africa since August, and @jerodmacevoy.com knocked it out of the park.

So much new information.

azmirror.com/2025/10/07/t...

Trump's African deportation operation runs through a Phoenix airport

Arizona's Mesa Gateway Airport serves as hub for Trump's ICE Air deportation flights to Africa as ICE expands operations

azmirror.com

4 24 45