Elise Thomas
@elisethomas.bsky.social
Senior OSINT Investigator at @cen4infores.bsky.social. Former disinfo and extremism researcher. Opinions, hot takes, mistakes all my own. https://www.clippings.me/elisethomas
I can’t decide what would be funnier, if Musk had an actual conversation with his employees about how their AI needed to extol his own personal physical hotness, or if they just did it on their own hoping the boss would like it.
oh my god i take it back, grok is amazing
November 20, 2025 at 1:01 AM
I can’t decide what would be funnier, if Musk had an actual conversation with his employees about how their AI needed to extol his own personal physical hotness, or if they just did it on their own hoping the boss would like it.
Reposted by Elise Thomas
In her latest investigation, @elisethomas.bsky.social found that A7, a Russian cross-border payments service run by convicted criminal fraudster and money launderer Ilan Shor, has helped the Kremlin work to avoid sanctions—and looked at what can be done about it.
To Evade Sanctions, the Kremlin Turns to a Convicted Money Launderer
Ilan Shor claims his Russian sanctions evasion network, A7, has moved $86 billion. Here’s how—and what can be done to stop it.
www.lawfaremedia.org
November 18, 2025 at 3:32 PM
In her latest investigation, @elisethomas.bsky.social found that A7, a Russian cross-border payments service run by convicted criminal fraudster and money launderer Ilan Shor, has helped the Kremlin work to avoid sanctions—and looked at what can be done about it.
Why would a bank hire a thief to run a payments company?
This was the question which I kept returning to while investigating the massive Russian sanctions evasion network, A7.
I think I worked it out. Here's me in @lawfaremedia.org www.lawfaremedia.org/article/to-e...
This was the question which I kept returning to while investigating the massive Russian sanctions evasion network, A7.
I think I worked it out. Here's me in @lawfaremedia.org www.lawfaremedia.org/article/to-e...
To Evade Sanctions, the Kremlin Turns to a Convicted Money Launderer
Ilan Shor claims his Russian sanctions evasion network, A7, has moved $86 billion. Here’s how—and what can be done to stop it.
www.lawfaremedia.org
November 19, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Why would a bank hire a thief to run a payments company?
This was the question which I kept returning to while investigating the massive Russian sanctions evasion network, A7.
I think I worked it out. Here's me in @lawfaremedia.org www.lawfaremedia.org/article/to-e...
This was the question which I kept returning to while investigating the massive Russian sanctions evasion network, A7.
I think I worked it out. Here's me in @lawfaremedia.org www.lawfaremedia.org/article/to-e...
How cooked are we when even the banks are like “we’re making too much money off house prices”
Commonwealth Bank, Australia's biggest lender, says home loan demand is too high reut.rs/4oMXbBN
Commonwealth Bank, Australia's biggest lender, says home loan demand is too high
Commonwealth Bank of Australia , the country's largest lender, believes demand for home loans is too high and is helping to push property prices up, Chief Executive Matt Comyn said on Tuesday.
reut.rs
November 18, 2025 at 8:19 AM
How cooked are we when even the banks are like “we’re making too much money off house prices”
Cool cool seems legit tass.com/society/2044...
November 18, 2025 at 4:30 AM
Cool cool seems legit tass.com/society/2044...
Can we ditch the metaphor that you should think of ChatGPT and similar LLMs as "like an intern."
If your intern is habitually confidently lying to you, you should fire them, and if they're constantly hallucinating then you should help them find medical help. AI is not like an intern.
If your intern is habitually confidently lying to you, you should fire them, and if they're constantly hallucinating then you should help them find medical help. AI is not like an intern.
November 14, 2025 at 4:12 AM
Can we ditch the metaphor that you should think of ChatGPT and similar LLMs as "like an intern."
If your intern is habitually confidently lying to you, you should fire them, and if they're constantly hallucinating then you should help them find medical help. AI is not like an intern.
If your intern is habitually confidently lying to you, you should fire them, and if they're constantly hallucinating then you should help them find medical help. AI is not like an intern.
The Russian government has just created a partially state-owned company with A7 and Promsvyazbank.
We @cen4infores.bsky.social have published two investigations into how A7, and its convicted criminal CEO, is evading sanctions and laundering money via cryptocurrency and shell companies. 1/
We @cen4infores.bsky.social have published two investigations into how A7, and its convicted criminal CEO, is evading sanctions and laundering money via cryptocurrency and shell companies. 1/
November 13, 2025 at 10:59 PM
The Russian government has just created a partially state-owned company with A7 and Promsvyazbank.
We @cen4infores.bsky.social have published two investigations into how A7, and its convicted criminal CEO, is evading sanctions and laundering money via cryptocurrency and shell companies. 1/
We @cen4infores.bsky.social have published two investigations into how A7, and its convicted criminal CEO, is evading sanctions and laundering money via cryptocurrency and shell companies. 1/
excuse me what
This story by @davidfolkenflik.bsky.social about Landon Thomas, former NYT reporter now appearing in the latest email tranche, soliciting a $30k contribution from Jeffrey Epstein?
Yes, you can read it here
www.npr.org/2019/08/22/7...
Yes, you can read it here
www.npr.org/2019/08/22/7...
November 13, 2025 at 3:55 AM
excuse me what
Reposted by Elise Thomas
Hey so “underage girls” are…children. The word you’re looking for is children. They’re not like, women-in-waiting or women-lite or whatever. They’re children. I think some of you are very uncomfortable with what that means for you but it is still true.
November 12, 2025 at 11:05 PM
Hey so “underage girls” are…children. The word you’re looking for is children. They’re not like, women-in-waiting or women-lite or whatever. They’re children. I think some of you are very uncomfortable with what that means for you but it is still true.
"So look the sand's black and it smells like death and sewage but don't worry, we've tested it and it's definitely fine.
Except for the microbes. Don't touch the microbes."
www.theage.com.au/national/vic...
Except for the microbes. Don't touch the microbes."
www.theage.com.au/national/vic...
November 12, 2025 at 11:22 AM
"So look the sand's black and it smells like death and sewage but don't worry, we've tested it and it's definitely fine.
Except for the microbes. Don't touch the microbes."
www.theage.com.au/national/vic...
Except for the microbes. Don't touch the microbes."
www.theage.com.au/national/vic...
Giving the Nazis days of nation-wide headline media coverage every time they do a ten minute photo op is not a good way to get them to stop doing photo ops.
November 12, 2025 at 5:30 AM
Giving the Nazis days of nation-wide headline media coverage every time they do a ten minute photo op is not a good way to get them to stop doing photo ops.
Reposted by Elise Thomas
For the first four months of its existence ASIO was named Australia's Security Service. It was quickly changed and we were robbed of a great acronym.
November 12, 2025 at 12:33 AM
For the first four months of its existence ASIO was named Australia's Security Service. It was quickly changed and we were robbed of a great acronym.
Reposted by Elise Thomas
NEW: Donald Trump has pardoned a long list of allies in his bid to subvert the 2020 election including:
-Rudy Giuliani
-John Eastman
-Mark Meadows
-Sidney Powell
-Ken Chesebro
-Christina Bobb
-Kelli Ward
-Jenna Ellis
www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
-Rudy Giuliani
-John Eastman
-Mark Meadows
-Sidney Powell
-Ken Chesebro
-Christina Bobb
-Kelli Ward
-Jenna Ellis
www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
November 10, 2025 at 5:56 AM
NEW: Donald Trump has pardoned a long list of allies in his bid to subvert the 2020 election including:
-Rudy Giuliani
-John Eastman
-Mark Meadows
-Sidney Powell
-Ken Chesebro
-Christina Bobb
-Kelli Ward
-Jenna Ellis
www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
-Rudy Giuliani
-John Eastman
-Mark Meadows
-Sidney Powell
-Ken Chesebro
-Christina Bobb
-Kelli Ward
-Jenna Ellis
www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
This was really interesting. I want to know what the company plans to do when law enforcement comes and asks for recordings from inside the homes of particular clients from them, because it WILL happen. What do they store, what will they share? @kevinroose.com @caseynewton.bsky.social
NEO, a new humanoid robot that can do housekeeping, has the internet buzzing. The hosts of "Hard Fork" met with Bernt Bornich, the chief executive of the company 1X, which created the robot, and got to put NEO to the test. nyti.ms/47MhkAo
November 9, 2025 at 9:44 AM
This was really interesting. I want to know what the company plans to do when law enforcement comes and asks for recordings from inside the homes of particular clients from them, because it WILL happen. What do they store, what will they share? @kevinroose.com @caseynewton.bsky.social
I feel like a lot of pundits are really missing the obvious by pontificating about how Trump’s vote reflected a huge swing to the right and Mandani’s to the left.
It’s much simpler than that: they’re both ‘fuck the system’ votes. It’s not left-right, it’s status quo vs literally anything else.
It’s much simpler than that: they’re both ‘fuck the system’ votes. It’s not left-right, it’s status quo vs literally anything else.
November 8, 2025 at 6:10 AM
I feel like a lot of pundits are really missing the obvious by pontificating about how Trump’s vote reflected a huge swing to the right and Mandani’s to the left.
It’s much simpler than that: they’re both ‘fuck the system’ votes. It’s not left-right, it’s status quo vs literally anything else.
It’s much simpler than that: they’re both ‘fuck the system’ votes. It’s not left-right, it’s status quo vs literally anything else.
Boxed beef…? Is this the goon of meat, what?
November 7, 2025 at 10:07 PM
Boxed beef…? Is this the goon of meat, what?
I find it quite refreshing how Google was like "we're not building an AI data centre in Christmas Island" and Reuters was just like "yeah but they're lying though" www.reuters.com/world/asia-p...
November 7, 2025 at 9:23 PM
I find it quite refreshing how Google was like "we're not building an AI data centre in Christmas Island" and Reuters was just like "yeah but they're lying though" www.reuters.com/world/asia-p...
Reposted by Elise Thomas
The man who has caused this will now be a trillionaire. 600.000 deaths, two thirds of them children.
One analytical model shows that, as of November 5th, the dismantling of U.S.A.I.D. has already caused the deaths of 600,000 people, two-thirds of them children. https://newyorkermag.visitlink.me/jUzNSc
The Shutdown of U.S.A.I.D. Has Already Killed Hundreds of Thousands
The short documentary “Rovina’s Choice” tells the story of what goes when aid goes.
newyorkermag.visitlink.me
November 7, 2025 at 12:21 PM
The man who has caused this will now be a trillionaire. 600.000 deaths, two thirds of them children.
Reposted by Elise Thomas
This summer, Russia banned online searches for "extremist" information. Federal agents have now demonstrated that they can act against overcurious Internet users within a matter of hours. meduza.io/en/feature/2...
A Russian medical student read about Ukraine’s Azov Regiment while riding the bus. Within hours, federal agents arrested him for an ‘illegal Internet search.’ — Meduza
One fine day in late September, a medical student named Sergey was riding the bus to work in Kamensk-Uralsky, browsing the Internet on his phone. He came across some photos showing the insignia…
meduza.io
November 7, 2025 at 12:14 AM
This summer, Russia banned online searches for "extremist" information. Federal agents have now demonstrated that they can act against overcurious Internet users within a matter of hours. meduza.io/en/feature/2...
Reposted by Elise Thomas
"Looking into a mirror that makes you insane" is the sort of story that has been told in countless iterations for centuries and yet here he were
November 7, 2025 at 12:58 AM
"Looking into a mirror that makes you insane" is the sort of story that has been told in countless iterations for centuries and yet here he were
Reposted by Elise Thomas
Meta earns $3.5 billion every six months from showing Faceboon and Instagram users 15 billion “higher legal risk” scam ad impressions a day, internal documents state.
That haul vastly exceeds how much the company expects regulators
To fine it for running scam ads.
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
That haul vastly exceeds how much the company expects regulators
To fine it for running scam ads.
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
www.reuters.com
November 6, 2025 at 11:46 AM
Meta earns $3.5 billion every six months from showing Faceboon and Instagram users 15 billion “higher legal risk” scam ad impressions a day, internal documents state.
That haul vastly exceeds how much the company expects regulators
To fine it for running scam ads.
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
That haul vastly exceeds how much the company expects regulators
To fine it for running scam ads.
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
Reposted by Elise Thomas
🚨🚨This is stellar investigative journalism by @kaitlintosh.bsky.social and @michelleinezsimon.bsky.social on how #elonmusk is boosting the #british right. 🧵 news.sky.com/story/the-x-...
Elon Musk is boosting the British right - and this shows how
Elon Musk is boosting the British right - and this shows how
news.sky.com
November 6, 2025 at 7:51 AM
🚨🚨This is stellar investigative journalism by @kaitlintosh.bsky.social and @michelleinezsimon.bsky.social on how #elonmusk is boosting the #british right. 🧵 news.sky.com/story/the-x-...
Reposted by Elise Thomas
"How we choose to act now will determine whether our shared basis for reality — what we see and hear — remains trustworthy."
Generative video's threat to visual truth and what we can do about it, and why concerted action matters now, in @transformernews.ai
www.transformernews.ai/p/sora-is-he...
Generative video's threat to visual truth and what we can do about it, and why concerted action matters now, in @transformernews.ai
www.transformernews.ai/p/sora-is-he...
Sora Is Here. The window to save visual truth is closing
Opinion: Sam Gregory argues that generative video is undermining the notion of a shared reality, and that we need to act before it’s lost forever
www.transformernews.ai
November 6, 2025 at 2:50 AM
"How we choose to act now will determine whether our shared basis for reality — what we see and hear — remains trustworthy."
Generative video's threat to visual truth and what we can do about it, and why concerted action matters now, in @transformernews.ai
www.transformernews.ai/p/sora-is-he...
Generative video's threat to visual truth and what we can do about it, and why concerted action matters now, in @transformernews.ai
www.transformernews.ai/p/sora-is-he...
Reposted by Elise Thomas
the first what now
Trump ally Infantino to award first Fifa Peace Prize at World Cup draw in DC
Fifa unveils a new Peace Prize to be awarded at the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington, citing a mission to honor efforts to end conflict
www.theguardian.com
November 6, 2025 at 12:00 AM
the first what now