Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

LightNews

Graham Webster

@gwbstr.com

3.1K followers 580 following 1.3K posts

Chinese tech policy and US-China relations at Stanford Newsletter: herecomes.transpacifica.net Basics: gwbstr.com Also: #filmphotography

Graham Alexander Webster OBE was a British archaeologist, one of the pre-eminent figures of Roman-British archaeology in the late 20th century.

Source: Wikipedia

History 61%

Art 11%

more

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Graham Webster @gwbstr.com · Nov 10

Photography (especially film) has been a source of peace and joy these last few years. For now I mostly post it on ig at @grahamophoto (more independent site coming eventually). Come check out what I've caught in the emulsions. www.instagram.com/grahamophoto/

Graham Webster @gwbstr.com · 20h

I wonder what the state of the art is on face-id spoofing. (I haven't read the docs -- maybe the attorney had this turned off.)

Reposted by Graham Webster

Frankie Huang 黄碧赤 @ourobororoboruo.bsky.social · 20h

Migrants that get deported for doing things citizens get away with or get lighter punishments for *should not make sense to you* because immigration status *does not define what you deserve as a human being*

Reposted by Graham Webster

Kendra Albert @kendraserra.bsky.social · 20h

I've been following the Lattarulo case involving the seizure of an immigration attorney's cell phone at Logan Airport (complaint: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...) pretty closely and I'm left with a big question that none of the coverage has answered.

storage.courtlistener.com

Graham Webster @gwbstr.com · 1d

Tommy Orange! His first book was brilliant, and second is on my reading stack. Oakland's own. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/a...

MacArthur Foundation Announces 2025 ‘Genius Grant’ Winners

www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Graham Webster

Henry Farrell @himself.bsky.social · 1d

I am so much on Team Editor

Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · 1d

repost this if an editor has ever saved you from yourself

violent alien @blipstress.bsky.social · 1d

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.

Graham Webster @gwbstr.com · 1d

The Wildcats (purple, though not the shade on the director's jacket) are based in a north suburb and known for our random acts of a capella, but the downtown crews are feared in litigation and middle management--and the MD crew will literally cut you and then sew you back up.

Tom Hearden @followtheh.bsky.social · 1d

Chicago peeps let’s hear your gang names and colors

Reposted by Graham Webster

Tom Hearden @followtheh.bsky.social · 1d

Chicago peeps let’s hear your gang names and colors

Graham Webster @gwbstr.com · 2d

||: Get up, get-on-up :|| Stay on the scene, get-on up. [redacted]

Graham Webster @gwbstr.com · 2d

There are PLENTY of well documented incidents. Rally around those and know they are the tip of the iceberg. If something particularly egregious is documented, work to verify it; the truth is stronger when it can't be easily denied. 4/

Graham Webster @gwbstr.com · 2d

My general rule: Anonymous/pseudonymous accounts are presumed to have zero credibility without further verification. Many are people looking to be active in a way I think is misguided; some are intentionally farming clout. 3/

Graham Webster @gwbstr.com · 2d

This is a reality distortion problem without ANY need for intervention by AI video, which only magnifies the issue. People seeking attention or jumping to conclusions or both create widespread misinformation. Stop and use judgment with video/photo sources before sharing. 2/

Graham Webster @gwbstr.com · 2d

So here is an example of why I'm not sharing video purportedly from the scene of federal immigration/repression activities unless it's been authenticated. The first post (which is still up) has 4.5k reposts. The user understands that it is wrong or misleading but left it up. 1/

A screenshot of a bsky post saying "This Portland police officer stood up for his community against ICE agents trying to drive into a crowd of protesters. "You WILL be arrested." An accompanying video has a similar caption. The text and video are crossed out in red.

A follow up post from the same bsky user "A Goddess has NO KING" saying: "UPDATE: It looks like the people in the car may not be ICE but some other trouble makers. The caption on the original video is misleading. I'll turn off comments now, but still grateful for any law enforcement willing to stand up for their community's constitutional right to protest." This post has 39 reshares.

Graham Webster @gwbstr.com · 2d

seems like there was a lot of ramblin afoot in those days, if you ask MC5 and Creedence

Graham Webster @gwbstr.com · 2d

And when it's time for leavin, I hope you'll understand...

heywaitaminute

Graham Webster @gwbstr.com · 2d

Interesting. Where is the evidence for a CCP role and for CCP-Musk coordination?

Graham Webster @gwbstr.com · 2d

This is not, by the way, a pro-TikTok argument. Addictive social media and the content it surfaces is a social and mental health scourge. But if you want to identify ideological steering, we need to see something not explained by the normal rhythm of the platform.

Graham Webster @gwbstr.com · 2d

The very act of coding these posts as pro-Palestinian or pro-Israeli is likely a category error. Viral salience is just different if it's mourning a hostage or identifying bias or documenting starvation or depicting bombings. I would check but I can't find the report on the center's site.

Graham Webster @gwbstr.com · 2d

It's always been crap to assume state interference is behind which perceived side gets more traffic or has more posts. So many factors. Remember "if it bleeds it leads"? For a long time now, nearly all the bleeding has been in Gaza. Shocking brutality vs. political stand-taking are not comparable.

Will Oremus @willoremus.com · 2d

For every pro-Israel TikTok post, there are 17 backing Palestinians, a new analysis finds. But!

The median pro-Israel video actually gets a bit more reach, puncturing the notion China is manipulating the algo. Maybe the Palestinian cause is just more popular. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Analysis | On TikTok, pro-Palestinian videos outnumber those that are pro-Israel

The Washington Post’s essential guide to tech policy news.

www.washingtonpost.com

Reposted by Graham Webster

Will Oremus @willoremus.com · 2d

For every pro-Israel TikTok post, there are 17 backing Palestinians, a new analysis finds. But!

The median pro-Israel video actually gets a bit more reach, puncturing the notion China is manipulating the algo. Maybe the Palestinian cause is just more popular. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Analysis | On TikTok, pro-Palestinian videos outnumber those that are pro-Israel

The Washington Post’s essential guide to tech policy news.

www.washingtonpost.com

Graham Webster @gwbstr.com · 6d

Signing off early for the weekend. Here are some #filmphotography pictures from walks around Tokyo in August. Remember to look away from the screens.

#ilfordpanf #ilfordhp5 #中目黒 #渋谷 #豪徳寺 #東急世田谷線

Graham Webster @gwbstr.com · 6d

Should be fun

Sam Sanders @samsanders.bsky.social · 6d

I talked with @bencollins.bsky.social, CEO of @theonion.com
We had a TIME.
Listen!
SPOTIFY: open.spotify.com/episode/6GE5...
APPLE: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

Reposted by Graham Webster

Sam Sanders @samsanders.bsky.social · 6d

I talked with @bencollins.bsky.social, CEO of @theonion.com
We had a TIME.
Listen!
SPOTIFY: open.spotify.com/episode/6GE5...
APPLE: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

Graham Webster @gwbstr.com · 7d

They could also at any time decide to enforce the TikTok ban law which is being clearly violated to the tune of a trillion dollar fine. Apple would claim they have this letter saying it wouldn’t be enforced but good luck.

Alejandra Caraballo @esqueer.net · 7d

This was done at the direction of Pam Bondi. The US government is now dictating what apps you can have on your phone.

The underlying threat here is if Apple didn't comply, they'd slap billions in tariffs on Apple products.

Alt text: Screenshot of a Fox News Digital article reporting that Apple removed the ICEBlock tracking app from its App Store after the Department of Justice raised safety concerns. The article states DOJ officials, under Attorney General Pam Bondi, asked Apple to take down the app, claiming it endangered law enforcement officers and shielded illegal immigrants. Bondi confirmed the removal in a statement, saying ICEBlock put ICE agents at risk and emphasized DOJ’s commitment to protecting federal officers.

Reposted by Nina Jankowicz, Eric Goldman, Daniel W. Drezner , and 4 more Nina Jankowicz, Eric Goldman, Daniel W. Drezner, Rebecca Tushnet, Graham Webster, Michael D. McDonald, Kate Starbird

Alejandra Caraballo @esqueer.net · 7d

This was done at the direction of Pam Bondi. The US government is now dictating what apps you can have on your phone.

The underlying threat here is if Apple didn't comply, they'd slap billions in tariffs on Apple products.

Alt text: Screenshot of a Fox News Digital article reporting that Apple removed the ICEBlock tracking app from its App Store after the Department of Justice raised safety concerns. The article states DOJ officials, under Attorney General Pam Bondi, asked Apple to take down the app, claiming it endangered law enforcement officers and shielded illegal immigrants. Bondi confirmed the removal in a statement, saying ICEBlock put ICE agents at risk and emphasized DOJ’s commitment to protecting federal officers.

Graham Webster @gwbstr.com · 7d

just learned of the existence of tower ounces of which 12 go into a tower pound and 15 go into a merchant pound while 16 go into a London pound, which is also 15 Troy ounces of which 12 go into a Troy pound, none of which are the imperial pounds and ounces they use to measure my USian ass

Graham Webster @gwbstr.com · 7d

I'm pretty sure this Caixin diagram of the TikTok deal is wrong, at least in that it fails to include Bytedance Ltd. as owner of TikTok Ltd. Who knows about the rest.

Graham Webster @gwbstr.com · 7d

The current abuses seem partly designed to make everyone an accomplice, like it or not. The public needs to see evidence of resistance, or we end up with the safe assumption being every officer is a willful participant, which at least in the beginning clearly was not the case. Now though? Show us.

Graham Webster @gwbstr.com · 7d

Also ideally, remaining feds with integrity could be doing the arresting. This would likely constitute a novel form of resignation, but it would lead to evidence trails and names and a clarity about whether anyone can trust these agencies with anything anymore.

Graham Webster @gwbstr.com · 7d

I’m not sure whether local police can arrest feds for the things they’re doing these days.

Cops could earn a lot of respect by at least documenting misdeeds and providing authenticated footage to victims, courts, the public. And, ideally, by intervening to protect people.

Not holding my breath.

Graham Webster @gwbstr.com · 7d

“Directly on the cap table,” an investor says in a deposition. Who or how much not specified

Josh Kaplan @josh-kaplan.bsky.social · 7d

NEW: Elon Musk’s SpaceX has taken money directly from Chinese investors, according to newly unsealed testimony. It's the first time direct Chinese investment in the defense contractor has been disclosed. www.propublica.org/article/elon...

Elon Musk’s SpaceX Took Money Directly From Chinese Investors, Company Insider Testifies

The newly unsealed testimony marks the first time direct Chinese investment in the company has been disclosed, raising new questions about foreign ownership interests in one of America’s most importan...

www.propublica.org