Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Angela Watercutter @waterslicer.bsky.social · 4d

"Federal contracting records reviewed by WIRED show the agency is seeking private vendors to run a multi-year surveillance program out of two of its little-known targeting centers."

www.wired.com/story/ice-so...

ICE Wants to Build Out a 24/7 Social Media Surveillance Team

Documents show ICE plans to hire dozens of contractors to scan X, Facebook, TikTok, and other platforms to target people for deportation.

www.wired.com

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Angela Watercutter @waterslicer.bsky.social · 4d

“The Department unilaterally, and without staff knowledge or consent, went in and changed the messages to include partisan language,” claims another DOE employee, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity.

www.wired.com/story/govern...

Government Workers Say Their Out-of-Office Replies Were Forcibly Changed to Blame Democrats for Shutdown

Some employees at the Department of Education changed their responses back to the more neutral language, only to have it changed yet again to the partisan response, multiple sources tell WIRED.

www.wired.com

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Reposted by Angela Watercutter

Manisha Krishnan @manishakrishnan.bsky.social · 4d

New deep dive into the world of feuding Luigi Mangione supporters. Some are using alleged crime to push health care reform; others find that offensive, as they believe he's completely innocent. And most of them hate the media's fixation on the "thirsters": www.wired.com/story/inside...

Inside the Contentious World of Luigi Mangione Supporters

As Luigi Mangione is being tried legally and in the court of public opinion, tensions are growing between his supporters pushing health care reform and those who believe he is innocent.

www.wired.com

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Angela Watercutter @waterslicer.bsky.social · 7d

Epic piece from my colleague @zeyiyang.bsky.social about the rise of labubu.

www.wired.com/story/labubu...

A Journey Into the Heart of Labubu

I made an epic trek across four countries to answer one question: Why is the world going mad for a plushie monster?

www.wired.com

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Angela Watercutter @waterslicer.bsky.social · 7d

I think about this once every couple weeks already. Glad to have the definitive story here.

www.wired.com/story/book-e...

How K-Pop Stans Set the Stage for the US TikTok Ban

In 2020, K-pop stans, organized via TikTok, requested tickets to Trump rallies and never showed up, putting the video-sharing platform on the president’s radar.

www.wired.com

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Angela Watercutter @waterslicer.bsky.social · 11d

NEW from @dell.bsky.social and @couts.bsky.social

www.wired.com/story/herita...

Heritage Foundation Uses Bogus Stat to Push a Trans Terrorism Classification

By inflating numbers and narrowing definitions, Heritage promotes a false link between transgender identity and violence in its push for the FBI to create a new terrorism category.

www.wired.com

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Reposted by Angela Watercutter

Manisha Krishnan @manishakrishnan.bsky.social · 13d

VERY FUNNY SCOOP: The Onion made a 20-minute Epstein/Trump mockumentary called “Jeffrey Epstein: Bad Pedophile.” I got a sneak peek and it is gloriously dumb. Read about it/watch the trailer here: www.wired.com/story/the-on...

The Onion Made an Absolutely Unhinged Jeffrey Epstein Mockumentary

"Jeffrey Epstein: Bad Pedophile" is a very silly deep dive on a very serious issue. In the current media landscape, it’s a wonder it even got made.

www.wired.com

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Angela Watercutter @waterslicer.bsky.social · 12d

For those who have been in our mentions asking about posters/shirts/etc. of the new WIRED cover—behold!

condenaststore.com/featured/wir...

condenaststore.com

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Angela Watercutter @waterslicer.bsky.social · 12d

NEW: DOGE oral history from @leahfeiger.bsky.social, @zoeschiffer.bsky.social, @telliotter.bsky.social, @knibbs.bsky.social, @makenakelly.bsky.social, @davidgilbert.bsky.social, @mollytaft.com, @aarianmarshall.bsky.social, @peard33.bsky.social, + @jakelahut.writes.news
www.wired.com/story/oral-h...

The Story of DOGE, as Told by Federal Workers

WIRED spoke with more than 200 federal workers in dozens of agencies to learn what happened as the Department of Government Efficiency tore through their offices.

www.wired.com

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Angela Watercutter @waterslicer.bsky.social · 12d

Huge DOGE oral history from @leahfeiger.bsky.social, @zoeschiffer.bsky.social, @telliotter.bsky.social, @knibbs.bsky.social, @makenakelly.bsky.social, @davidgilbert.bsky.social, @mollytaft.com, @aarianmarshall.bsky.social, @peard33.bsky.social, + @jakelahut.writes.news

www.wired.com/story/oral-h...

The Story of DOGE, as Told by Federal Workers

WIRED spoke with more than 200 federal workers in dozens of agencies to learn what happened as the Department of Government Efficiency tore through their offices.

www.wired.com

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Reposted by Angela Watercutter

Bobby Allyn @bobbyallyn.bsky.social · 13d

"The Ellison family is cornering the market on attention and data the way the Vanderbilts did railroads and the Rockefellers did oil."

Jake Lahut @jakelahut.writes.news · 13d

"He does a brilliant job of being, let’s call it the anti-Elon. He’s not kind of feared directly, but people in the know in Washington know he has some tremendous pull.” - a Trumpworld source in the AI industry
www.wired.com/story/larry-...

Larry Ellison Is a ‘Shadow President’ in Donald Trump’s America

The Ellison family is cornering the market on attention and data the same way the Vanderbilts did railroads and the Rockefellers did oil.

www.wired.com

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Angela Watercutter @waterslicer.bsky.social · 13d

Big things happening in Bushwick

evy kwong @evystadium.bsky.social · 13d

today the @wired.com mural in bushwick they’re working on zuck dog leg and sam altman dog manicure so tag us if u see us

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Angela Watercutter @waterslicer.bsky.social · 13d

Want to know who the big political power users are? @wired.com has a definitive guide.

www.wired.com/story/wired-...

The 22 Very Online Upstarts Changing the Face of Politics

Introducing WIRED’s 2025 Political Power Users—the creators, podcasters, and pundits who will blow up the next electoral era.

www.wired.com

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Angela Watercutter @waterslicer.bsky.social · 15d

Today's installment: @knibbs.bsky.social with an excellent profile of Kat Abughazaleh, the YouTuber who is running for Congress in Illinois.

www.wired.com/story/kat-ab...

She Fought the Far Right Online for Years. Now She Wants to Do It in Congress

Kat Abughazaleh, 26, made her name swatting down right-wing talking points on social media. Now she’s hoping internet fame can propel her to Congress.

www.wired.com

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Angela Watercutter @waterslicer.bsky.social · 15d

Come! Ask questions of my smart colleagues!

WIRED @wired.com · 15d

The tech industry’s embrace of President Trump has left many of us asking the same question: What the hell happened to Silicon Valley? On Sept. 23 at 11 AM, our WIRED experts get into it. wrd.cm/4mslR0k

Have questions? Drop them below 👇🏼

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Reposted by Angela Watercutter

Brian Barrett @brbarrett.bsky.social · 15d

No one knows Silicon Valley better than @stevenlevy.bsky.social. And no one is more clear-eyed about how far removed it has become from its supposed ideals.

I Thought I Knew Silicon Valley. I Was Wrong

Tech got what it wanted by electing Trump. A year later, it looks more like a suicide pact.

www.wired.com

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Reposted by Angela Watercutter

Katie Drummond @katie-drummond.bsky.social · 15d

Regardless of where the Trump admin lands on H1-B visas, the absolute shit-show they created this weekend is yet another deterrent to convincing smart, qualified people to come work in the United States:

$3,800 Flights and Aborted Takeoffs: How Trump’s H-1B Announcement Panicked Tech Workers

President Trump’s sudden policy shift sent tech firms scrambling to get immigrant workers back to the US and avoid $100,000 fees.

www.wired.com

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Angela Watercutter @waterslicer.bsky.social · 15d

Check out the whole package here. New stories coming all week so check back often.

www.wired.com/politics-iss...

ALL HAIL THE TECHNOCRACY

Tech went all in on Trump this year. It's just the beginning.

www.wired.com

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Angela Watercutter @waterslicer.bsky.social · 15d

w/r/t that thing I said earlier about @wired.com posting our cover all over the US, I wrote a piece about what we did and how to find all the places we posted it.

www.wired.com/story/wired-...

WIRED’s Politics Issue Cover Is Coming to a City Near You

We’re turning our latest cover into posters, billboards, and even a mural in New York, Los Angeles, Austin, San Francisco, and Washington, DC. Here’s how to find it. (Pics or it didn’t happen.)

www.wired.com

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Angela Watercutter @waterslicer.bsky.social · 15d

Want more? Here's @noahshachtman.bsky.social on Elon Musk's attempts to rule space.

www.wired.com/story/elon-m...

Elon Musk Is Out to Rule Space. Can Anyone Stop Him?

With SpaceX and Starlink, Elon Musk controls more than half the world’s rocket launches and thousands of internet satellites. That amounts to immense geopolitical power.

www.wired.com

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Angela Watercutter @waterslicer.bsky.social · 15d

Also, this piece by @stevenlevy.bsky.social.

"It should be the best of times for the tech world, supercharged by a boom in artificial intelligence. But a shadow has fallen over Silicon Valley."

www.wired.com/story/silico...

I Thought I Knew Silicon Valley. I Was Wrong

Tech got what it wanted by electing Trump. A year later, it looks more like a suicide pact.

www.wired.com

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Angela Watercutter @waterslicer.bsky.social · 15d

Huge week here @wired.com as we're rolling out our Politics Issue. First up, check out this cover, which we're also posting all over cities across the US.

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Reposted by Angela Watercutter

WIRED @wired.com · 16d

Big Tech's embrace of President Trump has left many of us wondering: What the hell happened to Silicon Valley?

In our new politics issue, we're getting into it.

Also, we're taking this cover across the US in billboards, posters and a mural. Clues to find us in the 🧵: www.wired.com/politics-iss...

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Reposted by Angela Watercutter

Andrew Couts @couts.bsky.social · 19d

NEW: A pair of vulnerabilities in Microsoft's Entra ID system could have allowed an attacker to gain access to virtually EVERY Azure account. Fortunately, they were patched before a malicious actor found them. @mattburgess1.bsky.social + @lhn.bsky.social report: www.wired.com/story/micros...

This Microsoft Entra ID Vulnerability Could Have Caused a Digital Catastrophe

A pair of flaws in Microsoft's Entra ID identity and access management system could have allowed an attacker to gain access to virtually all Azure customer accounts.

www.wired.com

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Angela Watercutter @waterslicer.bsky.social · 19d

Excellent newsletter from @jakelahut.writes.news here.

www.wired.com/story/inside...

Inside Trumpworld’s Reality Distortion Field

In the immediate aftermath of Charlie Kirk's killing, Donald Trump's advisors were sure who was to blame. That law enforcement says they were wrong didn't, and doesn't, much seem to matter.

www.wired.com

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