Boone Ashworth
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boone.bsky.social
Boone Ashworth
@boone.bsky.social
Staff writer @Wired.com I cover any tech that is weird and/or on fire. Scream at me on Signal at boone.10
hey nice State Farm superbowl commercial, please keep in mind that State Farm makes disaster victims catalog every single item in their destroyed homes but then lowballs them on the value so they don't get their full policies
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
‘Delays, lowballs, outright denials’: how the LA wildfires have exposed the US’s broken insurance industry
Insurance practices in an age of climate volatility raise troubling questions about home ownership and housing affordability – the bedrock of the American middle class
www.theguardian.com
February 9, 2026 at 11:35 PM
Reposted by Boone Ashworth
Washington Post laid off many of their staff photographers, too. Which seems missing from a lot of coverage I’ve read.
February 4, 2026 at 4:02 PM
Reposted by Boone Ashworth
SCOOP from me in this week’s @wired.com Inner Loop newsletter: A look inside a forum where users claiming to be ICE/CBP vent their frustrations and concerns about their jobs.

“This is going to be a train wreck that we may not survive.”

www.wired.com/story/inside...
Inside the ICE Forum Where Agents Complain About Their Jobs
“I'm all for removing illegals, but snatching dudes off lawn mowers in Cali and leaving the truck and equipment just sitting there? Definitely not working smarter,” writes one forum user.
www.wired.com
February 4, 2026 at 4:12 PM
Reposted by Boone Ashworth
NEW: “Here are the biggest names in tech that appear in the highest number of Epstein files—and what they say about how interwoven those relationships were.”

Worth reading and sharing widely👇🏻

www.wired.com/story/epstei...
The Tech Elites in the Epstein Files
The Department of Justice has released more than 3 million documents and photos related to Jeffrey Epstein. Here’s who shows up from Big Tech the most often—and what the files reveal.
www.wired.com
February 2, 2026 at 8:39 PM
Reposted by Boone Ashworth
As Trump’s mass deportation program unfolds, immigration policy and enforcement is shifting fast.

That’s why we’re launching Tracker, a limited-series newsletter navigating what’s happening and what’s next. Sign up for free: www.wired.com/newsletter/I...
Tracker Newsletter: ICE in Focus
As federal agents carry out Trump’s program of mass deportation, this limited-series newsletter will track what’s happening and what’s coming next.
www.wired.com
February 2, 2026 at 1:51 PM
Reposted by Boone Ashworth
We’re launching a pop-up newsletter to keep tabs on everything going on with ICE - including @wired.com reporting and essential coverage from other outlets, plus analysis to help you make sense of the chaos.

Sign up here, first edition next week:
Tracker Newsletter: ICE in Focus
As federal agents carry out Trump’s program of mass deportation, this limited-series newsletter will track what’s happening and what’s coming next.
www.wired.com
January 30, 2026 at 8:04 PM
Reposted by Boone Ashworth
lmao this is what happens if you have the audacity to plan a date night using “ai agents”

www.wired.com/story/google...
January 30, 2026 at 8:50 PM
Reposted by Boone Ashworth
"As we watch the least effective and most morally objectionable of our tactics come home and be used amongst and against us, we are left with a profound feeling of betrayal."

www.wired.com/story/ice-pr...
ICE Pretends It’s a Military Force. Its Tactics Would Get Real Soldiers Killed
WIRED asked an active military officer to break down immigration enforcement actions in Minneapolis and elsewhere.
www.wired.com
January 30, 2026 at 9:18 AM
Reposted by Boone Ashworth
Independent Twin Cities journalist Georgia Fort was arrested early on Jan. 30 in connection with her documenting an anti-ICE demonstration in a St. Paul church during a service on Jan. 18.
Journalists Georgia Fort, Don Lemon among 4 arrested over protest during St. Paul church service
The arrests are tied to a demonstration at a church that has a pastor who is also an ICE official.
bit.ly
January 30, 2026 at 3:51 PM
Reposted by Boone Ashworth
We analyzed ticket sales for nearly 1,400 opening day screenings of Melania at theaters across the US. These are the only two that were sold out. from @regret.bsky.social
We Found Two Theaters With Sold-Out ‘Melania’ Opening Day Screenings
A WIRED analysis of nearly 1,400 Friday showtimes of Melania found only two with no tickets available. Both are before 3 pm.
www.wired.com
January 29, 2026 at 11:31 PM
Google might be winning the AI war. Now it’s just got to figure out how to look cute doing it. @wired.com
www.wired.com/story/google...
Google’s Smart Glasses Will Have the Best Software. But They’ll Have to Win on Style Too
When Google releases its smart glasses in the coming months, the strength of its AI-powered software will be its biggest leg up on its rivals. But will people want to be seen wearing them?
www.wired.com
January 28, 2026 at 7:01 PM
Reposted by Boone Ashworth
NEW: Google’s “Auto Browse” AI tool includes a warning that attributes responsibility to users for the bot’s actions.

“Use Gemini carefully and take control if needed,” reads a disclaimer on the demo version. “You are responsible for Gemini’s actions during tasks.”

www.wired.com/story/google...
Google’s New Chrome ‘Auto Browse’ Agent Attempts to Roam the Web Without You
Google’s latest addition to its Chrome browser puts generative AI behind the wheel and you in the passenger seat.
www.wired.com
January 28, 2026 at 6:09 PM
Reposted by Boone Ashworth
SCOOP: Palantir Defends Work With ICE to Staff Following Killing of Alex Pretti

WIRED obtained Slack conversations + an updated internal Palantir wiki defending the company's work for ICE to outraged workers.

More here:
www.wired.com/story/palant...
Palantir Defends Work With ICE to Staff Following Killing of Alex Pretti
“In my opinion ICE are the bad guys. I am not proud that the company I enjoy so much working for is part of this,” one worker wrote on Slack.
www.wired.com
January 26, 2026 at 10:11 PM
Reposted by Boone Ashworth
Minnesota lawmakers have pleaded with the Trump administration to withdraw ICE agents from the state.

But why can’t they do more?

The answer is deeply unsatisfying, troubling, and well worth understanding at this critical moment for our country’s future:
Why Minnesota Can't Do More to Stop ICE
Democratic lawmakers have few options that wouldn't trigger something like civil war.
www.wired.com
January 25, 2026 at 6:37 PM
Reposted by Boone Ashworth
NEW:

Within minutes of Alex Pretti being shot and killed, the Trump administration began rewriting the narrative, labelling the victim as a "lunatic" and a "terrorist" contradicting all available evidence

www.wired.com/story/the-in...
The Instant Smear Campaign Against Border Patrol Shooting Victim Alex Pretti
Within minutes of the shooting, the Trump administration and right-wing influencers began disparaged the man shot by a federal immigration officer on Saturday in Minneapolis.
www.wired.com
January 25, 2026 at 12:44 AM
Reposted by Boone Ashworth
Federal law enforcement agents shot and killed a man in Minneapolis on Jan. 24 according to local police officials. DHS told Fox News that the man was “armed with a gun”. A video of the shooting appears to show that a gun was taken from the man before the first shot was fired. x.com/BillMelugin_...
January 24, 2026 at 7:01 PM
Reposted by Boone Ashworth
Hi there, if you're in law enforcement, a legal observer, a government worker, or a tech worker and you're in MN/or have any info about what's happening now with ICE and law enforcement operations, you can reach me at Vittoria89.82.

We can speak anonymously.
January 24, 2026 at 8:28 PM
Reposted by Boone Ashworth
BREAKING: Now that TikTok is under US-based ownership, the social media app potentially collects more detailed information about its users, including precise location data.

My latest for @wired.com:

www.wired.com/story/tiktok...
TikTok Is Now Collecting Even More Data About Its Users. Here Are the 3 Biggest Changes
According to its new privacy policy, TikTok now collects more data on its users, including their precise location, after majority ownership officially switched to a group based in the US.
www.wired.com
January 23, 2026 at 9:48 PM
Reposted by Boone Ashworth
According to its new privacy policy, TikTok now collects more data on its users, including their precise location, after majority ownership officially switched to a group based in the US. www.wired.com/story/tiktok...
TikTok Is Now Collecting Even More Data About Its Users. Here Are the 3 Biggest Changes
According to its new privacy policy, TikTok now collects more data on its users, including their precise location, after majority ownership officially switched to a group based in the US.
www.wired.com
January 23, 2026 at 9:32 PM
Reposted by Boone Ashworth
NEW:

You think disinformation is bad now?

Wait until you hear about "AI swarms" and how they have the potential to upend democracy across the globe

www.wired.com/story/ai-pow...
AI-Powered Disinformation Swarms Are Coming for Democracy
Advances in artificial intelligence are creating a perfect storm for those seeking to spread disinformation at unprecedented speed and scale. And it’s virtually impossible to detect.
www.wired.com
January 22, 2026 at 7:15 PM
the latest update on the efforts to let you know when your connected gadgets will stop being supported:
www.wired.com/story/legisl...
Legislators Push to Make Companies Tell Customers When Their Products Will Die
A pair of bills in Massachusetts would require manufacturers to tell consumers when their connected gadgets are going dark. It should be a boon for cybersecurity as connected devices grow obsolete.
www.wired.com
January 22, 2026 at 10:52 PM
Reposted by Boone Ashworth
hi are you as freaked out by the big scary winter storm maps peppering the internet? i wrote a little guide:
What We Know About the Winter Storm About to Hit the US—and What We Don’t
A huge portion of the United States is going to be hit with snow or freezing rain this weekend. Exactly where, what, and how much remains uncertain.
www.wired.com
January 21, 2026 at 7:42 PM
Reposted by Boone Ashworth
ICE complains about 'doxing' any time one of their officers is identified. Meanwhile at least 1,000 of them are apparently putting ICE right there in their LinkedIn profiles. from
@regret.bsky.social
ICE Agents Are ‘Doxing’ Themselves
The alleged risks of being publicly identified have not stopped DHS  and ICE employees from creating profiles on LinkedIn, even as Kristi Noem threatens to treat revealing agents' identities as a crim...
www.wired.com
January 22, 2026 at 5:47 PM
Reposted by Boone Ashworth
Leave it to @vermontgmg.bsky.social to clearly, incisively articulate exactly the awful vibe I have about this week and all that Trump is doing, but couldn't quite put into words.

A must-read on the historic, crushing moment the United States has found itself in because of our president:
We Are Witnessing the Self-Immolation of a Superpower
With Donald Trump’s actions in Greenland, Minneapolis, and Venezuela, a foreign enemy could not invent a better chain of events to wreck the standing of the United States.
www.wired.com
January 22, 2026 at 2:38 PM