John Palowitch
@johnpalowitch.bsky.social
software engineer @archive.org.
formerly research @ google deepmind.
organizer with @notechforapartheid.bsky.social.
SF musician.
any view you think is expressed by my account should be attributed to me alone.
ml.johnpalowitch.com
jpalomusic.com
formerly research @ google deepmind.
organizer with @notechforapartheid.bsky.social.
SF musician.
any view you think is expressed by my account should be attributed to me alone.
ml.johnpalowitch.com
jpalomusic.com
Reposted by John Palowitch
This is the second account - the first being in Chicago - of DHS agents mass detaining people and then *sorting them by race*.
More than 400 people, including hundreds of citizens, were “sorted” at gun point into racial and ethnic groups by 200 ICE agents who fired flash-bang grenades into cars with people inside, pointed guns at children & demanded their zip tied parents not comfort them. apple.news/Ausdx6kWtT0e...
Idaho families sue over immigration raid that swept up hundreds, including U.S. citizens — NBC News
About 400 people, including children and U.S. citizens, were detained for four hours while they were denied food and water in the raid, according to the lawsuit.
apple.news
February 12, 2026 at 2:26 AM
This is the second account - the first being in Chicago - of DHS agents mass detaining people and then *sorting them by race*.
Reposted by John Palowitch
Google gave ICE this British STUDENT JOURNALIST's personal info bank account numbers while they were trying to detain him for attending a protest at a job fair at Cornell for just 5 minutes. Not a crime. He fled to Switzerland & EFF is representing him now. theintercept.com/2026/02/10/g...
Google Fulfilled ICE Subpoena Demanding Student Journalist’s Bank and Credit Card Numbers
Amandla Thomas-Johnson didn't know how much information ICE requested in a subpoena now. Google never gave him a chance to fight it.
theintercept.com
February 12, 2026 at 2:06 AM
Google gave ICE this British STUDENT JOURNALIST's personal info bank account numbers while they were trying to detain him for attending a protest at a job fair at Cornell for just 5 minutes. Not a crime. He fled to Switzerland & EFF is representing him now. theintercept.com/2026/02/10/g...
Reposted by John Palowitch
NEW: Over the last several months, ICE has carried out a secret campaign to place new and expanded facilities for its agents and lawyers in nearly every state and major metro area in the US—over 150 in all. @wired.com is publishing dozens of these locations; @leahfeiger.bsky.social has the scoop:
ICE Is Expanding Across the US at Breakneck Speed. Here’s Where It’s Going Next
ICE plans to lease offices throughout the US as part of a secret, months-long expansion campaign. WIRED is publishing dozens of these locations.
www.wired.com
February 10, 2026 at 4:10 PM
NEW: Over the last several months, ICE has carried out a secret campaign to place new and expanded facilities for its agents and lawyers in nearly every state and major metro area in the US—over 150 in all. @wired.com is publishing dozens of these locations; @leahfeiger.bsky.social has the scoop:
Reposted by John Palowitch
📝 Our new paper officially coming out at #chi2026: we hope to help people think about systems like #CommunityNotes, the design choices they make, and the normative implications of relying on them to moderate our information ecosystem. 📝
"Community Notes" are reshaping how millions encounter information on social media--but what makes them work (or not)? We term these "Crowdsourced Context Systems" (CCS) and introduce a framework for designing and evaluating them in a new #CHI26 paper 🧵
February 9, 2026 at 4:52 PM
📝 Our new paper officially coming out at #chi2026: we hope to help people think about systems like #CommunityNotes, the design choices they make, and the normative implications of relying on them to moderate our information ecosystem. 📝
Reposted by John Palowitch
So uh Ring just up and said they've got a huge centralized private surveillance network they can leverage all at once huh
February 9, 2026 at 2:10 AM
So uh Ring just up and said they've got a huge centralized private surveillance network they can leverage all at once huh
Reposted by John Palowitch
I want all writers to be into writing as much like themselves as possible. I hate to see someone say writing's so good they wish they'd written it. You couldn't have, you're you, & they're them. That's the spirit of plagiarism behind AI. Believe in your capacity to create beauty unique to you.
February 8, 2026 at 8:50 PM
I want all writers to be into writing as much like themselves as possible. I hate to see someone say writing's so good they wish they'd written it. You couldn't have, you're you, & they're them. That's the spirit of plagiarism behind AI. Believe in your capacity to create beauty unique to you.
Reposted by John Palowitch
Jeff Bezos makes enough money to fully fund this literally every two minutes.
Former Washington Post journalists have launched a GoFundMe to help repatriate fired staff members who are effectively stranded in foreign countries.
One of the richest men in the world fired them from the paper and didn’t even pay to ensure they got home.
Abolish the billionaire class:
One of the richest men in the world fired them from the paper and didn’t even pay to ensure they got home.
Abolish the billionaire class:
Donate to Support for Washington Post international employees, organized by Michelle Lee
Among the hundreds of journalists laid off by The Washington Post on … Michelle Lee needs your support for Support for Washington Post international employees
www.gofundme.com
February 8, 2026 at 5:13 AM
Jeff Bezos makes enough money to fully fund this literally every two minutes.
Reposted by John Palowitch
just a reminder that the united states is essentially operating a network of torture camps holding individuals in arbitrary detention, without access to appeal and rarely to counsel.
February 8, 2026 at 1:52 AM
just a reminder that the united states is essentially operating a network of torture camps holding individuals in arbitrary detention, without access to appeal and rarely to counsel.
Reposted by John Palowitch
It's so funny how many people have had their brains pickled by X and Fox News and can't believe that SF remains one of the most amazing cities in the world.
February 7, 2026 at 9:07 PM
It's so funny how many people have had their brains pickled by X and Fox News and can't believe that SF remains one of the most amazing cities in the world.
Reposted by John Palowitch
I'm sorry the guy changing the rules on the fly is named what
I stand with County Executive Calvin Ball as he signs emergency legislation today prohibiting privately owned buildings from being used as ICE detention centers.
Howard County chose dignity, accountability, and its people. Tune into our event now:
bit.ly/4a2VtHw
Howard County chose dignity, accountability, and its people. Tune into our event now:
bit.ly/4a2VtHw
Redirecting...
bit.ly
February 7, 2026 at 2:34 PM
I'm sorry the guy changing the rules on the fly is named what
Reposted by John Palowitch
🚨 New: We built a visual tracker of the warehouses ICE is targeting across the US.
Working off an idea from @actualkatherine.bsky.social, we’ve mapped active searches, canceled deals, and linked state property records.
Explore the map here: tinyurl.com/ICEWarehouse...
Working off an idea from @actualkatherine.bsky.social, we’ve mapped active searches, canceled deals, and linked state property records.
Explore the map here: tinyurl.com/ICEWarehouse...
February 4, 2026 at 6:41 PM
🚨 New: We built a visual tracker of the warehouses ICE is targeting across the US.
Working off an idea from @actualkatherine.bsky.social, we’ve mapped active searches, canceled deals, and linked state property records.
Explore the map here: tinyurl.com/ICEWarehouse...
Working off an idea from @actualkatherine.bsky.social, we’ve mapped active searches, canceled deals, and linked state property records.
Explore the map here: tinyurl.com/ICEWarehouse...
Sep '25: Google sends student activist emails to ICE in response to an ICE administrative subpoena -- *before* alerting the student
theintercept.com/2025/09/16/g...
theintercept.com/2025/09/16/g...
February 7, 2026 at 6:04 PM
Sep '25: Google sends student activist emails to ICE in response to an ICE administrative subpoena -- *before* alerting the student
theintercept.com/2025/09/16/g...
theintercept.com/2025/09/16/g...
💯💯💯
This is another reason why I think the information retrieval push, even pre-LLM, to shift from 10 Blue Links to retrieving contents, answering questions, etc. may be a mistake. We lose important things when we unmoor information from authorial & organizational grounding (and cites aren’t enough).
Sobering assessments from the just released NATO Stratcom brief on information risks.
stratcomcoe.org/pdfjs/?file=...
stratcomcoe.org/pdfjs/?file=...
February 7, 2026 at 5:52 PM
💯💯💯
Reposted by John Palowitch
February 7, 2026 at 3:08 PM
"...objectivity is not the same as neutrality. If there is an aggressor and a victim, a liar and an honest person, a corrupt individual and an honourable one, then your task is to describe all that clearly and forcefully."
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
If you are reading this it is because I’m dead: here’s what I want to tell you about how to live | Carlos Hernández de Miguel
Leaving this world in an age of lies and cruelty, my last message is simple: don’t give up on truth, says Spanish journalist Carlos Hernández de Miguel
www.theguardian.com
February 7, 2026 at 4:49 PM
"...objectivity is not the same as neutrality. If there is an aggressor and a victim, a liar and an honest person, a corrupt individual and an honourable one, then your task is to describe all that clearly and forcefully."
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Reposted by John Palowitch
With Jeff Bezos's dismantling of the Washington Post and Amazon's extensive ICE and DoD profiteering, it's imperative to understand precisely how both have openly become instruments of authoritarianism
How Jeff Bezos and Amazon became instruments of authoritarianism
And how to stop them
www.bloodinthemachine.com
February 6, 2026 at 8:24 PM
With Jeff Bezos's dismantling of the Washington Post and Amazon's extensive ICE and DoD profiteering, it's imperative to understand precisely how both have openly become instruments of authoritarianism
It's happening at Google, led by @notechforapartheid.bsky.social
www.businessinsider.com/800-google-e...
www.businessinsider.com/800-google-e...
February 7, 2026 at 12:04 AM
It's happening at Google, led by @notechforapartheid.bsky.social
www.businessinsider.com/800-google-e...
www.businessinsider.com/800-google-e...
Reposted by John Palowitch
There’s no such thing as an unbiased chatbot. Academic librarian Raina Bloom @mmelibrarian.bsky.social on how “AI” developers ignore how people actually become informed. From Ep. 51 of Mystery AI Hype Theater 3000, “The War on Knowledge”.
(with @emilymbender.bsky.social)
(with @emilymbender.bsky.social)
February 5, 2026 at 11:53 PM
There’s no such thing as an unbiased chatbot. Academic librarian Raina Bloom @mmelibrarian.bsky.social on how “AI” developers ignore how people actually become informed. From Ep. 51 of Mystery AI Hype Theater 3000, “The War on Knowledge”.
(with @emilymbender.bsky.social)
(with @emilymbender.bsky.social)
Reposted by John Palowitch
They’re trying to run the Kilmar Abrego Garcia playbook with a five year old boy in a bunny hat because nobody can find peace if they embarrass the Trump administration publicly. Normal people didn’t like it with Garcia and they really aren’t going to like it for Liam.
BREAKING: The federal government has filed a motion seeking to end asylum claims for the family of Liam Conejo Ramos, according to the lawyer representing the family.
DHS has requested expedited deportation proceedings against family of Liam Conejo Ramos
The federal government has filed a motion seeking to end asylum claims for the family of Liam Conejo Ramos, according to the lawyer representing the family.
www.mprnews.org
February 6, 2026 at 2:51 AM
They’re trying to run the Kilmar Abrego Garcia playbook with a five year old boy in a bunny hat because nobody can find peace if they embarrass the Trump administration publicly. Normal people didn’t like it with Garcia and they really aren’t going to like it for Liam.
Reposted by John Palowitch
Happening now in Silicon Valley: marchers have surrounded the Palantir building and are holding a prayer vigil for victims of ICE, while video of ICE and Palantir crimes is projected on the building. #abolishice #iceout #palantir #paloalto
February 6, 2026 at 2:39 AM
Happening now in Silicon Valley: marchers have surrounded the Palantir building and are holding a prayer vigil for victims of ICE, while video of ICE and Palantir crimes is projected on the building. #abolishice #iceout #palantir #paloalto
Reposted by John Palowitch
in solidarity with the authors on social media who have been getting mocked or harassed for celebrating their accomplishments i would like to announce that i too am the worlds greatest author and i sell a lot of books. thank you
February 6, 2026 at 3:50 AM
in solidarity with the authors on social media who have been getting mocked or harassed for celebrating their accomplishments i would like to announce that i too am the worlds greatest author and i sell a lot of books. thank you
Reposted by John Palowitch
Name them
shame them
shame them
February 5, 2026 at 2:30 PM
Name them
shame them
shame them
Reposted by John Palowitch
My story on Elon Musk cutting safeguards at xAI is on the front page of today's @washingtonpost.com. I’m also among 100’s of reporters laid off. I absolutely loved my job my brilliant coworkers & the thrill of reporting @ the center of forces upending the world: AI & Silicon Valley’s political power
February 4, 2026 at 7:40 PM
My story on Elon Musk cutting safeguards at xAI is on the front page of today's @washingtonpost.com. I’m also among 100’s of reporters laid off. I absolutely loved my job my brilliant coworkers & the thrill of reporting @ the center of forces upending the world: AI & Silicon Valley’s political power
Reposted by John Palowitch
Bannon (and his buddies) are using an informational strategy called reflexive control that intentionally exploits the reaction of his adversaries (on the left) to inflict damage on their own side. Don't become an unwitting agent in their information operation.
February 4, 2026 at 9:24 PM
Bannon (and his buddies) are using an informational strategy called reflexive control that intentionally exploits the reaction of his adversaries (on the left) to inflict damage on their own side. Don't become an unwitting agent in their information operation.
Reposted by John Palowitch
"For much of the 2010s and likely before and since, it appears the crime rate of CBP agents and offices was higher PER CAPITA than the crime rate of undocumented immigrants in the United States."
www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/accountabi...
www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/accountabi...
Accountability for ICE and CBP
However bad you think the corruption and misconduct at ICE and CBP is — the reality is far far worse.
www.doomsdayscenario.co
February 4, 2026 at 2:28 AM
"For much of the 2010s and likely before and since, it appears the crime rate of CBP agents and offices was higher PER CAPITA than the crime rate of undocumented immigrants in the United States."
www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/accountabi...
www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/accountabi...