Activist Charged With Felony After Giving Border Agent Code That Wiped His Phone

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Activist Charged With Felony After Giving Border Agent Code That Wiped His Phone (Maria)

The author writes, “In early 2025, Atlanta resident Samuel Tunick was returning home from a trip abroad. When he landed in the U.S., customs agents demanded access to his phone, which was running an alternative version of Android. Rather than hand over his data, Tunick — an activist — used a clever feature to delete it. Now he’s facing federal charges.The first hearing happened last week.”

The Masked-Goon Approach Is Not Working for ICE (Reader Steve)

From The Seattle Times: “As the videos flash by of the latest surge of ICE arrests in Western Washington, you may have noticed the agents still are masked up like paramilitary squads. In Renton near the airport, behind the Lowe’s in Puyallup, at contractor jobsites in Seattle’s Maple Leaf neighborhood — multiple videos are being posted every day, of ICE agents doing their thing wearing face-covering bandannas or black hoods. This issue of anonymity, and transparency, was raised directly to an agent in one of the Maple Leaf actions.”

‘We Look Sharp’: Trump Says White House Ordered 250 Cadillac Escalades (Reader Jim)

The author writes, “President Donald Trump told a crowd in Michigan that the White House has ordered 250 Cadillac Escalades, the flagship sport utility vehicle in the luxury auto brand’s lineup, for his presidential motorcade. Trump revealed the purchase in a speech delivered at a General Motors testing facility in the Detroit suburb of Milford. ‘The one and only Escalade,’ he said toward the beginning of a roughly one-hour-long address. ‘You know we ordered, I think, 250 Escalades, right? We ordered 250 Escalades…. We look sharp in those Escalades.’ The 2026 Escalade has a manufacturer’s suggested retail price starting in the low $90,000’s, though upgrades take it well north of six figures. Its high-performance V-series runs about $170,000.” 

The Right To Disappear (Sean)

From The Electronic Intifada: “In Gaza, surveillance often arrives from above. Israeli drones remain suspended over daily life for hours at a time, merging reconnaissance with permanence. Many people in Gaza now speak about drones the way others speak about weather: as a permanent condition surrounding daily life. AI-assisted targeting systems, digital mapping technologies and the nonstop production of visual data transform the movement of people and vehicles into exposure.” 

Scientists Discover the Deep Sleep Circuit That Builds Muscle, Burns Fat, and Boosts the Brain (Mili)

The author writes, “Researchers have identified the brain circuitry that links deep sleep with the release of growth hormone, revealing how the two regulate each other. The newly discovered feedback loop helps explain why poor sleep can interfere with growth, muscle repair, fat metabolism, and brain function. Understanding this system could pave the way for new therapies for sleep disorders and diseases tied to metabolism and the brain, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.” 

Zombie Fires Are Taking Over the North (Laura)

From Sierra: “Winter usually offers a reprieve from the fire season. However, scientists have noted an uptick in a very specific type of fire as climate change alters the northern reaches of our planet in unrecognizable ways. Zombie fires are not a new phenomenon, but researchers in Alaska and the Northwest Territories of Canada have found that with hotter summers and blazing wildfires, fire has the potential to lie dormant in dry undergrowth, even under snow. When the next summer rolls around, with dry conditions, those fires can reemerge.”  

Scientists Discover Planet Has Everything To Host ‘Earth-Like Life’ in Breakthrough (Dana)

The author writes, “Astronomers have detected an atmosphere around a rocky exoplanet in the habitable zone of its star for the first time in history, signaling a major breakthrough in the search for alien life, according to a study published [this month] in Science. The planet, known as LHS 1140-b, is about 5.6 times more massive than Earth and orbits a small dwarf star about 48 light years from our solar system. While scientists have discovered atmospheres around many giant gas planets in our galaxy — and even a few rocky exoplanets outside the habitable zone — the new detection of helium in the skies of LHS 1140-b marks the first direct evidence that a habitable-zone rocky world can host an atmosphere, which is a critical factor for assessing their potential to support life.”