Anirvan Chatterjee
@chatterjee.net
Techie, public historian, and activist from Berkeley, California. I curate the monthly Berkeley South Asian radical history walking tour — now celebrating its 12th year. Pronouns: he/him/ও/সে https://www.chatterjee.net/
This is what a smear looks like: "The piece identifies a total of ten individuals who lost a family member on 9/11 who signed the petition. The views of these individuals should not be discounted, but ten is a lot less than 3,000" popular.info/p/update-aft...
UPDATE: After the Mamdani 9/11 smear, a cover-up
Media outlets pushed a false narrative about the number of family members of 9/11 victims who signed a petition targeting Mamdani — and then covered their tracks.
popular.info
This distinction makes sense to me www.schneier.com/blog/archive...
Should You Use AI for a Task? Here’s a Simple Way to Decide - Schneier on Security
This essay originally appeared in The Guardian. I teach public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Munk School at the University of Toronto. And it will come as no surprise to you that my…
schneier.com
"Five of these had hallucinated authors and/or entire papers in their bibliography…One of the NeurIPS papers had so much hallucinated/nonsensical jargon (53 pages of it) that there wasn’t any point in going through the bibliography."
Q&A from the slop trenches – GeoSpatial ML
We reviewed 22 ML conference submissions this summer. Fifteen had fabricated citations, hallucinated authors, or clear LLM slop, so we complain about that a bit, and release the paper references…
geospatialml.com
This is so wild: "Beginning Monday, certain applicants for B-1 business and B-2 tourist visas from 50 designated countries may be required to post a bond of up to $20,000 before receiving a visa. The current list primarily includes African nations, along with Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan."
Trump administration finalizes visa bond program with $20,000 cap
The U.S. has made its visa bond program permanent, allowing officials to require up to a $20,000 bond from certain B1/B2 visa applicants
americanbazaaronline.com
“The vast archives of conversations created by the government-mandated family accounts…will become valuable targets for hackers, identity thieves, civil litigants…The CHATBOT Act requires the records to exist, but addresses none of those risk”
The CHATBOT Act Forces One Parenting Model On Every Family
Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing education, and the way people search for information. Parents, teenagers, teachers, and schools are struggling with tough questions about when AI should,…
eff.org
*this* is why you use open source models www.tomshardware.com/tech-industr...
Amazon accidentally spent $1.8 million using Claude for menial coding task, went 860% over budget — 'catastrophically expensive' coding blunders discovered in internal Amazon AI usage metrics
A million dollar "whoopsie"
tomshardware.com
“Under the updated guidelines, teacher preparation programs must emphasize American exceptionalism…The standards also require instruction in civil discourse, Western Civilization, and the ‘Evils of Communism’ curriculum developed by the Heritage Foundation.”
Tampa City Council Delays Rays Stadium Project After Blocking Key Vote + Public Safety Unions Oppose Property Tax Amendment
The Tampa City Council's vote creates new uncertainty for the Rays' proposed $2.3B ballpark, while Florida's law enforcement union warns property tax amendment could threaten public safety funding.
centralflorida.substack.com
"Californians should be deeply concerned about businesses that collect information from government-issued IDs and use it to build databases…That concern is especially strong in LGBTQ+ spaces, which have long served as refuges for people to go without being tracked, monitored, or put on lists."
Why Are Gay Bars Building Databases of Their Patrons?
Recent reports have raised alarm about the use of PatronScan, an ID-checking and face-scanning system, at multiple LGBTQ+ bars in San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood. Much of the attention has…
eff.org
"…it’s as disheartening as it is comprehensive. For instance, it shows ICE has access to something called ISO Claimsearch, which 'contains information on property and casualty insurance claims, as well as vehicle information.' It also mentions its nationwide…database of license plate/location data"
404 Media Scores Leaked Document Detailing The Dozens Of Surveillance Tools ICE Has Access To
The always-invaluable 404 Media has scored another minor coup. We all know ICE is heavily invested in surveillance tech, ranging from its purchases of cell location data from data brokers to throwi…
techdirt.com
"Typed letter on White House stationery, signed, addressed to 'Harry,' dated February 19, 1944. In it, Roosevelt discusses the rights of citizenship regardless of color or creed, articulating a position that put her ahead of many in her own party at the time." www.abebooks.com/books/rarebo...
30 years of extraordinary sales
From hand-colored renaissance engravings to a Harry Potter first edition hiding in plain sight: 30 rare sales over the years
abebooks.com
"The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the youth-led movement…has accused the Narendra Modi government of reneging on its assurance not to take action against student protesters and warned it could restart demonstrations if police harassment continues."
CJP Warns Of Fresh Protests Over Alleged Harassment Of Student Demonstrators
CJP warns it will restart protests, alleging police are targeting student demonstrators despite Supreme Court protections and government assurances.
indiawest.com
"'I hope people understand that the charges against me are meant to intimidate people against protecting their data and their privacy, and the government hopes to set a precedent that no one has the right to privacy,' Tunick told 404 Media"
‘The Government Hopes To Set a Precedent’: An Interview With the Man Charged for Allegedly Wiping His GrapheneOS Phone
The U.S. government has charged Samuel Tunick with allegedly typing in a passcode to wipe his phone before officers could search it. “I hope people understand that the charges against me are meant to…
404media.co
"One new program with $4.9 million of competitive funding available to groups to develop 'civilizational self-confidence in Europe' is slated for 'research, conferences, cultural engagements, and support for civil society' in wealthy democracies."
Trump Officials Want To Use Human Rights Aid To Advocate For White South Africans And Right-Wing Causes In Europe
This story was originally published by ProPublica. Republished under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 license. For decades, the U.S. Department of State gave money to groups protecting free speech, human rights a…
techdirt.com
These new Euro banknote concepts are lovely. American dollar bills can't compare. kottke.org/26/07/a-shor...
A Shortlist of Potential Future Euro Banknote Designs
The European Central Bank is providing a sneak peek at the next design of the Euro banknotes. From a shortlist of 10 designs created by artists and designers fr
kottke.org
I want to believe this, but does the effect last longer than a generation? ttps://newsroom.csun.edu/2026/07/21/efforts-to-re-write-history-fail-because-truth-is-found-in-the-chronicling-of-everyday-life-says-csun-archivist/
Efforts to Re-Write History Fail Because Truth is Found in the Chronicling of Everyday Life, Says CSUN Archivist - CSUN Newsroom
There’s an old axiom that “history is written by the victors.” CSUN archivist Keith Rice says those efforts always fail in the end.
newsroom.csun.edu
"The 2026 memo says the Establishment Clause must be interpreted in reference to 'historical practices and understandings.' Which is coded language that benefits Christianity since other religions weren’t as pervasive in the early years of our country."
The Justice Dept's new “religious liberty” memo gives Christians more power to discriminate
Todd Blanche's 2026 guidance expands religious exemptions, weakens safeguards, and treats faith as a trump card over other Americans’ rights
friendlyatheist.com
"…the court…ruled that a lower standard applies to manual searches, allowing the government to conduct extraordinarily invasive electronic device searches without any suspicion of wrongdoing, simply because the border officer chooses to search by hand rather than with a forensic tool."
The Fourth Circuit Says Border Agents Can Search Your Phone By Hand, No Suspicion Required
Legal intern Suzanne Castillo was the principal author of this post.The Fourth Circuit issued a disappointing opinion in U.S. v. Belmonte Cardozo, a case in which EFF filed an amicus brief, alongside…
eff.org
Scenes from US solidarity actions with the Gen Z protests in India
Now with Photo & Video: New York, San Jose, London, and Dublin Hold Protests In Support of India's Students — Hindus for Human Rights
HfHR joins demonstrations around the world in solidarity with students demanding fair examinations, institutional accountability, and the right to protest safely FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE New York, NY;...
hindusforhumanrights.org
“But when you open a new credit card or change your address on file, your address leaves your credit card provider, travels through a web of middlemen companies, and ends up with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which can then search…without a warrant.”
You Opened a Credit Card. ICE Now Knows Where You Live
Here's how your personal address travels from your credit card provider, through middlemen companies, and ends up with ICE.
404media.co
This is a good example of the fear that ICE has engendered in so many. A man here completely legally with nothing (on paper) to fear from ICE took off running when they showed up at a gas station and was struck by a passing truck. Awful.
The New Republic@newrepublic.com · 2w agoNEW INFO HAS REVEALED that the 28-year-old Mexican man killed while running from ICE last week was just visiting on short tourist visa—and already had a plane ticket to go home. newrepublic.com/post/213277/...
“these cases deserve far more attention than they usually receive. If an atheist coach told students they needed to reject God because only they had all the power on the court, it’d be covered non-stop in right-wing media. But it’s hard to believe this will get much coverage even at a local level”
California basketball coach made players fill out Christian journals... or run extra laps
A public school coach tied Bible-based journaling to athletic discipline, raising serious church-state concerns
friendlyatheist.com
"Pilgrim’s Pride, the nation’s second-largest poultry processor, donated $5 million to President Trump’s 2025 inauguration — the single largest donation by any corporation or individual. Pilgrim’s Pride’s donation was more than the donations of Meta, Amazon, Google, and Apple CEO Tim Cook combined."
Massive giveaway to Trump donors buried in obscure government document
The administration quietly delivers a huge win to corporate poultry processors, who have donated tens of millions to Trump and his allies, at the expense of family farmers.
popular.info
"It’s often electric motorcycles that are implicated in news stories about teenage hooligans on 'e-bikes.' Consider this one in the Los Angeles Times on June 10: 'California’s new Hells Angels: Teens on e-bikes cut a path of danger,' along with photos clearly not showing e-bikes."
Opinion | Making e-bikes safer in California is smart. Smothering this new technology is not
A flurry of bills this year threatened to stall the climate-friendly e-bike revolution. Thankfully, lawmakers are taking a saner path.
calmatters.org
"…marks 13 straight court losses for the department’s floundering effort to seize sensitive voter data from every state" www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...
Trump DOJ 0 for 13 in voter roll grab after court dismisses West Virginia lawsuit
A federal judge also raised concerns about DOJ obfuscating why it actually wants access to every state's voter rolls.
democracydocket.com
"…hesitant to travel to India to be with the wife’s mother, who was battling advanced cancer, because they feared delays in returning to the United States…Under current rules, leaving the U.S. requires visa stamping at a consulate in India along with social media screening and administrative delays"
‘Heartbreaking’: Law firm says H-1B workers face US reentry issues after family emergencies
Banias Law says long-term H-1B workers are facing reentry hurdles after traveling abroad for family medical emergencies.
americanbazaaronline.com
“Mr. Rubio has become the de facto viceroy of Venezuela, holding sway over a sovereign nation in a way that no American official has since L. Paul Bremer III arrived in Baghdad in 2003 to run U.S.-occupied Iraq.”
How Marco Rubio Is Running Venezuela From Afar
The secretary of state effectively controls Venezuela’s finances, the distribution of its natural resources and its government. His grip on the country is a vivid manifestation of American power in...
nytimes.com
