iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

4/ Noticed more sleeveless blouses and t-shirts on women of all ages around Damascus this time.

3404

Reposted by Eliot Higgins

3/ There isn't much of a language barrier for Turks here.. Millions of (especially young) Syrians picked up fluent Turkish after many years in Türkiye. The owner of this shop, which opened back in June, relocated from Istanbul’s İstiklal St. Business is booming, and he’s thrilled to be home.

1433

Reposted by Eliot Higgins

2/ New shops are popping up almost daily here in Damascus. Talked to the owners of this 5-week-old kiosk (an Idlib & Damascus duo). Older shopkeepers tell me business is way better post-Assad, the end of crushing import bans has broken their reliance on the smuggling economy.

2588

Reposted by Eliot Higgins

Byline Times @bylinetimes.bsky.social · 5h

One month in Damascus: a few field notes outside my usual research Observation 1: Traffic is the ultimate hazard. Pedestrian crossings are mostly ornamental, demanding often an assertive hand-raise just to claim the right-of-way, while motorbikes darting down sidewalks keep you on your toes.

15810

Reposted by Eliot Higgins

🔎 From the archive: Was Peter Thiel’s controversial data firm – which holds contracts with the UK’s NHS and Ministry of Defence – targeting democratic dissent as well as illegal immigration? WIRED confirms ICE stored information about protestors in a Palantir-built database #PalantirSpyTech

bylinetimes.com

‘Domestic Terrorism’: ICE Contractor Palantir’s Tools for Tracking Dissent

Peter Thiel’s controversial data firm – which holds contracts with the UK’s NHS and Ministry of Defence – researched protest prediction for the US Army before agreeing to build ICE’s data platform to conduct mass deportation. Are its tools now targeting democratic dissent as well as illegal immigration?

27548

Eliot Higgins @eliothiggins.bsky.social · 6h

Brave of them to start events so early:

518031

Reposted by Eliot Higgins

Daniel Suitor @danielsuitor.com · 17h

Will is 100% right. Has happened to multiple clients of mine. One judge (not my case) has said that this isn't really release and ordered the person *actually* released. But it's forcing us habeas attorneys to win our cases twice (or more)

On September 9, 2026, Respondents permitted Pablo F. to exit the building where
he was detained, but he was immediately swarmed by four ICE officers and handcuffed as
soon as he stepped outside. (Doc. No. 25-3 at 4:48:45–4:49:26.)3
The officers drove him
to the back of the Whipple building and returned him to a holding cell. (Doc. No. 21 ¶¶ 8–
9; Doc. No. 25 ¶ 5.) During this encounter, officers dislocated Pablo F.’s shoulder. (Doc.
No. 21 ¶ 7.)4
Pablo F. now bringsthis Motion seeking to enforce the Court’s Order granting
the Petition.

Again, Respondents make no attempt whatsoever to support their assertion that
Pablo F. was released. Absent any such argument, the Court cannot agree that a reasonable
person would have felt free to leave when exiting the detention facility and immediately
being stopped by ICE officers. Likewise, absent some argument, the Court necessarily
concludes that Pablo F. was subject to restraints not shared by the public generally when
he took one step outside of the detention facility and was immediately stopped by ICE
officers who forcibly returned him to a detention cell. Because Respondents do not make
any legal argument that Pablo F. was ever meaningfully released from custody, the Court
grants the motion and orders Pablo F.’s release.6
6 To be clear, Pablo F. is not arguing, and the Court is not concluding, that an order of
release in a habeas matter renders unlawful any future arrests. Rather, the Court reaches
the narrow conclusion that because Respondents advance no legal argument in this case to
support their assertion that Pablo F. was released from custody, and because the
uncontested facts show that ICE officers immediately swarmed Pablo F. as soon as he
stepped out of the building, Pablo F. was not released from custody.

20785264

Eliot Higgins @eliothiggins.bsky.social · 18h

I had a GM treasure hunter character so the treasure hunting section really brought it back for me

010

Reposted by Eliot Higgins

110: Who the Hell is Michael Tracey? feat. Bobby Silverman | Posting Through It

Earlier this year, the podcast I co-host profiled Michael Tracey and tried to explain why he is... the way that he is. Here's a link to that if you're curious about his background: www.patreon.com/PostingThrou...

patreon.com

110: Who the Hell is Michael Tracey? feat. Bobby Silverman by Posting Through It on Patreon. Join Posting Through It's community for exclusive content and updates.

1479671

Reposted by Eliot Higgins

Michael Tracey claims he took his post down out of principle, and that it wasn't a "retraction." But it should be. He ran with information from a junk website without looking into it. If he worked at a publication with any sort of standards, this unforced error would be a fireable offense.

121387114

Reposted by Eliot Higgins

I don't know why this site listed a name that didn't appear in actual New York court records, but the name has been floating around far-right circles on X. Given the curation of other purported court records on the site (Lindsay Clancy, Clavicular, etc), the site operator may run in those circles.

A list of the other purported court records on "ecourtrecords.org" (taken from an archived copy of the website)

293446

Reposted by Eliot Higgins

What Tracey found was on a sketchy site called "ecourtrecords.org" -- not NY's court system, as he claimed. A disclaimer on the site reads: "Not a court, law firm, or certified record service." Its domain was registered just a few weeks ago. And as of this post, the site he cited is offline.

Domain registration info for "ecourtrecords.org" shows the domain was created on Sept. 17, 2026.

9122996

Reposted by Eliot Higgins

Grumpenstein’s Monster @maxwellshabbsby.bsky.social · 19h

Michael Tracey published what he said was the ID of the "Jane Doe" in the Cornell case. Then he took it down, claiming he just wanted to make a point and didn't want to see harm to the person he named. What he hasn't admitted is that he mistook info on a sketchy site for official NY court records.

An archived copy of Michael Tracey's original Substack post includes a screenshot from "eCourt Records" and the commentary: "It's [name redacted]. Don't blame me -- the New York Court System just posted it. Seemingly inadvertently. Oh well."

Screenshot of Michael Tracey's post on Substack titled "Note on Jane Doe." It reads: "After identifying Jane Doe earlier tonight, I have now removed the information I published. Why? Because the principle has been served: to underscore that permanently anonymizing litigants who make sensational, spectacular, reputation-destroying claims about others — so long as they can self-declare some form of victimization — cannot be countenanced.

It’s destructive, and an egregious abuse of the legal system by huckster plaintiff’s lawyers. This practice has to end. Lawyers who seek to monetize this sleazy tactic should have to think A LOT HARDER about the claims they’re willing to throw out into the public domain, using impressionable clients who may not even know what they’re getting themselves into.

So why have I now removed her information?

Because I don’t believe she’s the main “villain” here. I primarily blame the bottom-feeding, media-manipulating, sleazebag lawyers who’ve made a whole cash-grab industry out of this racket.

Thomas Giuffra in particular has a lot to answer for. He’s the central reason for the current debacle.

Given the intense nationwide and global interest in this case, I don’t want to bring any further negative attention to this woman. I don’t believe she ought to be punished or subjected to any retribution or humiliation. I believe a RATIONAL solution is necessary here. Not more character assassination — of her, the seven young men, or anyone else. Truly, that is my genuine view."

1063162653

Reposted by Eliot Higgins

Interesting choice for Miranda Hart to have come as Hitler in this episode. #traitors #celebritytraitors

2482

Eliot Higgins @eliothiggins.bsky.social · 19h

I feel they should have provided goggles to the contestants for this one #traitors

2250

Eliot Higgins @eliothiggins.bsky.social · 19h

Wait till he starts playing.

110

Eliot Higgins @eliothiggins.bsky.social · 21h

This one works really well because he discovers the magic of UO by playing on a independent server, and he really gets why people made such a connection to it because of that.

120

Reposted by Eliot Higgins

derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 22h

For instance, they had to try on clothes over their clothes, put on protective covers when trying on hats, or weren't allowed to make returns once they brought the clothes home. These policies stemmed from racist fears that white customers would refuse merchandise previously worn by Black shoppers.

Department Store, Mobile, Alabama, 1956

By Gordon Parks

Promised gift of The Gordon Parks FoundationJoanne Wilson, one of the Thorntons’ daughters, is shown standing with her niece in front of a department store in downtown Mobile. The pair is impeccably dressed in light, summery frocks. The jarring neon of the “Colored Entrance” sign looming above them clashes with the two young women’s elegant appearance, transforming a casual afternoon outing into an example of overt discrimination. Notice the fallen strap of Wilson’s slip. Though this detail might appear discordant with the rest of the picture, its inclusion may have been strategic: it allowed Parks to emphasize the humanity of his subjects.

81481185

Reposted by Eliot Higgins

derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 22h

Neiman Marcus closed its downtown Dallas flagship on Wednesday. The store played a notable role in the history of desegregation in Dallas. Previously, Black shoppers across the US could enter department stores, but they weren't allowed to try on clothes without adhering to certain conditions. 🧵

A notice about the Neiman Marcus store opening in downtown Dallas.

9956121567

Eliot Higgins @eliothiggins.bsky.social · 22h

Majuular's newest video on Ultima Online does the best job I've ever seen of capturing the magic of UO youtu.be/35SKawn2SDI?...

youtu.be

Ultima Online Retrospective | The Last Hurrah

YouTube video by Majuular

2474

Reposted by Eliot Higgins

Fared Al Mahlool | فريد المحلول @faredalmahlool.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Aerial footage over Deir ez-Zor, northeastern Syria, reveals the devastating scale of destruction inflicted by the Assad regime, Russia, and the Iranian and foreign militias supporting them.

15820

Reposted by Eliot Higgins

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 02/10/2026

Fox Business host Charles Payne is nearly in tears over the terrible jobs report 😭

901219212

Reposted by Eliot Higgins

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 02/10/2026

CNN on the last jobs report before the midterms: "It came in cold -- surprisingly cold. Job growth weaker than expected, unemployment unexpectedly went up, and paychecks aren't keeping up with prices. This was disappointing all around."

34344031312

Reposted by Eliot Higgins

bellingcat - the home of online investigations

Bellingcat was recognised for all of our work over the past year with the General Excellence in Online Journalism award for a small newsroom. The team is incredibly proud of what we produced. You can read all of our reporting on our website: www.bellingcat.com

bellingcat.com

28010

Reposted by Eliot Higgins

Agents of Chaos: Border Patrol's Year of Unchecked Force

The same series produced in partnership with @calmatters.org and @evidentmedia.org also won the award for Digital Video Storytelling, Series, Small/Medium Newsroom. Watch our documentary, which follows a year of documented incidents involving the use of force, here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=evAD...

youtube.com

YouTube video by Evident

14316

Reposted by Eliot Higgins

Agents of Chaos: Unpacking the Actions of Border Patrol Agents Across US

Our series with @calmatters.org and @evidentmedia.org monitoring the actions of US border patrol agents won the Topical Reporting: Immigration Medium newsroom award. Read one of our articles in that series here: www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/03...

bellingcat.com

Bellingcat and our partners analysed over 85 hours of footage, analysing the actions of Border Patrol agents across the United States.

36021

Reposted by Eliot Higgins