SocialMediaLab.ca News, analysis & views by @philipmai.com re: the politics of tech, social media, AI, immigration, democracy, mis/disinfo, war & propaganda. Explore our suite of social media tools for public interest research: socialmedialab.ca/apps/
These days, almost every major incident has a social media dimension. "Social media rumours, economic hardship fuel migrant surge into Ceuta" www.reuters.com/world/europe...
Social media rumours, economic hardship fuel migrant surge into CeutaMany young people spend years in Morocco waiting for a chance to cross the border.www.reuters.com2027 is going be awesome... "A shortage of Navy destroyers, used to defend against Iranian ballistic missile attacks, will force the head of U.S. European Command to prioritize the U.S. homeland instead, officials said." www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
U.S. general warns Pentagon he lacks sufficient forces to protect IsraelA shortage of Navy destroyers, used to defend against Iranian ballistic missile attacks, will force the head of U.S. European Command to prioritize the U.S. homeland instead, officials said.www.washingtonpost.comSocial Media LabIranians, Russians & Chinese are planning accordingly: "Researchers from the Center for Strategic & International Studies think tank estimated that fewer than 827 Patriot interceptors remain in US stockpiles, & fewer than 278 THAAD ballistic missile interceptors are left" www.cnn.com/2026/07/29/p...
👀 "Rebuilding Democracy Requires Rebalancing Power. What does a power-shifting agenda look like?" donmoynihan.substack.com/p/rebuilding...
Rebuilding Democracy Requires Rebalancing PowerWhat does a power-shifting agenda look like?donmoynihan.substack.comIn a letter initiated by Italy and Denmark, leaders from 22 European Union nations point to the "Spanish government's move to grant legal status to some unauthorized migrants as a 'pull factor' that may have sparked the crisis - something Madrid has challenged." www.euronews.com/my-europe/20...
22 EU leaders call for emergency talks over Ceuta migrant crisisThe letter came as Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez hit out at some EU members over their response to the crisis. #EuropeNewswww.euronews.com"Almost all of the estimated 60,000 migrants who entered Spain's Ceuta enclave have returned to Morocco, Spanish officials said on Saturday." www.euronews.com/my-europe/20...
Ceuta situation returns to normal as death toll climbs to 67Under the watch of Spanish soldiers and police, the last remaining young migrants continued crossing back over the border to Morocco on Saturday morning. #EuropeNewswww.euronews.comMore signs of Americans becoming poorer. "Papa Murphy’s Is Closing Stores, Joins List of National Pizza Chains to Shutter Locations in 2026. The announcement from parent company MTY Food Group follows recent waves of restaurant closures from Pizza Hut and Papa John’s." www.inc.com/fast-company...
Papa Murphy’s Is Closing Stores, Joins List of National Pizza Chains to Shutter Locations in 2026The announcement from parent company MTY Food Group follows recent waves of restaurant closures from Pizza Hut and Papa John’s.www.inc.com"An estimated 26,000 children who entered the U.S. without parents or guardians are expected to be left without independent legal representation as soon as Monday, according to lawyers who help represent them." www.npr.org/2026/08/01/n...
More than 25,000 children lose previous legal protections, as federal contract endsThousands of unaccompanied immigrant children are set to lose legal representation. The federal contract that pays for legal access expired Friday.www.npr.orgIsn't this insider trading? "Starting Saturday, for a fee of up to $100,000 a month, trading firms can access "Truth API" to get a glimpse of the president's often market-moving announcements about economic policy and global affairs before the rest of the world." www.npr.org/2026/08/01/n...
For sale: early access to Trump's Truth Social postsThe president's media company is offering investors early access to his Truth Social feed for up to $100,000 a month. Experts say the service may violate insider trading laws.www.npr.orgMorocco has done this before. Back in 2021, the Moroccan government let thousands of people from Morocco and sub-Saharan countries into Ceuta. apnews.com/article/spai...
Spain, Morocco square off after 8,000 migrants arrive by seaSpain has sent its military to the Moroccan border as thousands of Moroccans walked or swam into Europe for the second day in a row after Rabat loosened border controls in a diplomatic spat.apnews.com"Why Moroccans collectively crossed to Ceuta, in their own words" apnews.com/article/migr...
'I just want a chance': Moroccans sought better future in collective crossing to Spain territoryWhen he heard that the border was breached, Abdulah Buji jumped on his motorbike and rode as fast as he could to join the tens of thousands of other Moroccans who swam en masse to reach Spanish territ...apnews.com👀 "George Cottrell, the convicted money launderer whose donations to Reform are now the subject of a police investigation, previously worked for Roman Abramovich, the now-sanctioned Russian oligarch close to Putin, a Nerve investigation can reveal." www.thenerve.news/p/george-cot...
Farage, George Cottrell and Putin’s friend AbramovichSource reveals convicted money launderer and Reform leader’s close ally worked as a young man for the now-sanctioned oligarch after becoming friends with his son. Report by Carole Cadwalladrwww.thenerve.newsYou don't say! ... "Donald Trump has backed off a promise to let Ukraine manufacture its own Patriot air defense interceptors, telling reporters that handing over the underlying technology was “a hard thing to give away” during a cabinet meeting at Camp David." www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
Trump backtracks from promise to let Ukraine build Patriot missilesUS president tells reporters during Camp David cabinet meeting technology ‘a hard thing to give away’www.theguardian.com"Water cuts loom as US unveils long-awaited response to Colorado River crisis. Federal government plan outlines cuts of roughly 40% to California, Arizona and Nevada but fix is likely to be only temporary" www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
Water cuts loom as US unveils long-awaited response to Colorado River crisisFederal government plan outlines cuts of roughly 40% to California, Arizona and Nevada but fix is likely to be only temporarywww.theguardian.comSocial Media LabIn case you are wondering why Trump and US planners have been making noise about making Canada the 51st state. This is one l of the reasons: "The Colorado River, a lifeline for seven states, is drying up at its source." www.latimes.com/environment/...
🎧 "One Refugee’s Journey Through ICE Detention" podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/o...
One Refugee’s Journey Through ICE DetentionPodcast Episode · The Political Scene | The New Yorker · 28 July · 49minpodcasts.apple.com"Trump’s Isolationism Is Losing the Great E.V. Race. The United States risks becoming a theme park of internal combustion, as the rest of the world moves on." www.newyorker.com/news/the-led...
Trump Is Losing the Great Electric-Vehicle RaceDonald Trump’s decision to do away with Biden-era efficiency standards and electric-vehicle incentives threatens to turn America into a theme park of internal combustion as the rest of the world moves...www.newyorker.comTrump administration drops Reflecting Pool case, blaming damage on ‘botched’ installation The Justice Department said, “It is difficult to attribute the widespread damage to the Reflecting Pool to vandalism, let alone to establish that fact beyond a reasonable doubt." www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...
Trump administration drops Reflecting Pool case, blaming damage on ‘botched’ installationThe Justice Department said “it is difficult to attribute the widespread damage to the Reflecting Pool to vandalism, let alone to establish that fact beyond a reasonable doubt.”www.nbcnews.com"At one of his lowest pnts, mired in the Iran war & unable to solve the affordability crisis affecting 1/2 the country ... Trump is exploiting the migration crisis in Spain to defend his controversial immigration policies, w/raids & persecutions of immigrants that end in mass deportations."
Trump critica a España por la crisis en Ceuta: “Eso seremos nosotros en tres años si el bando equivocado llega al poder”Estados Unidos se plantea “acciones para defender a los estadounidenses en el país y en el extranjero de esta amenaza”elpais.com"Judge denies request by Elon Musk’s xAI to pause Minnesota nudification ban" www.nbcnews.com/tech/elon-mu...
Judge denies request by Elon Musk’s xAI to pause Minnesota nudification banThe ruling clears the way for the first-in-the-nation law to go into effect on Saturday.www.nbcnews.com