from the maybe-don’t-fuck-with-people-who-actually-know-the-law dept

The thing about raiding law offices is that they tend to be filled with people who actually know the law. A bunch of opportunistic ICE officers thought they might be able to talk their way into an illegal search, but that initiative (is that the word for this?) died out almost immediately when the interloping officers were greeted by a small group of immigration lawyers.

As is to be expected, this attempted illegal raid occurred in a “blue” state — the states that are still seeing large amounts of immigration officer activity just because their populations refused to throw a majority of their support behind Donald Trump during the last three elections.

The Sacramento Bee broke the news, covered here by Mathew Miranda:

Multiple U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement agents armed with guns attempted to inspect a Sacramento immigration law firm — and threatened to return later and break windows — on Friday morning, according to several employees of the building.

Employees of the North Natomas law firm and next door dentistry office said the agents, who arrived in at least four vehicles, claimed to have received a list from Washington, D.C., which listed the building’s address as the primary mailing address for many people. The ICE agents requested to tour the office for beds, but were ultimately turned away after failing to provide a warrant.

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You can see the pretense. And you can see how everyone else would have recognized it was a pretense, even if the ICE officers hadn’t backed down immediately in the face of “get a warrant” demands from the occupants of the law office.

ICE pretended that a lot of migrants using the law office as a mailing address (something likely limited to court documents, etc.) was evidence that the law office was illegally housing dozens of migrants. But, as a migrant trying to work your way through the immigration system, it just makes sense to list a law office as the address of contact when engaging court proceedings, especially if your housing situation may be in a constant state of flux. Telling courts to send summons, notices, etc. to your legal reps is the smart way to handle things like naturalization proceedings, given that the rules seem to keep changing, and our current government is doing whatever it can to disrupt immigration proceedings to maximize arrests and detentions.

It would be immediately clear to anyone but an opportunistic ICE thug that the Morris Law Office was incapable of housing a large number of migrants. It’s a strip mall law office that shares a building with a dental implant clinic.

Having rushed directly into a stone wall composed of well-composed immigration lawyers (as well as the absolute stupidity of having to pretend a strip mall law office could be a second home for a large number of migrants), ICE officers retreated empty-handed, but not before issuing a threat that only later proved to be as empty as their fingerless gloved hands:

Raissa Morris, owner of the Morris Law Group, received a text at 9:16 a.m. which read “immigration is here.” The message came from one of her employees who told her an agent, who was armed and wearing an ICE badge, had entered the front lobby and asked to speak to an office manager.

She quickly told one of her employees to tell an agent that they could not inspect the building without a warrant. The agent responded by saying that they had received a list from Washington, D.C., which featured multiple clients using the law firm’s address. He asked to inspect the office for beds and said if they received follow-up orders that they could return at 3 a.m. to break windows and enter.

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Thugs to the very end. “If you won’t let us abuse our power and ignore your rights, we’ll just ask someone back at the office to swear out some paperwork that will let us get what we want without your cooperation.” Obviously, this paraphrasing is far more coherent and polite than anything uttered by your average ICE officer (and, at this point, almost any ICE officer would be lucky to be considered “average”). But the ultimate point remains: if ICE doesn’t get what it wants immediately, it will find a way to get it eventually.

Additional coverage by local news station KCRA includes some on-site reporting, along with screenshots of several photos of ICE vehicles shared by law firm employees. It also includes a comment from the DHS, which apparently couldn’t be bothered to respond to questions from reporters at the publication that first broke the news.

In a statement to KCRA 3, DHS said, “On August 14, ICE officers approached an unmarked door during a targeted enforcement operation, thinking it was the target address as it was listed as the address of the illegal aliens they were planning to arrest. Upon finding out it was a law firm; they departed the address.”

This statement is only true if you ignore the officers’ attempt to engage in a warrantless search, as well as the parting threat they issued when they were ejected by Morris Law employees. ICE had to know it was a law firm because that would be the first result in any normal search of that address. And officers couldn’t pretend it was just some hostel for migrants when they rolled up in at least four separate unmarked vehicles. They were clearly in a quasi-strip mall parking lot facing a business with the business name clearly displayed above the address the DHS now claims was so inscrutable it took an accosting and a confrontation with people who actually know and respect the law to inform the officers of their “mistake.”

The DHS statement is idiotic, which just means it’s on-brand for this administration. So far, the threat to come back and break windows while no one’s in the office has yet to materialize. But this government is filled with sore losers and sore winners (that would be the big baby boy sitting behind the Resolute Desk), so I wouldn’t put any money on ICE just taking this L and moving on to other things.

Filed Under: 4th amendment, california, dhs, ice, masked thugs, mass deportation, raissa morris

Companies: morris law group

The Whoop Meridian takes a screenless fitness tracker that usually looks sporty and turns it into a luxury accessory. Rather than a silicone band, you’re looking at a tapered metal mesh band, magnetic clasp, and four finishes designed to look more at home alongside jewelry than running shoes. Whoop is selling Meridian in Gold, Rose Gold, Alloy, and Black for $149 starting today.

There’s just one small problem. One of Whoop’s biggest ideas is that you’re supposed to wear its tracker continuously, and higher-tier Whoop 5.0 memberships even include a wireless power pack that can charge the tracker while it remains on your wrist. But unfortunately, Meridian can’t do that.

Looking better means taking it off

Whoop’s wireless charger cannot send power through Meridian’s metal band, so the tracker has to come off before it can be charged. So you’re not getting that convenient feature on Whoop’s existing design, particularly for users obsessive enough about continuous health data to dislike gaps in their tracking.

The company addressed the new design in its official announcement, talking about how it now matches the occasions where people might normally remove a fitness tracker — dinners, events, travel, or simply situations where a fabric sports band doesn’t complement what they’re wearing.

The Milanese-style mesh, tapered silhouette, and continuously adjustable magnetic clasp are supposed to turn the Whoop into something closer to jewelry. I can see the appeal. During our review of the Whoop 5.0, we found the standard model comfortable and unobtrusive. Though its chunky fabric-band appearance was one of the hardware’s weaker points. Meridian addresses that complaint rather directly.

Google’s Fitbit Air makes this look expensive

Meridian costs $149 for the band alone. You still need compatible Whoop hardware and an active membership, with Whoop’s subscriptions starting at $199 per year. Meanwhile, Google will sell you an entire Fitbit Air for $99.99. That’s a complete screenless health tracker with 24/7 heart-rate monitoring, sleep tracking, workout detection, up to seven days of battery life, and compatibility with Android and iOS. More importantly, its fundamental health-tracking features continue working without paying for Google Health Premium.

The two products are targeting slightly different customers. Whoop leans much harder into detailed recovery, strain, and performance data, while Fitbit Air is deliberately aimed at making passive health tracking simpler and cheaper. For $50 less than Whoop’s new strap, Google gives you the tracker too. So it mostly makes sense for users already in Whoop’s ecosystem.

Apple has confirmed that its autumn event will take place on 9 September at 10am Pacific time at Apple Park, under the tagline “Surprise and shine” and an invitation showing a sun rising behind the company logo.

The expectation is that it will finally show a foldable iPhone, a device IDC thinks could ship 10 million units in its first year at around $2,500.

The more consequential detail is what is not on the list. The standard iPhone 18 is expected to slip to a spring launch, which means Apple has quietly split the annual iPhone cycle into two events for the first time.

That is a bigger change than a new hinge. The September keynote has been the fixed point of the consumer technology calendar for well over a decade, and moving the volume model out of it changes what the event is for.

The foldable itself, reported variously as the iPhone Fold or iPhone Ultra, is expected in a book-style design with an outer display of around 5.3 in and an inner display near 7.8 in.

Reports describe a titanium frame and a display Apple has worked hard to make close to crease-free, which has been the visible weakness of every rival for seven years.

One design decision stands out from the rest. Face ID is expected to be replaced by Touch ID in the power button, presumably because there is nowhere sensible to put the sensor array on a device that folds.

Pricing expectations run from about $2,000 to $2,500, which would make it the most expensive iPhone Apple has sold by a considerable margin. Samsung has had this category largely to itself since 2019 and has never made it a volume business, so Apple arriving late and expensive is not the disadvantage it sounds.

Apple’s stated position on foldables has always been that the category was not yet good enough, which is roughly the argument it made about large screens and about styluses before adopting both. The test will be whether the hinge and the crease hold up over a couple of years rather than whether they impress in a demo.

The Pro models are the more conventional part of the event. The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are expected to keep their current designs while gaining an A20 Pro chip built on a 2nm process, Apple’s own C2 modem, a variable-aperture main camera, and a smaller Dynamic Island.

A 2nm part would put Apple a full node ahead of most of the Android field, where Xiaomi’s in-house silicon is still on 3nm. Whether buyers notice is a separate question from whether it matters competitively.

There is also a reported price rise of roughly $300 on the Pro line, which would be unusually steep for Apple and is worth treating as a rumour rather than a plan. Component costs have moved sharply this year, particularly memory, so the direction is at least plausible.

Around the phones sits the usual supporting cast. An Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 are expected with new sensors rather than redesigns, alongside the AirPods, OLED iPad mini, and Mac mini refreshes already in the pipeline.

Durability is where foldables have historically disappointed buyers, and it is also the hardest thing to judge from a keynote. A $2,000 phone with a moving part is a warranty proposition as much as a product one.

The home products may be the quiet story. Updated HomePod mini and Apple TV hardware with Siri’s newer AI stack are expected, along with a home hub carrying a seven-inch screen and a FaceTime camera, which would be Apple’s first real attempt at a category Amazon and Google have occupied for years.

None of this is confirmed beyond the date, the venue, and the tagline, and Apple’s invitations have never been dependable guides to their contents.

What the schedule does confirm is that the company is willing to hold a September keynote without its highest-volume product on the stage, which is not a decision it has taken before.

We’re expecting to see the Galaxy S26 FE.

How much do you hate typing? The advent of large language models has rapidly advanced voice-to-text technology. Whether it’s Wispr Flow joining your meetings to summarize discussions or Google debuting smarter on-device dictation in its latest Pixel smartphone, these tools do far more than transcribe: They intelligently strip filler words, clean up unscripted thoughts on the fly, and seamlessly mediate multilingual conversations.

Now, a new startup is entering the fray. Unlike its software-focused peers, Relay is building a dedicated, portable microphone for high-fidelity voice-to-text anywhere. Based in London, Relay was founded by two former Nothing employees: Cookie Xu, who was Nothing’s head of AI and services, and Raymond Zhu, a hardware product manager. While the company is debuting its software today, the hardware—what it calls the Relay Q—won’t be available until early 2027.

Zhu says when he and Xu worked at Nothing, they used Wispr Flow’s transcription software to “type” most of their messages at work. He says it greatly helped with thinking out ideas, but they kept running into an issue: talking loudly in an office.

“In the office, we never really could get the right volume for input,” Zhu tells WIRED. “If I whisper too quietly, the Mac wouldn’t be able to pick it up; too loud and my coworker next to me can hear. Sometimes I would actually pull out my earbud and go like this,” he says over a video call, holding an earbud in front of his mouth to demonstrate. “It calls for dedicated hardware.”

Courtesy of Relay

Relay is exclusive to macOS at launch, though the company has plans to bring it to Windows, iOS, and Android. It’s starting with the desktop because Zhu believes conversations are most complex there. Chats with friends and family are simple on phones, but at work in front of a computer, you’re sharing ideas, brainstorming, and using varied tone and formality.

Though the microphone is still months away from being ready, I’ve been using a beta version of Relay’s macOS app, which works with or without the dedicated mic.

During setup, you’ll need to choose a hotkey that will trigger Relay in any text field—the default is Fn. Press and hold the key while your cursor is in any text field, and Relay activates and handles the voice dictation. The voice-to-text engine is powered by Google’s Gemini models.

If you’re in the market for a new high-performance GPU, GIGABYTE has expanded its premium graphics card lineup with the launch of the AORUS GeForce RTX 5090, RTX 5080, RTX 5070 Ti, and RTX 5070 INFINITY series. The new GPUs focus on high-end performance while introducing a cleaner PC-building approach with hidden rear-facing power connectors, an upgraded Windforce cooling system, and customizable RGB Halo lighting. Here’s everything you need to know about them.

Windforce Hyperburst Cooling System

The headline feature across the INFINITY lineup is GIGABYTE’s new WINDFORCE HYPERBURST cooling system. It combines a double flow-through heatsink design with the company’s patented Hawk fans to improve airflow and thermal performance during demanding gaming and creative workloads.

According to GIGABYTE, the Hawk fans deliver up to 53.6% higher air pressure and 12.5% more airflow compared to previous designs. An intelligent Overdrive Fan, positioned at the center of the card, automatically activates under heavy loads to provide additional cooling while keeping noise levels in check.

One of the more interesting design changes is the relocation of the GPU’s power connector to the rear of the graphics card. Instead of cables protruding from the side, users can route them behind the motherboard tray for a much cleaner-looking build. GIGABYTE also includes a magnetic cover that fully hides the connector, giving the cards a minimalist appearance once installed. The design is compatible with STEALTH-style PC builds that prioritize hidden cable routing.

Alongside the standard models, GIGABYTE has unveiled the AORUS GeForce RTX 5080 INFINITY WOOD, which pairs wood-grain accents with premium materials to match the company’s WOOD-themed motherboards.

The new jobs, spanning engineering, operations, finance, consulting and technology, will be created over coming years.

US professional services firm Highspring is creating 50 new jobs in its recently established Irish presence.

The new jobs, spanning engineering, operations, finance, consulting and technology, will be created over the course of the coming years, the company said in a statement today (27 August). Highspring did not provide a timeline.

The Tennessee-headquartered company said the fresh investment will support its managed services, consulting and talent solutions businesses and reinforce its ability to service its European clients. Ireland is expected to play a key role in supporting the company’s multinational client base, it said.

Highspring, formerly branded under Vaco Holdings, has a presence across more than 45 countries with more than 10,000 employees. Vaco continues as the talent solutions division of the business, providing services across accounting and finance, business and digital transformation, risk and compliance and IT.

Highspring officially launched its Dublin office last year as part of a major international push. The Irish launch was followed by an office is Lisbon this February.

“The new roles across engineering, operations, finance, consulting and technology will provide excellent opportunities for highly skilled professionals and further strengthen Ireland’s position as a hub for innovation, talent and business excellence,” said Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke TD.

Brian Waller, the CEO of Highspring said: “Our talented team in Ireland has become a critical part of how we deliver for clients around the world and has enabled Highspring’s accelerated growth.  These new roles build on the success we’ve already experienced here and reinforce our commitment to Ireland as an important part of our global strategy.”

This month alone, US tech company Vertiv announced plans to create 300 new jobs amid a planned expansion of its Letterkenny facility.

Meanwhile, Australian substitute teacher booking platform ClassCover is expanding into Ireland with a €3m investment that will create 20 jobs over three years.

And late last month, OpenAI announced plans to hire 250 workers at its new EU headquarters in Dublin’s Docklands to meet the growing demand for its services in Europe.

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