PBS News Weekend: ICE Shootings, Myanmar Elections, and Palantir Technologies

Protests Against ICE Shootings

• ⚡ Protests erupted across the U.S. following the fatal shooting of a woman by an ICE agent in Minneapolis and the wounding of two people by a CBP agent in Portland.
• ✊ Demonstrations, organized as the "ICE out for Good Weekend of Action," occurred in hundreds of cities, with participants demanding accountability and the removal of ICE.
• 📢 Lisa Gilbert of Public Citizen reported over 1,000 peaceful events nationwide, highlighting widespread outrage over escalating violence and abuse of power by ICE and CBP.
• ⚠️ Gilbert criticized the Trump administration's plan to deploy more Border Patrol agents to Minneapolis, calling it the "wrong reaction" and advocating for de-escalation.

Myanmar's Contested Elections and Civil War

• 🗳️ Myanmar is holding its first elections since a 2021 military coup, but critics, including the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), are calling the process a sham due to major opposition parties being barred and leaders jailed.
• 💔 The country is embroiled in a brutal civil war, with the military junta reportedly using sophisticated weapons supplied by Russia and China against civilians.
• ✊ A pro-democracy movement, including former parliamentarians and young resistance fighters, is operating from exile, providing public services and coordinating aid in areas liberated from junta control.
• ⚖️ Activists are urging an election boycott, facing arrests and potential death penalty under a new "election interference" law, and calling for international recognition of legitimate leadership, pressure on the junta, and rejection of the sham elections.

Palantir Technologies and Alex Karp

• 🔍 A new book, "The Philosopher in the Valley," explores Palantir Technologies, a secretive firm specializing in data analytics software used by government agencies, military, and corporations.
• 📊 Palantir's CEO, Alex Karp, defends the company's work, including its contracts with ICE, by arguing that its powerful technology is necessary to find "bad guys" and that if they don't build it, "bad guys" will.
• ⚠️ Critics express concern over the potential for abuse of Palantir's technology, especially its use by ICE for deportations, and note that the company does not police its clients' use of the software.
• 🗣️ Karp has shown evolving views on immigration policy and has expressed strong opinions about his alma mater, Haverford College, for not inviting him to speak, particularly after protests on campus following the October 7th events.