Disruptor-in-Chief: The politics of Elon Musk

As the US election looms, Elon Musk’s erratic and sometimes dangerous posts have made him one of the biggest purveyors of disinformation on his platform. How is the world’s richest man using his influence to shape the American political debate?

Contributors:
Russell Brandom – US Tech Editor, Rest of World
Vittoria Elliott – Reporter, Wired
Elizabeth Lopatto – Senior writer, The Verge
Siva Vaidhyanathan – Professor of Media Studies, University of Virginia

On our radar:

This past week saw a huge escalation in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, after Israel launched an indiscriminate cyberattack that killed more than 30 people and wounded 4000.

Ryan Kohls looks at what happened and how the story was covered.

Cobalt mining in the DRC: Big Tech’s dark secret

Cobalt is one of the most in-demand minerals in the world today, found in everything from smartphones to electric cars. Big Tech companies are making billions off of the mineral, and they insist they source it through ethical mines. The Congolese people say otherwise.

In the second of a two-part report, the Listening Post’s Nic Muirhead heads to the mines and speaks with journalists and researchers about what is happening there.

Featuring:
Franck Fwamba – Editor, Mining News Magazine
Siddharth Kara – Author, Cobalt Red
Sylvie Manda – Journalist
Candy Ofime – Researcher on Climate Justice, Amnesty International