Tag Archives: politics

How Far-Right Extremist Militias Organize on Facebook

Far-right militias are using Facebook to organize ahead of the US presidential election. After lying low for several years in the aftermath of the Capitol riot on January 6, militia extremists have been quietly reorganizing, ramping up recruitment and rhetoric on Facebook—with apparently little concern that Meta will enforce its …

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How Sidechat Fanned the Flames of University Campus Protests

In the months following Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel, conversation on college campuses has been defined by a palpable tension. Increased antisemitic and anti-Muslim rhetoric embroiled numerous universities in free-speech debates. In late April, as the Israel-Hamas War moved into its fifth month, students at Columbia University and other …

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Michael Cohen Can’t Stop Livestreaming on TikTok

Last week, President Joe Biden signed a law that could ban TikTok. This week, we’re talking about the app for an entirely different reason. A lot of lawmakers and campaigns are still using the app, despite the supposed national security risks. Michael Cohen—Donald Trump’s ex-fixer and star witness in the …

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Why China Is So Bad at Disinformation

The headlines sounded dire: “China Will Use AI to Disrupt Elections in the US, South Korea and India, Microsoft Warns.” Another claimed, “China Is Using AI to Sow Disinformation and Stoke Discord Across Asia and the US.” They were based on a report published earlier this month by Microsoft’s Threat …

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No, a Shadowy Figure Is Not Buying Tents for Columbia Student Protesters

A number of elected officials, including New York City Mayor Eric Adams, law enforcement officers, right-wing media outlets, and far-right extremists have boosted a baseless conspiracy theory that Jewish Hungarian billionaire George Soros or some nefarious shadowy organization is helping to fund the pro-Palestinian student protests at universities across the …

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The TikTok Ultimatum Is Here. What Does It Mean?

This might be the end of TikTok. President Joe Biden signed a bill this week which allows the US government to ban the platform if TikTok doesn't divest from its China-based owner, ByteDance, within a year. Today on the show, we’re going to talk about what happens to TikTok now …

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Team Biden Is Posting Through the Looming TikTok Ban

Dear reader, I am exhausted. Over the past few days, the House and Senate passed a massive foreign aid package that also forces TikTok to divest from its China-based owner ByteDance and find a new American owner—or else be banned nationwide. President Joe Biden signed that bill into law, and …

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Sale or No Sale, TikTok Will Never Be the Same

The end of TikTok has begun. As the dust settles from a week of shockingly fast legislative action by the US Congress, it’s clear that TikTok next year will look much different from the TikTok we’re using today. When President Joe Biden signed a $95 billion dollar foreign aid package …

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