--:-- [Upbeat music fades out]
--:-- John Bickley: The NFL is back, and FanDuel's got everything you need to play your game. From same-game parlays to live betting. Right now, new customers bet $5 and get $300 in bonus bets if you win. 21-plus in president select states. 18-plus in Kentucky and Wyoming. Must be first online real money waging. $5 deposit required. Bonus issued is non-withdrawable bonus bets that expire seven days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See full terms at FanDuel.com slash sportsbook. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
--:-- [Music transitions to a news theme]
--:-- John Bickley: A week after President Biden brought in a record haul in fundraising, former President Trump dwarfs the number at his own historic event. Prior to last night, the largest single event fundraiser in politics ever was the one that Joe Biden had, and he needed three presidents to haul in $26 million. Who's leading the fundraising race, and what headwinds are each of the candidates facing? I'm Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Monday, April 8th, and this is Morning Wire.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's right, John. And we have the latest on the fundraising race with Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips. Hey, Cabot. So let's start with this enormous fundraiser for the Trump campaign.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Yeah. So over the last few months, while President Biden has been dogged by negative press and continue to lag behind Donald Trump in the polls, there is one aspect where he has been firmly ahead of his opponent, fundraising. FEC reports released this week showed Biden with a $192 million campaign war chest. That is not only the largest amount for any Democrat in history at this point in a race, it's importantly more than double the cash that Trump has on hand.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a significant gap. But it sounds like Trump's team is not giving up.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Yeah, that is for sure. If Biden did indeed have the largest fundraiser in history, that record only stood for a few days. Because Trump's event in Palm Beach on Saturday reportedly brought in, get this, a staggering $50 million in one night. And one can't help but notice how different the two record-breaking fundraisers were. While President Biden event was a who's who of Hollywood stars with celebrity musical performances and on appearances from former presidents Clinton and Obama the Trump fundraiser focused almost entirely on one celebrity appearance That was Donald Trump himself As a campaign spokesman Daniel Alvarez put it quote it took three Democrat presidents to raise $26 million and one president to raise over $50 million Here's Trump speaking outside of the event.
--:-- [Audio clip of Donald Trump speaking]
--:-- Donald Trump: People are just wanting change. Rich people want it. Poor people want it. Everybody wants change because people, they wanted to contribute to a cause of making America great again. And that's what's happened.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: The event was hosted by billionaire investor John Paulson and attended by some of the country's most prominent business leaders, including oil and gas magnate Harold Hamm, New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, casino mogul Steve Wynn. The list goes on. For their part, a Biden campaign spokesman referred to those in attendance as, quote, a bunch of billionaire scammers, extremists and racists. But beyond the importance of the money itself, Saturday's event was just further proof that Trump has once again locked up the support of big money GOP donors, many of whom had supported other candidates during the primary.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a big deal, Cabot. But what about the challenges that President Biden is facing? He's got a lot on his plate right now.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Yeah, let's get into that. In particular, we saw the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal brought back into the national conversation this month. What did we learn there in that new investigation?
--:-- Georgia Howe: Right. This made headlines even over at left-leaning CNN, which broke the story. An ongoing investigation by the House Foreign Affairs Committee is shining new light on the lack of preparation and foresight that led up to the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, which, as everyone remembers, left 13 American soldiers dead and saw the country fall back into the hands of the Taliban.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: The committee heard damning testimony from three separate State Department officials last week who say they were rushed into the country to oversee the final days of the withdrawal, but that when they arrived there, there were, quote, no plans in place for an evacuation. The men said the Biden administration was totally unprepared for the operation and left those on the ground to, quote, create from scratch tactical operations that would get our priority people into the airport.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty damning indictment of the Biden administration's handling of the withdrawal.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Yeah, no doubt. Cabot, thanks for reporting.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Anytime.
--:-- [Music transitions to a new segment]
--:-- John Bickley: Elon Musk calls out online censorship in Brazil as political observers say the country is on the brink of dictatorship. At any moment, Brazil's Supreme Court could shut off all access to ex-Twitter for the people of Brazil. And the situation in the Middle East is rapidly changing. Israel withdraws from southern Gaza, while Iran appears poised to strike. Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know.
--:-- [Music transitions to a new segment]
--:-- John Bickley: As our national debt continues to skyrocket, you need to be confident in the companies that you work with, especially regarding your money and future. Birch Gold understands that navigating financial decisions can be daunting. That's why their expertise, coupled with their customer care process, ensures that your purchase or IRA setup is a breeze. If you're considering converting an existing retirement account into a precious metals IRA, their dedicated in-house IRA department guides you every step of the way, making the process feel as simple as a walk in the park. Text WIRE to 989898 to talk to one of Birch Gold's experts and claim your free info kit on gold. That's WIRE to 989898 today.
--:-- [Music transitions to a new segment]
--:-- Georgia Howe: A week after President Biden's historic fundraising event in New York City, Donald Trump pulled off a record-breaking event of his own, significantly narrowing the fundraising advantage currently held by Democrats. The news comes as President Biden faces a growing number of challenges abroad and at home. Here with the latest is Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips. Hey, Cabot. So let's start with this enormous fundraiser for the Trump campaign.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Yeah. So over the last few months, while President Biden has been dogged by negative press and continue to lag behind Donald Trump in the polls, there is one aspect where he has been firmly ahead of his opponent, fundraising. FEC reports released this week showed Biden with a $192 million campaign war chest. That is not only the largest amount for any Democrat in history at this point in a race, it's importantly more than double the cash that Trump has on hand.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a significant gap. But it sounds like Trump's team is not giving up.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Yeah, that is for sure. If Biden did indeed have the largest fundraiser in history, that record only stood for a few days. Because Trump's event in Palm Beach on Saturday reportedly brought in, get this, a staggering $50 million in one night. And one can't help but notice how different the two record-breaking fundraisers were. While President Biden event was a who's who of Hollywood stars with celebrity musical performances and on appearances from former presidents Clinton and Obama the Trump fundraiser focused almost entirely on one celebrity appearance That was Donald Trump himself As a campaign spokesman Daniel Alvarez put it quote it took three Democrat presidents to raise $26 million and one president to raise over $50 million Here's Trump speaking outside of the event.
--:-- [Audio clip of Donald Trump speaking]
--:-- Donald Trump: People are just wanting change. Rich people want it. Poor people want it. Everybody wants change because people, they wanted to contribute to a cause of making America great again. And that's what's happened.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: The event was hosted by billionaire investor John Paulson and attended by some of the country's most prominent business leaders, including oil and gas magnate Harold Hamm, New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, casino mogul Steve Wynn. The list goes on. For their part, a Biden campaign spokesman referred to those in attendance as, quote, a bunch of billionaire scammers, extremists and racists. But beyond the importance of the money itself, Saturday's event was just further proof that Trump has once again locked up the support of big money GOP donors, many of whom had supported other candidates during the primary.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a big deal, Cabot. But what about the challenges that President Biden is facing? He's got a lot on his plate right now.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Yeah, let's get into that. In particular, we saw the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal brought back into the national conversation this month. What did we learn there in that new investigation?
--:-- Georgia Howe: Right. This made headlines even over at left-leaning CNN, which broke the story. An ongoing investigation by the House Foreign Affairs Committee is shining new light on the lack of preparation and foresight that led up to the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, which, as everyone remembers, left 13 American soldiers dead and saw the country fall back into the hands of the Taliban.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: The committee heard damning testimony from three separate State Department officials last week who say they were rushed into the country to oversee the final days of the withdrawal, but that when they arrived there, there were, quote, no plans in place for an evacuation. The men said the Biden administration was totally unprepared for the operation and left those on the ground to, quote, create from scratch tactical operations that would get our priority people into the airport.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty damning indictment of the Biden administration's handling of the withdrawal.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Yeah, no doubt.
--:-- [Music transitions to a new segment]
--:-- Georgia Howe: Elon Musk says Brazil is illegally censoring its citizens and he's pledging to defy the government in order to keep speech free on his platform. Meanwhile, journalists warn the country is on the brink of totalitarianism. Here with the latest is Daily Wire culture reporter Megan Basham. So Megan, what led to the standoff between Musk and this Brazilian court?
--:-- Megan Basham: So on Saturday, a Brazilian Supreme Court judge ordered X to block a number of pretty popular accounts. Almost immediately after, Elon Musk said that free speech principles matter more than profits. And he then announced plans to defy the court's order and lift all speech restrictions on his platform in the country. As a result of that, Musk says that he will probably lose all revenue in Brazil and that he's going to have to shut down X's offices there. That means the Brazilian Supreme Court could shut off the Brazilian public's access to X at really any moment.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Is X the only social media company that the Brazilian government is trying to censor, or is it going after all of them?
--:-- Megan Basham: Well, it appears the government is going after all of the big ones, at least. Facebook, Google, and some others have faced investigations for what the same court called quote unquote abusive practices, though it appears that most of the platforms have complied with speech restrictions to some degree. Musk, however, is the only big tech exec to have made this a very public fight One way Brazil government has attempted to squeeze these platforms into compliance is through lawfare This same judge presiding over Musk case also ordered investigations into big tech executives at other companies after they lobbied against a proposal to regulate Brazil's internet.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty chilling development. What's the situation like on the ground in Brazil?
--:-- Megan Basham: Well, it appears the government is going after all of the big ones, at least. Facebook, Google, and some others have faced investigations for what the same court called quote unquote abusive practices, though it appears that most of the platforms have complied with speech restrictions to some degree. Musk, however, is the only big tech exec to have made this a very public fight One way Brazil government has attempted to squeeze these platforms into compliance is through lawfare This same judge presiding over Musk case also ordered investigations into big tech executives at other companies after they lobbied against a proposal to regulate Brazil's internet.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty chilling development. What's the situation like on the ground in Brazil?
--:-- Megan Basham: Independent journalist Michael Schellenberger, who is in Brazil and broke parts of this story, said it's not an exaggeration to say that Brazil is, quote, on the brink of dictatorship. He then lambasted a number of big tech companies for giving in to the demands of the Brazilian authorities. I know censorship when I see it. The Twitter files revealed also that Google, Facebook, Uber, WhatsApp and Instagram betrayed the people of Brazil. If this evidence is proven and admitted to, the executives of those companies behave like cowards. They provided the Brazilian government with personal registration data and telephone numbers without a court order. Therefore, they violated the Brazilian laws.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty damning indictment of the tech companies.
--:-- Megan Basham: Yeah, it is. And it's not just the tech companies that are under scrutiny. The White House and U.S. officials have been accused of engineering this censorship in Brazil.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty serious accusation. What do you think about that?
--:-- Megan Basham: Well, it appears the government is going after all of the big ones, at least. Facebook, Google, and some others have faced investigations for what the same court called quote unquote abusive practices, though it appears that most of the platforms have complied with speech restrictions to some degree. Musk, however, is the only big tech exec to have made this a very public fight One way Brazil government has attempted to squeeze these platforms into compliance is through lawfare This same judge presiding over Musk case also ordered investigations into big tech executives at other companies after they lobbied against a proposal to regulate Brazil's internet.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty chilling development. What's the situation like on the ground in Brazil?
--:-- Megan Basham: Independent journalist Michael Schellenberger, who is in Brazil and broke parts of this story, said it's not an exaggeration to say that Brazil is, quote, on the brink of dictatorship. He then lambasted a number of big tech companies for giving in to the demands of the Brazilian authorities. I know censorship when I see it. The Twitter files revealed also that Google, Facebook, Uber, WhatsApp and Instagram betrayed the people of Brazil. If this evidence is proven and admitted to, the executives of those companies behave like cowards. They provided the Brazilian government with personal registration data and telephone numbers without a court order. Therefore, they violated the Brazilian laws.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty damning indictment of the tech companies.
--:-- Megan Basham: Yeah, it is. And it's not just the tech companies that are under scrutiny. The White House and U.S. officials have been accused of engineering this censorship in Brazil.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty serious accusation. What do you think about that?
--:-- Megan Basham: Well, it appears the government is going after all of the big ones, at least. Facebook, Google, and some others have faced investigations for what the same court called quote unquote abusive practices, though it appears that most of the platforms have complied with speech restrictions to some degree. Musk, however, is the only big tech exec to have made this a very public fight One way Brazil government has attempted to squeeze these platforms into compliance is through lawfare This same judge presiding over Musk case also ordered investigations into big tech executives at other companies after they lobbied against a proposal to regulate Brazil's internet.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty chilling development. What's the situation like on the ground in Brazil?
--:-- Megan Basham: Independent journalist Michael Schellenberger, who is in Brazil and broke parts of this story, said it's not an exaggeration to say that Brazil is, quote, on the brink of dictatorship. He then lambasted a number of big tech companies for giving in to the demands of the Brazilian authorities. I know censorship when I see it. The Twitter files revealed also that Google, Facebook, Uber, WhatsApp and Instagram betrayed the people of Brazil. If this evidence is proven and admitted to, the executives of those companies behave like cowards. They provided the Brazilian government with personal registration data and telephone numbers without a court order. Therefore, they violated the Brazilian laws.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty damning indictment of the tech companies.
--:-- Megan Basham: Yeah, it is. And it's not just the tech companies that are under scrutiny. The White House and U.S. officials have been accused of engineering this censorship in Brazil.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty serious accusation. What do you think about that?
--:-- Megan Basham: Well, it appears the government is going after all of the big ones, at least. Facebook, Google, and some others have faced investigations for what the same court called quote unquote abusive practices, though it appears that most of the platforms have complied with speech restrictions to some degree. Musk, however, is the only big tech exec to have made this a very public fight One way Brazil government has attempted to squeeze these platforms into compliance is through lawfare This same judge presiding over Musk case also ordered investigations into big tech executives at other companies after they lobbied against a proposal to regulate Brazil's internet.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty chilling development. What's the situation like on the ground in Brazil?
--:-- Megan Basham: Independent journalist Michael Schellenberger, who is in Brazil and broke parts of this story, said it's not an exaggeration to say that Brazil is, quote, on the brink of dictatorship. He then lambasted a number of big tech companies for giving in to the demands of the Brazilian authorities. I know censorship when I see it. The Twitter files revealed also that Google, Facebook, Uber, WhatsApp and Instagram betrayed the people of Brazil. If this evidence is proven and admitted to, the executives of those companies behave like cowards. They provided the Brazilian government with personal registration data and telephone numbers without a court order. Therefore, they violated the Brazilian laws.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty damning indictment of the tech companies.
--:-- Megan Basham: Yeah, it is. And it's not just the tech companies that are under scrutiny. The White House and U.S. officials have been accused of engineering this censorship in Brazil.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty serious accusation. What do you think about that?
--:-- Megan Basham: Well, it appears the government is going after all of the big ones, at least. Facebook, Google, and some others have faced investigations for what the same court called quote unquote abusive practices, though it appears that most of the platforms have complied with speech restrictions to some degree. Musk, however, is the only big tech exec to have made this a very public fight One way Brazil government has attempted to squeeze these platforms into compliance is through lawfare This same judge presiding over Musk case also ordered investigations into big tech executives at other companies after they lobbied against a proposal to regulate Brazil's internet.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty chilling development. What's the situation like on the ground in Brazil?
--:-- Megan Basham: Independent journalist Michael Schellenberger, who is in Brazil and broke parts of this story, said it's not an exaggeration to say that Brazil is, quote, on the brink of dictatorship. He then lambasted a number of big tech companies for giving in to the demands of the Brazilian authorities. I know censorship when I see it. The Twitter files revealed also that Google, Facebook, Uber, WhatsApp and Instagram betrayed the people of Brazil. If this evidence is proven and admitted to, the executives of those companies behave like cowards. They provided the Brazilian government with personal registration data and telephone numbers without a court order. Therefore, they violated the Brazilian laws.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty damning indictment of the tech companies.
--:-- Megan Basham: Yeah, it is. And it's not just the tech companies that are under scrutiny. The White House and U.S. officials have been accused of engineering this censorship in Brazil.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty serious accusation. What do you think about that?
--:-- Megan Basham: Well, it appears the government is going after all of the big ones, at least. Facebook, Google, and some others have faced investigations for what the same court called quote unquote abusive practices, though it appears that most of the platforms have complied with speech restrictions to some degree. Musk, however, is the only big tech exec to have made this a very public fight One way Brazil government has attempted to squeeze these platforms into compliance is through lawfare This same judge presiding over Musk case also ordered investigations into big tech executives at other companies after they lobbied against a proposal to regulate Brazil's internet.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty chilling development. What's the situation like on the ground in Brazil?
--:-- Megan Basham: Independent journalist Michael Schellenberger, who is in Brazil and broke parts of this story, said it's not an exaggeration to say that Brazil is, quote, on the brink of dictatorship. He then lambasted a number of big tech companies for giving in to the demands of the Brazilian authorities. I know censorship when I see it. The Twitter files revealed also that Google, Facebook, Uber, WhatsApp and Instagram betrayed the people of Brazil. If this evidence is proven and admitted to, the executives of those companies behave like cowards. They provided the Brazilian government with personal registration data and telephone numbers without a court order. Therefore, they violated the Brazilian laws.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty damning indictment of the tech companies.
--:-- Megan Basham: Yeah, it is. And it's not just the tech companies that are under scrutiny. The White House and U.S. officials have been accused of engineering this censorship in Brazil.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty serious accusation. What do you think about that?
--:-- Megan Basham: Well, it appears the government is going after all of the big ones, at least. Facebook, Google, and some others have faced investigations for what the same court called quote unquote abusive practices, though it appears that most of the platforms have complied with speech restrictions to some degree. Musk, however, is the only big tech exec to have made this a very public fight One way Brazil government has attempted to squeeze these platforms into compliance is through lawfare This same judge presiding over Musk case also ordered investigations into big tech executives at other companies after they lobbied against a proposal to regulate Brazil's internet.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty chilling development. What's the situation like on the ground in Brazil?
--:-- Megan Basham: Independent journalist Michael Schellenberger, who is in Brazil and broke parts of this story, said it's not an exaggeration to say that Brazil is, quote, on the brink of dictatorship. He then lambasted a number of big tech companies for giving in to the demands of the Brazilian authorities. I know censorship when I see it. The Twitter files revealed also that Google, Facebook, Uber, WhatsApp and Instagram betrayed the people of Brazil. If this evidence is proven and admitted to, the executives of those companies behave like cowards. They provided the Brazilian government with personal registration data and telephone numbers without a court order. Therefore, they violated the Brazilian laws.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty damning indictment of the tech companies.
--:-- Megan Basham: Yeah, it is. And it's not just the tech companies that are under scrutiny. The White House and U.S. officials have been accused of engineering this censorship in Brazil.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty serious accusation. What do you think about that?
--:-- Megan Basham: Well, it appears the government is going after all of the big ones, at least. Facebook, Google, and some others have faced investigations for what the same court called quote unquote abusive practices, though it appears that most of the platforms have complied with speech restrictions to some degree. Musk, however, is the only big tech exec to have made this a very public fight One way Brazil government has attempted to squeeze these platforms into compliance is through lawfare This same judge presiding over Musk case also ordered investigations into big tech executives at other companies after they lobbied against a proposal to regulate Brazil's internet.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty chilling development. What's the situation like on the ground in Brazil?
--:-- Megan Basham: Independent journalist Michael Schellenberger, who is in Brazil and broke parts of this story, said it's not an exaggeration to say that Brazil is, quote, on the brink of dictatorship. He then lambasted a number of big tech companies for giving in to the demands of the Brazilian authorities. I know censorship when I see it. The Twitter files revealed also that Google, Facebook, Uber, WhatsApp and Instagram betrayed the people of Brazil. If this evidence is proven and admitted to, the executives of those companies behave like cowards. They provided the Brazilian government with personal registration data and telephone numbers without a court order. Therefore, they violated the Brazilian laws.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty damning indictment of the tech companies.
--:-- Megan Basham: Yeah, it is. And it's not just the tech companies that are under scrutiny. The White House and U.S. officials have been accused of engineering this censorship in Brazil.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty serious accusation. What do you think about that?
--:-- Megan Basham: Well, it appears the government is going after all of the big ones, at least. Facebook, Google, and some others have faced investigations for what the same court called quote unquote abusive practices, though it appears that most of the platforms have complied with speech restrictions to some degree. Musk, however, is the only big tech exec to have made this a very public fight One way Brazil government has attempted to squeeze these platforms into compliance is through lawfare This same judge presiding over Musk case also ordered investigations into big tech executives at other companies after they lobbied against a proposal to regulate Brazil's internet.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty chilling development. What's the situation like on the ground in Brazil?
--:-- Megan Basham: Independent journalist Michael Schellenberger, who is in Brazil and broke parts of this story, said it's not an exaggeration to say that Brazil is, quote, on the brink of dictatorship. He then lambasted a number of big tech companies for giving in to the demands of the Brazilian authorities. I know censorship when I see it. The Twitter files revealed also that Google, Facebook, Uber, WhatsApp and Instagram betrayed the people of Brazil. If this evidence is proven and admitted to, the executives of those companies behave like cowards. They provided the Brazilian government with personal registration data and telephone numbers without a court order. Therefore, they violated the Brazilian laws.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty damning indictment of the tech companies.
--:-- Megan Basham: Yeah, it is. And it's not just the tech companies that are under scrutiny. The White House and U.S. officials have been accused of engineering this censorship in Brazil.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty serious accusation. What do you think about that?
--:-- Megan Basham: Well, it appears the government is going after all of the big ones, at least. Facebook, Google, and some others have faced investigations for what the same court called quote unquote abusive practices, though it appears that most of the platforms have complied with speech restrictions to some degree. Musk, however, is the only big tech exec to have made this a very public fight One way Brazil government has attempted to squeeze these platforms into compliance is through lawfare This same judge presiding over Musk case also ordered investigations into big tech executives at other companies after they lobbied against a proposal to regulate Brazil's internet.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty chilling development. What's the situation like on the ground in Brazil?
--:-- Megan Basham: Independent journalist Michael Schellenberger, who is in Brazil and broke parts of this story, said it's not an exaggeration to say that Brazil is, quote, on the brink of dictatorship. He then lambasted a number of big tech companies for giving in to the demands of the Brazilian authorities. I know censorship when I see it. The Twitter files revealed also that Google, Facebook, Uber, WhatsApp and Instagram betrayed the people of Brazil. If this evidence is proven and admitted to, the executives of those companies behave like cowards. They provided the Brazilian government with personal registration data and telephone numbers without a court order. Therefore, they violated the Brazilian laws.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty damning indictment of the tech companies.
--:-- Megan Basham: Yeah, it is. And it's not just the tech companies that are under scrutiny. The White House and U.S. officials have been accused of engineering this censorship in Brazil.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty serious accusation. What do you think about that?
--:-- Megan Basham: Well, it appears the government is going after all of the big ones, at least. Facebook, Google, and some others have faced investigations for what the same court called quote unquote abusive practices, though it appears that most of the platforms have complied with speech restrictions to some degree. Musk, however, is the only big tech exec to have made this a very public fight One way Brazil government has attempted to squeeze these platforms into compliance is through lawfare This same judge presiding over Musk case also ordered investigations into big tech executives at other companies after they lobbied against a proposal to regulate Brazil's internet.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty chilling development. What's the situation like on the ground in Brazil?
--:-- Megan Basham: Independent journalist Michael Schellenberger, who is in Brazil and broke parts of this story, said it's not an exaggeration to say that Brazil is, quote, on the brink of dictatorship. He then lambasted a number of big tech companies for giving in to the demands of the Brazilian authorities. I know censorship when I see it. The Twitter files revealed also that Google, Facebook, Uber, WhatsApp and Instagram betrayed the people of Brazil. If this evidence is proven and admitted to, the executives of those companies behave like cowards. They provided the Brazilian government with personal registration data and telephone numbers without a court order. Therefore, they violated the Brazilian laws.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty damning indictment of the tech companies.
--:-- Megan Basham: Yeah, it is. And it's not just the tech companies that are under scrutiny. The White House and U.S. officials have been accused of engineering this censorship in Brazil.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty serious accusation. What do you think about that?
--:-- Megan Basham: Well, it appears the government is going after all of the big ones, at least. Facebook, Google, and some others have faced investigations for what the same court called quote unquote abusive practices, though it appears that most of the platforms have complied with speech restrictions to some degree. Musk, however, is the only big tech exec to have made this a very public fight One way Brazil government has attempted to squeeze these platforms into compliance is through lawfare This same judge presiding over Musk case also ordered investigations into big tech executives at other companies after they lobbied against a proposal to regulate Brazil's internet.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty chilling development. What's the situation like on the ground in Brazil?
--:-- Megan Basham: Independent journalist Michael Schellenberger, who is in Brazil and broke parts of this story, said it's not an exaggeration to say that Brazil is, quote, on the brink of dictatorship. He then lambasted a number of big tech companies for giving in to the demands of the Brazilian authorities. I know censorship when I see it. The Twitter files revealed also that Google, Facebook, Uber, WhatsApp and Instagram betrayed the people of Brazil. If this evidence is proven and admitted to, the executives of those companies behave like cowards. They provided the Brazilian government with personal registration data and telephone numbers without a court order. Therefore, they violated the Brazilian laws.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty damning indictment of the tech companies.
--:-- Megan Basham: Yeah, it is. And it's not just the tech companies that are under scrutiny. The White House and U.S. officials have been accused of engineering this censorship in Brazil.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty serious accusation. What do you think about that?
--:-- Megan Basham: Well, it appears the government is going after all of the big ones, at least. Facebook, Google, and some others have faced investigations for what the same court called quote unquote abusive practices, though it appears that most of the platforms have complied with speech restrictions to some degree. Musk, however, is the only big tech exec to have made this a very public fight One way Brazil government has attempted to squeeze these platforms into compliance is through lawfare This same judge presiding over Musk case also ordered investigations into big tech executives at other companies after they lobbied against a proposal to regulate Brazil's internet.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty chilling development. What's the situation like on the ground in Brazil?
--:-- Megan Basham: Independent journalist Michael Schellenberger, who is in Brazil and broke parts of this story, said it's not an exaggeration to say that Brazil is, quote, on the brink of dictatorship. He then lambasted a number of big tech companies for giving in to the demands of the Brazilian authorities. I know censorship when I see it. The Twitter files revealed also that Google, Facebook, Uber, WhatsApp and Instagram betrayed the people of Brazil. If this evidence is proven and admitted to, the executives of those companies behave like cowards. They provided the Brazilian government with personal registration data and telephone numbers without a court order. Therefore, they violated the Brazilian laws.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty damning indictment of the tech companies.
--:-- Megan Basham: Yeah, it is. And it's not just the tech companies that are under scrutiny. The White House and U.S. officials have been accused of engineering this censorship in Brazil.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty serious accusation. What do you think about that?
--:-- Megan Basham: Well, it appears the government is going after all of the big ones, at least. Facebook, Google, and some others have faced investigations for what the same court called quote unquote abusive practices, though it appears that most of the platforms have complied with speech restrictions to some degree. Musk, however, is the only big tech exec to have made this a very public fight One way Brazil government has attempted to squeeze these platforms into compliance is through lawfare This same judge presiding over Musk case also ordered investigations into big tech executives at other companies after they lobbied against a proposal to regulate Brazil's internet.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty chilling development. What's the situation like on the ground in Brazil?
--:-- Megan Basham: Independent journalist Michael Schellenberger, who is in Brazil and broke parts of this story, said it's not an exaggeration to say that Brazil is, quote, on the brink of dictatorship. He then lambasted a number of big tech companies for giving in to the demands of the Brazilian authorities. I know censorship when I see it. The Twitter files revealed also that Google, Facebook, Uber, WhatsApp and Instagram betrayed the people of Brazil. If this evidence is proven and admitted to, the executives of those companies behave like cowards. They provided the Brazilian government with personal registration data and telephone numbers without a court order. Therefore, they violated the Brazilian laws.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty damning indictment of the tech companies.
--:-- Megan Basham: Yeah, it is. And it's not just the tech companies that are under scrutiny. The White House and U.S. officials have been accused of engineering this censorship in Brazil.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty serious accusation. What do you think about that?
--:-- Megan Basham: Well, it appears the government is going after all of the big ones, at least. Facebook, Google, and some others have faced investigations for what the same court called quote unquote abusive practices, though it appears that most of the platforms have complied with speech restrictions to some degree. Musk, however, is the only big tech exec to have made this a very public fight One way Brazil government has attempted to squeeze these platforms into compliance is through lawfare This same judge presiding over Musk case also ordered investigations into big tech executives at other companies after they lobbied against a proposal to regulate Brazil's internet.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty chilling development. What's the situation like on the ground in Brazil?
--:-- Megan Basham: Independent journalist Michael Schellenberger, who is in Brazil and broke parts of this story, said it's not an exaggeration to say that Brazil is, quote, on the brink of dictatorship. He then lambasted a number of big tech companies for giving in to the demands of the Brazilian authorities. I know censorship when I see it. The Twitter files revealed also that Google, Facebook, Uber, WhatsApp and Instagram betrayed the people of Brazil. If this evidence is proven and admitted to, the executives of those companies behave like cowards. They provided the Brazilian government with personal registration data and telephone numbers without a court order. Therefore, they violated the Brazilian laws.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty damning indictment of the tech companies.
--:-- Megan Basham: Yeah, it is. And it's not just the tech companies that are under scrutiny. The White House and U.S. officials have been accused of engineering this censorship in Brazil.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty serious accusation. What do you think about that?
--:-- Megan Basham: Well, it appears the government is going after all of the big ones, at least. Facebook, Google, and some others have faced investigations for what the same court called quote unquote abusive practices, though it appears that most of the platforms have complied with speech restrictions to some degree. Musk, however, is the only big tech exec to have made this a very public fight One way Brazil government has attempted to squeeze these platforms into compliance is through lawfare This same judge presiding over Musk case also ordered investigations into big tech executives at other companies after they lobbied against a proposal to regulate Brazil's internet.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty chilling development. What
