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Musk’s “Thermonuclear” Lawsuit Against Media Matters

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Global Recap
November 21, 2023 • Read in: 9 minutes

Hi Global Recap readers,

During a time when countries are flashing their nuclear cards, Elon Musk has unleashed his own “thermonuclear” card: a lawsuit.

But this is no ordinary lawsuit. Make sure to read the “juicy details” section of our In-Depth story to find out more.

🌐 Around the world:

  • Israel-Hamas deal in sight.

  • US: considering to redesignate Houthis as terrorists.

  • Sunak: “Just let people die.”

  • Germany’s budget hole.

  • US Defense Department’s $100 million aid package for Ukraine.

  • Musk’s “thermonuclear” lawsuit against Media Matters.

Let’s get into today’s news.

🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 Israel-Hamas Deal in Sight

Israel and Hamas are close to agreeing on a deal to release some of the hostages held in Gaza.

Before the government’s vote on a hostage release deal, Israeli PM Netanyahu held a late-night meeting with his war cabinet and security cabinet to dissect the proposal.

  • The deal: Exchange of 50 Israeli hostages, mostly women and children, and 150 Palestinian prisoners. A short truce of at least 5 days and humanitarian aid are also on the table.

  • Mediated by: Qatar and the US.

However, Netanyahu reiterated that this does not mean an end to the war.

🇺🇸 US to Review Houthis Terrorist Label

On Tuesday, the White House announced that it is considering to redesignate the Yemeni Houthi rebels as a terrorist organization.

The decision comes after the Houthis hijacked an Israeli-linked ship in the Red Sea and released a video to brag about it.

  • Designation: Just before leaving office, the Trump administration designated the Houthis as a terrorist entity.

  • Backtrack: The Biden administration revoked the label in 2021 to address the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

The Houthis released a video of their hijacking:

😱 Sunak: “Let People Die”

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak

A recent inquiry has revealed that UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak opposed a second national Covid lockdown in 2020.

  • Accusation: He suggested that the government should “just let people die” instead of imposing restrictions that would hurt the economy.

He was the finance minister back then.

💸 Germany’s Budget Hole

The Reichstag

💸 Germany’s Budget Crisis

Germany’s finance ministry has frozen spending for all federal ministries after a court ruling left a €60 billion hole in the budget.

  • The ruling limits the government’s ability to use special funds, which were created to bypass the debt brake.

  • The German government is bracing for further financial stresses ahead.

🇺🇸 US Defense Chief Visits Ukraine

Ukrainian President Zelensky, left, shaking hands with US Secretary of Defense Austin, right.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin made a surprise trip to Kyiv to show the US support for Ukraine. He met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and assured him that the US is with Ukraine for the long haul.

United States

Musk’s “Thermonuclear” Lawsuit Against Media Matters

🚀 X Corp. vs Media Matters. Elon Musk is suing the progressive watchdog group, Media Matters for America, over its “report” on antisemitic and pro-Nazi content on his social media platform X.

🔥 The Spark. Apple, Xfinity, and IBM ads are rubbing shoulders with extremist content on X, according to the Media Matters report. X stands accused of fueling hate speech and misinformation by hosting “pro-Hitler, Holocaust denial, white nationalist, pro-violence, and neo-Nazi accounts.”

Speaking louder than words were the damning screenshots:

💥 The Fallout. X’s reputation took a hit as major advertisers like Apple, Disney, and IBM pulled out, leaving a multi-million dollar hole in its pocket.

🫵 Musk’s Response. Musk accused Media Matters of manipulating the images and launching a fraudulent attack on his company. He threatened to file a “thermonuclear lawsuit” against the group and all its allies.

🧑‍⚖️ The Lawsuit. Just as Musk said, X Corp. filed a lawsuit against Media Matters.

Here’s the crux of the lawsuit:

“Media Matters knowingly and maliciously manufactured side-by-side images depicting advertisers’ posts on X Corp.’s social media platform beside Neo-Nazi and white-nationalist fringe content and then portrayed these manufactured images as if they were what typical X users experience on the platform.”

From the lawsuit

  • So how did Media Matters game the algorithm? They allegedly followed two types of accounts that made it much more likely ads to appear next to controversial content.

These accounts were either:

  • Known to produce extremist content.

  • Owned by X’s large advertisers.

🚨 The Attorney General. After the lawsuit became public, Elon Musk dropped a bombshell, sharing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s announcement of an investigation into Media Matters.

  • The charge? “Potential fraudulent activity.”

👩‍💼 CEO of X Corp. Then of course, there’s Linda Yaccarino, the CEO of X Corp. She fired back at Media Matters for gaming algorithm too.

🧃 Now, here’s the juicy part.

👀 The Background. Media Matters is a nonprofit organization that is known for monitoring and correcting conservative misinformation in media. It was founded by David Brock, a former conservative journalist who became a staunch ally of Hillary Clinton.

⛓ The Clinton Connection. Media Matters has been accused of being biased and partisan, especially during the 2016 presidential election, when it defended Clinton from criticism and attacked her opponents.

  • In fact: In the early days of Media Matters, Hillary Clinton provided guidance. She believed that, like conservatives, progressives should establish think tanks and advocacy groups to advance their political objectives.

  • According to The New York Times article, Media Matters “helped lay the groundwork” for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign.

Some argue that Clinton has been wielding significant influence over Media Matters, while others believe it’s merely the publication’s leadership advancing their own agendas.