COBALT MINING IN THE DRC: BIG TECH’S DARK SECRET

Sat 14 September 2024:

This week marked the first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. With both candidates giving legacy media the cold shoulder, was it enough to convince voters of their vision for America?

Contributors:
Shana Gadarian – Professor of Political Science, Syracuse University
Natasha Lennard – Contributing Writer, The Intercept
John Nichols – National Affairs Correspondent, The Nation
Mitchell Robertson – Lecturer in US History, UCL

On our radar:
US authorities say they are conducting a coordinated operation against Russian foreign influence in this election. Meenakshi Ravi looks at the right-wing online influencers who are accused of taking money from Moscow.

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

Cobalt is one of the most in-demand minerals in the world today. It’s used in the batteries of smartphones, laptops and electric cars. And most of it comes from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

However, covering cobalt extraction in the DRC is notoriously difficult which makes it hard to know what conditions the miners are working under. In the first of a two-part report, the Listening Post’s Nic Muirhead went to the DRC to try and gain access to the mines – to see for himself – what the story is.

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

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA

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