Articles

How American Influencers Built a World Wide Web of Vaccine Disinformation – Mother Jones Magazine (image)

How American Influencers Built a World Wide Web of Vaccine Disinformation – Mother Jones Magazine

June 2, 2022

In the United States, the proliferation of disinformation about Covid vaccines and treatments has been widely publicized, and most of these myths come from a few powerful influencers. Last year, the anti-extremism group Center for Countering Digital Hate found that 65 percent of vaccine disinformation on Facebook and Twitter came from just 12 people, including the activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the natural lifestyle influencer Dr. Joseph Mercola. The target audience, the media reports, is in bastions of American conservatism—in rural communities, among evangelical Christians, and among Trump voters.

But there is increasing evidence that American vaccine disinformation campaigns don’t stop at the borders.

As drought worsens, can Kenyan communities coexist with native wildlife? – National Geographic (image)

As drought worsens, can Kenyan communities coexist with native wildlife? – National Geographic

May 3, 2022

The men sitting inside the open-backed safari truck were silent and tense as they pulled up alongside their target. A young male giraffe stood under the shade of a tall tree, seeking relief from the unusually brutal March sun. As he heard the tires roll over dry thorn bushes, he craned his long neck and perked up his ears. 

The man in the passenger seat aimed his gun and pulled the trigger, hitting the giraffe squarely in the flank. The group let out a hushed cheer as the animal flinched. 

A man in the backseat set the timer on his watch. “Seven minutes until he falls,” he whispered… 

Read my latest on how the worst drought to hit NorthEast Kenya in decades is killing off its precious and endangered wildlife.

Why global warming threatens east African coffee – The Economist (image)

Why global warming threatens east African coffee – The Economist

March 17, 2022

Global warming may shrink the total area that is most suited to growing arabica beans by about half by 2050, according to a recent peer-reviewed paper. Other cash crops including tea will also be affected.

‘Everyone’s using’: Mozambique scrambles to stem a rising tide of drug addiction – The Telegraph (image)

‘Everyone’s using’: Mozambique scrambles to stem a rising tide of drug addiction – The Telegraph

February 8, 2022

Mozambique has been a key transit point on the international drug route for the last 25 years but it has had historically low rates of drug usage compared to its northern neighbors, Kenya and Tanzania. Now, this appears to be changing and both drug users and those working in drug recovery report an increase in the number of people using heroin across the country. Aid agencies and the government are scrambling to stem the rising tide of addiction.

‘Kidnapped, raped and trafficked’: Women and girls exposed to sexual violence in war-torn Mozambique – The Telegraph (image)

‘Kidnapped, raped and trafficked’: Women and girls exposed to sexual violence in war-torn Mozambique – The Telegraph

December 31, 2021

As conflict rages in Cabo Delgado, women and girls are being used as sex slaves and forced to marry insurgent fighters.

‘Last on the rung’: Africa deals with fallout from a ‘Made in the USA’ supply chain crisis – The Washington Post (image)

‘Last on the rung’: Africa deals with fallout from a ‘Made in the USA’ supply chain crisis – The Washington Post

December 16, 2021

Shipping lines flock to Asia-to-U.S. trade lanes at expense of many developing nations.

Four ways Mozambique is adapting to the climate crisis – The New Humanitarian (image)

Four ways Mozambique is adapting to the climate crisis – The New Humanitarian

November 1, 2021

‘Everyone has to fight a war to stay here on Earth.’

Facebook Employees Flag Drug Cartels and Human Traffickers. The Company’s Response Is Weak, Documents Show. – The Wall Street Journal (image)

Facebook Employees Flag Drug Cartels and Human Traffickers. The Company’s Response Is Weak, Documents Show. – The Wall Street Journal

September 16, 2021

Employees raised alarms about how the site is used in developing countries, where its user base is already huge and expanding.

What Happens When Women Can’t Get Legal Abortions – Foreign Policy (image)

What Happens When Women Can’t Get Legal Abortions – Foreign Policy

September 3, 2021

Examples from around the world show that restrictions can actually lead to more, not fewer, abortions.

‘I ran, my heart was broken’: inside Mozambique’s evolving Cabo Delgado conflict – The Guardian (image)

‘I ran, my heart was broken’: inside Mozambique’s evolving Cabo Delgado conflict – The Guardian

August 18, 2021

The oil firms have fled and an Isis-affiliated insurgency has engulfed the region. As foreign troops begin to arrive, hundreds of thousands face desperate journeys to try to find safety.