Stories - Drew Harwell

Grok went full Nazi, and Elon Musk gave it a promotion. But there may still be ways to fight back.

Infowar

The Trump administration's 4chan-ified social media arm is turning mass removals into one big joke.

Trump

"These people could be ice skating on the top of yachts, and instead they’re tapping away on their screens."

Money

I talked to the anonymous crypto moguls capitalizing on "the most corrupt thing a president has ever done."

Substack

Pardoned by Trump, many Jan. 6 rioters are now working to capitalize on the attention through podcasts, speaking tours and self-branded merchandise.

Profiles

"They’re judged all the time. They don’t get a break from the constant surveillance. ... Is it any wonder these people burn out?"

Money

The president's team floated a "night to remember" for the biggest buyers of his meme coin. Tens of millions of dollars poured in.

Profiles

They turn the news into "raw stimuli" that dominates the web. And basically no one knows anything about them.

America

The Homeland Security secretary stages a photo op in a notorious mega-prison with men “stacked up like cordwood behind her.”

Infowar

A new era of propaganda, built on meme accounts and friendly influencers, is supercharging the president's power to drown out dissent.

Deception

Why does the world's richest man care so much about beating nobodies in digital caves?

Social media

“It was all a game. It was like a competition: What’s a creative way to suck up to Trump?”

Power

Silicon Valley executives are hoping million-dollar gifts and Mar-a-Lago dinners will mend bridges with the president-elect.

Infowar

“I said, ‘Who is the biggest of all the influencers?’” Trump said. “Sir, that’s the easiest question you’ve ever asked me. … You, sir.”

Money

Retirees who bet their pension money on Trump Media's stock are getting a reality check.

America

Four years after "Stop the Steal" mobilized to subvert the 2020 election, the movement is more organized and has Elon Musk on its side.