America's conservative cable TV channel is being sued for airing false 2020 election fraud claims. And court documents suggest that Fox News anchors reported allegations that the vote was “stolen” from Donald Trump even though they knew they were false. The Washington Post’s media critic Erik Wemple joins the team to talk through what's been happening in the case and a bombshell deposition from Fox News owner Rupert Murdoch.
When Coronavirus first spread around the world, everyone wanted to know where it came from. Did it jump from animals to humans in a wet market in the Chinese city of Wuhan? Or was it leaked from a virology lab? No one is entirely sure. But this week not one, but two US intelligence agencies said their best assessment was a lab leak. Stephen Morrison, host of the Coronavirus Crisis Update podcast, gives Americast the latest and explains the political context in Washington.
Americast is presented by North America editor Sarah Smith, Today host Justin Webb, the BBC's social media and disinformation correspondent Marianna Spring, and North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher.
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This episode was made by Cat Farnsworth and Alix Pickles. The studio director was Mike Regaard. The assistant editor was Simon Watts. The senior news editor was Sam Bonham.