Zoë Schiffer, Managing Editor of Platformer and author of a deep dive into Elon Musk's Twitter, joins Kurt Wagner, a social media reporter for Bloomberg known for his insights on the Twitter saga. They explore Disney's major $1.5 billion investment in Epic Games, examining its strategic implications. The duo also discusses the challenges surrounding President Biden's public perception and cognitive abilities, weaving in the cultural influence of figures like Taylor Swift. Their conversation offers a fresh perspective on tech, leadership, and the evolving media landscape.

Zoe Schiffer, Director of Business and Industry at Wired and author of 'Extremely Hardcore Inside Elon Musk's Twitter,' dives deep into Elon Musk's controversial influence on the federal government. She discusses Musk's push to shrink the federal workforce and the tension it creates with legislators. The conversation unveils Musk's shifting political beliefs and ambitions, along with the implications of his access to critical government systems. Schiffer highlights the potential risks of having a billionaire hold such power in shaping policies that may benefit his business interests.

Marty Baron, the former executive editor of The Washington Post, and Zoe Schiffer, managing editor of Platformer, dive into the chaotic transformation of Twitter. They explore how Donald Trump and Elon Musk reshaped the platform, from a communication tool to a political battleground, and ultimately contributed to its decline. Insightful discussions on the challenges of misinformation during Trump's presidency and the internal turmoil at Twitter post-Musk's acquisition provide a sharp critique of social media's impact on modern politics.

Zoe Schiffer, the managing editor of Platformer and an expert on Twitter, shares her insights on the platform's turbulent journey under Elon Musk. She discusses the significant revenue drop and the impact of recent layoffs on employee morale and functionality. Zoe also dives into Twitter's financial struggles and the challenges of restructuring amid legal issues. Additionally, the episode touches on the surprising rebound of Bitcoin, offering a glimpse into the volatile world of cryptocurrency and its speculative nature.

Today is Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, or WWDC. It’s one of the biggest events of the year for Apple, one of the most important companies in the world. In fact, Apple is the most valuable company in the world, and it posted $18 billion in net profits in its first quarter — the most quarterly profit of any public company in history.So, as we go into another huge Apple event, I wanted to have Verge labor reporter Zoe Schiffer on to talk about something else that’s happening inside Apple: a brewing push by its retail employees to unionize, store by store, because they’re unhappy with their pay and working conditions. Zoe is really well-sourced; she has an inside look at this fight. So, she helps us explain how this all works and what it might mean.Links:Fired #AppleToo organizer files labor charge against the companyApple’s frontline employees are struggling to surviveApple hires anti-union lawyers in escalating union fightThis is what Apple retail employees in Atlanta are fighting forFirst US Apple Store union election set for June 2nd in AtlantaApple accused of union busting in new labor board filingTranscript:https://www.theverge.com/e/22917648Credits:Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright.The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino and our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices