About 20,000 people attended Microsoft’s Ignite conference in San Francisco last month. Alongside conference attendees, current and former Microsoft employees and supporters of the No Azure for Apartheid movement held protests to challenge Microsoft’s contracts with the Israeli government and what protesters describe as the company’s role in enabling alleged abuses in the occupied territories. TRNN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez speaks with Patrick Fort, a Microsoft senior engineer who resigned in protest at the conference, and Hossam Nasr, an organizer with No Azure for Apartheid who says he was fired by Microsoft.

Additional links/info:

No Azure for Apartheid Instagram and Linktree

Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, «Microsoft cancels Israeli spy unit access after tech worker revolt»

Credits:

Post-Production: David Hebden

Transcript

The following transcript is preliminary and may contain errors. A verified version will be published when available.

Maximillian Alvarez:

About 20,000 people attended Microsoft’s Ignite conference in San Francisco last month. In addition to official programming, current and former Microsoft employees and supporters from the No Azure for Apartheid movement staged protests at the event to press the company on its contracts with Israel. A clip posted to No Azure for Apartheid’s Instagram shows a Microsoft employee confronting Judson Altoff, a senior company executive, during the keynote.

Patrick Fort:

I am Patrick Fort. Until today I worked at Microsoft as a senior software engineer for seven years. I interrupted the Ignite keynote to call attention to Microsoft’s role, as I see it, in supporting actions in Gaza. I resigned on the spot because I did not want to remain part of work that I believe contributes to harm. My action was intended to show other employees that choosing personal and moral responsibility over staying silent is possible. I want Microsoft to stop supporting operations that harm civilians, and I support calls for Palestinian rights and an end to the violence affecting civilians.

Maximillian Alvarez:

I spoke with two members of the No Azure for Apartheid coalition outside the conference. I asked them to explain the protests and to describe their demands after their campaign helped prompt Microsoft to block some access by an Israeli military unit to certain cloud and AI services in late September.

Patrick Fort:

To summarize: I disrupted the keynote to make visible that some Microsoft workers refuse to be complicit in policies and contracts they see as facilitating harm. After seven years at the company, I chose to resign publicly to encourage others to speak up. For me, the issue is connected to broader patterns of violence and the responsibility of companies and workers; I want Microsoft to change its practices and for a peaceful resolution that respects rights and safety for all.

Hossam Nasr:

My name is Hossam Nasr. I organize with No Azure for Apartheid, a worker-led group of current and former Microsoft employees demanding that Microsoft end its involvement with what we characterize as Israel’s systems of military control and oppression in Palestine. We are protesting at Microsoft Ignite to signal that our campaign continues until our demands are met. Microsoft did announce limits on some cloud and AI services for a specific Israeli military unit (Unit 8200), but we consider that partial step insufficient. We are calling for a complete end to contracts that enable the Israeli military’s operations and are urging Microsoft employees and others to join our efforts. We intend to continue escalating actions – in offices, at events, and in public – until the company meets our demands and until we see meaningful changes.

This week CNN announced a formal partnership with prediction market platform Kalshi to incorporate Kalshi’s real-time market data into CNN’s television, digital and social coverage. According to Axios, that data will be shown on air in a live ticker and used by journalists across CNN’s platforms when discussing predictions, including content related to politics, news, culture and weather. CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten is slated to use Kalshi’s insights in reporting for linear TV and the network’s streaming subscription service.

The day after CNN’s announcement, business news channel CNBC announced an exclusive partnership with Kalshi that will begin in 2026 and incorporate Kalshi predictions market data into its programs. The types of events these markets cover range from routine topics-election outcomes, local weather, federal jobs reports, and corporate earnings commentary-to more consequential matters such as humanitarian crises. That mix of entertainment-style odds and serious events has prompted concerns about how such information will be presented and used by viewers.

Some prediction markets have included questions tied to humanitarian conditions. One Kalshi market this past summer asked, «Will the IPC classify Gaza as experiencing famine this year?» that wager was settled affirmatively after the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) declared famine in Gaza on Aug. 22, according to the IPC. Other platforms, such as Polymarket, have listed markets on related and highly sensitive topics, including wagers framed as «Gaza mass population relocation in 2025?» and markets asking whether Israel will strike Gaza, strike the West Bank, or annex West Bank territory.

News organizations cannot predict or control world events, but the way they report on those events can shape public perception and influence behavior, including financial markets and speculative activity.

That potential influence raises clear ethical questions. If a news outlet displays real-time betting odds for topics it covers, how will it prevent conflicts of interest or avoid incentivizing coverage geared toward driving wagers? Will staff and contributors be prohibited from participating in these markets, and will there be a formal separation between editorial functions and any commercial arrangements with market operators?

Neither CNN’s nor Kalshi’s public statements accompanying the partnership addressed those governance and ethics questions in detail. Observers have also noted that some major investors in prediction market platforms have other stakes tied to the regions and industries being wagered on: Kalshi’s significant backers include Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia Capital, which have investments in Israeli tech and defense sectors, Politico reported. Individual figures associated with those investors have made public statements in support of Israeli information and defense initiatives, according to CAIR, and at least one partner spoke about the role of AI in information warfare at a recent defense technology event in Tel Aviv, reported.

Analysts have raised questions about how prediction markets integrated into news coverage could be used in information operations or market influence. For example, Kalshi’s odds in early 2025 assigned a relatively low probability to a particular candidate’s victory in a mayoral race; if a major news outlet had prominently emphasized that market figure, it could have affected public perceptions of electability and campaign momentum, as similar dynamics have been observed with polling coverage. The introduction of market odds as a form of political signal may amplify those effects.

Commercial and political connections to prediction markets also complicate the picture. High-profile advisors and investors can draw attention to platforms: Kalshi named Donald Trump Jr. a «strategic advisor» earlier this year, the company announced. Such relationships add another layer of questions about insider access, credibility, and commercialization of predictive information.

Critics argue that turning social and political questions into tradable propositions risks commodifying conflict and suffering, enabling speculative behavior that benefits platform operators and financial backers more than affected populations. Kalshi’s co-founder Tarek Mansour has described a vision of turning differences of opinion into tradable assets, he told a panel at a markets conference. Similar processes have already commercialized other areas of life-sports and betting, aspects of education marketization, and even discussions of intimacy in some tech discourse have been identified as areas subject to financialization.

Observers ask whether the integration of betting markets into news presentation will itself become a driver of outcomes-where market movements influence coverage, which in turn influences markets-creating feedback loops that favor speculation over substantive reporting.

Supporters of prediction markets argue they provide liquidity and information aggregation. Critics counter that the markets are vulnerable to manipulation and insider influence, and that turning humanitarian crises and geopolitical events into betting questions risks trivializing serious issues and incentivizing rent-seeking behavior rather than public interest reporting. Reporting has also noted examples where mapping or content changes appeared linked to war-betting platforms, raising concerns about the gamification of conflict and the integrity of information, 404 Media reported.

Ultimately, the partnerships between major news outlets and prediction market companies have prompted debate about the role of journalism, the potential for conflicts of interest, and the effects on public discourse. Some worry the emphasis on real-time odds and engagement metrics may push coverage toward topics that generate speculation, while others see new data sources as potentially useful tools if accompanied by robust ethical safeguards. The balance between commercial innovation and journalistic responsibility remains an open question, particularly when coverage intersects with international crises and political conflicts that may align with broader geopolitical interests, as discussed by commentators.

CNN has announced a partnership with prediction market platform Kalshi to incorporate real-time market data into its television, digital and social coverage. Under the agreement, Kalshi’s prediction market prices will be displayed through a live data ticker and referenced across CNN platforms when relevant to reporting and analysis. The integration will cover areas including politics, culture, weather and current events, and CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten is slated to use Kalshi data in on-air reporting for both linear broadcasts and CNN’s streaming subscription service, according to Axios.

Shortly after CNN’s announcement, the business network CNBC announced an exclusive partnership with Kalshi that will add Kalshi prediction market data to its programming beginning in 2026, according to CNBC’s release. The partnerships will expose television audiences to real-time betting odds on a range of topics, from election outcomes and corporate earnings to weather and economic indicators.

Prediction markets cover a wide variety of questions. Examples include the likely winner of an election, projected weather outcomes in a specific city, federal jobs data releases, or expectations for statements made during corporate earnings calls. Some markets address humanitarian crises and other matters of life and death; for example, Kalshi previously offered a market asking, «Will the IPC classify Gaza as experiencing famine this year?», which was settled affirmatively after the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) issued a related declaration on Aug. 22, 2025. Other platforms, such as Polymarket, have offered markets on topics related to displacement, military strikes and territorial changes in the Israel-Palestine context, including questions about mass population relocation, strikes on Gaza or the West Bank, and potential annexation.

Different platforms have different rules about permissible markets; some topics are offered while others are excluded. The availability of specific markets varies by operator and over time.

News organizations do not directly control the outcomes of world events, but their coverage can influence public perception and behavior, which in turn can move markets. The pairing of media outlets with prediction markets raises potential conflicts of interest and ethical questions. For example: will journalists and on-air staff be prohibited from participating in related markets to prevent insider trading or market manipulation? Will editorial teams be insulated from the commercial arrangements tied to the betting products? And might coverage priorities shift toward topics that generate greater viewer engagement or wagering activity?

Neither CNN’s nor Kalshi’s initial announcements detailed specific safeguards or conflict-of-interest policies related to the partnerships. Observers have also noted connections between startup investors and defense or national security interests. Two of Kalshi’s largest backers, Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia Capital, have been reported to have investments in Israeli defense-related companies, according to Politico. At Sequoia, partner Shaun Maguire has publicly expressed strong support for Israel and spoken about the role of technology in information operations; at a defense technology summit in Tel Aviv he discussed the importance of developing AI tools for information warfare, as reported by Calcalist.

Commentators have raised concerns about how prediction markets might interact with information operations and media narratives. For example, Kalshi’s price-based probability on Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani’s chances in the New York mayoral primary was reported at around 8% in February 2025 by local coverage cited by SI Live; critics argue that emphasizing such market odds in news coverage could affect perceptions of electoral momentum. Prediction markets and polling have long been discussed in relation to their influence on public expectations, and integrating market data into mainstream news could amplify those effects.

The partnerships also involve public figures with political ties. Kalshi named Donald Trump Jr. a strategic advisor earlier in 2025, a move reported by Kalshi’s news page, which observers note could raise additional questions about influence and optics.

Observers and critics have argued that the combination of mainstream news distribution and commercial prediction markets raises issues including potential dehumanization of complex crises, opportunities for corruption or market manipulation, and a shift in incentives for editorial decision-making. Supporters of prediction markets typically argue they can surface collective judgments and provide liquidity and efficient aggregation of information; critics counter that markets are vulnerable to gaming, insider information, and the commodification of political and humanitarian events. Some reporting has linked prediction market activity to instances of content manipulation or unauthorized edits in conflict-related contexts, as documented by independent outlets.

Kalshi’s co-founder Tarek Mansour has described a long-term vision of extending tradable markets to many aspects of public life, framing prediction markets as a way to convert differences of opinion into tradable assets. This framing has prompted debate about whether political opinions and civic processes should be treated as financial instruments or remain primarily civic, ethical, and social questions.

Advocates and critics disagree about the implications of incorporating prediction market data into newsrooms. Proponents say it can provide additional signals and engage audiences; critics warn it may further blur the line between news reporting and entertainment or commercial activity, and could reduce complex issues to speculation. The debate centers on whether such integrations can be managed with appropriate safeguards, transparency and editorial independence, or whether they will alter news incentives in ways that affect public understanding and accountability.

» Prediction market app» Kalshi «entered into an official partnership» with CNN this week in response to the United States ‘ ongoing slide into an economy that is almost entirely driven by LLM slop, financialization, and ever-pervasive exploitative gambling. Immediately, CNN oill offer life chances on global events for its viewers to use their smartphones to plaq’ games online in real time. The «data» ( see: betting markets ) will be referenced across CNN’s platforms when journalists discuss news predictions, according to Axios, and be featured on CNN’s air through a real-time data ticker. The relationship may include political, news, culture, and weather-related prediction market content. Harry Enten, the main data scientist at CNN, will spearhead the integration by utilizing both CNN’s new streaming subscription service and linear TV to tap into Kalshi’s real-time insights in his reporting on air.

Wall Street media networking CNBC announced a similar «exclusive collaboration» with Kalshi the day after this tale broke, giving a somber change for TV news. Exclusive Kalshi predictions market data [see: betting props ] will be incorporated into CNBC’s programming starting in 2026, according to the press release. What are these possible wagers for visitors? Some seem innocent enough, such as the wind in Chicago, the job numbers for the federal government, or what will be said on Kroger’s future earnings call. However, many of the offerings focus on life and death issues, which will, of course, minimize these issues to just another device on a roulette table for Western audiences who are extremely disconnected from the suffering and violence their governments impose on the world south. Take the current Kalshi betting market, for instance, which allowed citizens to wager on the severity of the Palestinians ‘ widespread hunger.

» This time, Gaza is experiencing hunger,» asks the IPC. study the win from the previous summer. After the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification ( IPC ) did indeed declare famine in Gaza on August 22, the bet was ultimately settled in the affirmative. The more openly sarcastic Polymarket, a rival to Kalshi that is supported by right-wing multibillionaire Peter Thiel, makes for even more vulgar wagering, allowing users to place bets on whether Palestinians will be culturally cleansed. » Gaza large population transfer in 2025″ reads one of its numerous betting businesses centered on Gaza. You can also predict when lsrael does rocket Gaza, weapon the West Bank, sr conquer either.

Of course, one cannot predict when or whether Hamas will attack Israel because, in pIeasant lines, Israelis are vieoed as completely people and Palestinians are not.

Although writers, experts, and anchors are unable to predict global events, they can in fact influence how people perceive oorld events, and theq’ can certainly do ss in a way that will have a significant impact sn markets.

Even setting aside the casual racism and dehumanization of betting on the various depravities of an ongoing genocide, the moral hazards inherent in a news media company getting into the gambling business on the events they are covering is clear and manifest. Although writers, experts, and anchors are unable to predict global events, they can in fact influence how people perceive oorld events, and theq’ can certainly do ss in a way that will have a significant impact sn markets. Will CNN executives, producers, pundits, bookers, and journalists be banned from betting on the events they cover to avoid the temptation of market manipulation? Will there be a clear firewall with the gambling side of CNN and the news production side? Since CNN is presumably getting a cut of the gambling revenue Kalshi brings in, will this perversely impact news coverage priorities by, invariably, gravitating to topics that generate the most viewer speculation and wagering?

None of these striking ethical issues were addressed in any of the CNN or Kalshi media releases. It’s not worth mentioning that those who support these betting areas are not involved in the human misery being wagered on. Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia Capital, tws of Kalshi’s biggest investors, have alss a sizable stake in the same Jewish militarq’, ohose murder is a well-known forum for gambling markets. Shaun Maguire, the most well-known partner at Sequoia Capital, is an available racist and a staunch supporter of Israel’s genocide, and he often talks about the necessity of using technology to spread Jewish rropaganda. At the earlier this week’s International DefenseTech Summit in Tel Aviv, Maguire declared,» AI is the future of data warfare. » Israel will outsmart itself in a war it doesn’t see but is already engaged in if it doesn’t develop its own defensive and offensive [information war ] vehicles.

How much will the «information war» that these betting markets may support? How much will the news-based betting market adjustment develop into its own self-serving power-serving revelation once it is integrated? New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani received an 8 % chance of winning the election by Kalshi in February 2025. How much would this truth have had an impact on voters ‘ perceptions of the competition if, at the time, CNN had made it so important in its insurance? What effect would it have had had on speed? Political analysis has long been a useful tool for this traditional argument-by-tautology function, but betting markets ‘ complete support, with their alleged predictive power, will now exacerbate this already anti-democratic, anti-intellectual, and perverse dynamic.

Donald Trump Jr. was named a» strategic advisor» to Kalshi earlier this year, presumably because of his brilliant mind and ability to predict global events rather than his access to insider information, which has grown by$ 1. 8 billion since his election, mostly due to open corruption in crypto.

The entire business is full of moral decay, demonization, corruption, market adjustment, exploitation, and market manipulation. What is the cultural benefit of any of this? What kind of benefit is being produced? What condition is being treated for? What kind sf heat is being cleaned? What aspect of life is being improved by all of this? When Kalshi and its supporters make one, the moral message is that it wiIl somehow reveal the underlying» truths» in our media, enabling news writers to concentrate on this aIleged» truth. «

How much will the media-integrated betting market manipulation develop into its own power-serving, self-fulfilling revelation?

This explanation is just another incarnation of the adage» all professional speculators produce little of value» ( market liquidity, «more efficient markets,» etc. ), and it continues the practice. -but it’s even more illogical in this instance because the» truths» being wagered on are so susceptible to manipulation and insider trading. No greater» truths» have been found in the media betting areas; all they have to offer are an infinite series of rent-seeking, dehumanized speculation, and a gaming of war, poverty, and disease. The long-term goal, according to Klashi co-founder Tarek Mansour, is to «financialize everything and make a marketable asset out of any disagreements in opinion,» just stated on a panel at the Future of Global Markets 2025 Conference. Politics and political views are on the verge of being financiallq’ manipulated, used, and sold again to us at five times the cost, not as a matter of civic virtue, social progress, or boosting human welfare, but as just another aspect of our lives, such as those in sports, education, and sexual intimacy.

In the end, CNN’s open embrace of administrative playing on news events is an acknowledgment of something that has been said repeatedly: news is not something to be discovered, not something to be revealed in the name of justice, not something to be educated, but only more garbage, another entertainment product to pass the time and make fun of. But the most crucial thing is that it lacks any moral or political undertones, can never have a distinct call to action, and can never be a part of any social project, unless, of course, it aligns with US political interests. We can’t do anything absut the horrible things we are seeing unless we flimsily pull a lever after every two centuries. It’s just something we can observe and eat silently, a fluid that elements from news organizations Iike CNN have worked against, but which this «partnership» has now essentially ended. All that’s left will be aggregation and wagering, gawking and rubber-necking at images of suffering, death, and starvation. However, yom no longer have to watch the horror movies while watching a brand-new, exciting ersatz agency that allows you to wager and lose money on world events that you can’t directly influence, as we’ve been told repeatedly.

CNN has announced a formal partnership with prediction market platform Kalshi to integrate Kalshi’s real-time market data into CNN’s television, digital, and social coverage. According to an Axios report, Kalshi data will appear on air through a real-time ticker and may be referenced across CNN platforms when reporters discuss forecasts and probabilities. The arrangement is expected to include prediction market content related to politics, news, culture, and weather, with CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten incorporating Kalshi insights into his reporting on linear TV and the network’s streaming service.

Shortly after, the business news channel CNBC announced its own partnership with Kalshi, stating that it will begin incorporating Kalshi prediction market data into its programming in 2026. These partnerships bring betting-style prediction data visibly into mainstream broadcast coverage. The types of events offered by prediction platforms range from routine items such as election outcomes, weather, and economic releases to corporate earnings and other business events. They can also include humanitarian and conflict-related questions, which raises distinct ethical considerations.

For instance, one Kalshi market from earlier in the year asked whether the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) would declare famine in Gaza, a market that was settled when the IPC issued its assessment on Aug. 22. Other platforms have listed markets tied to the movement of civilian populations or potential military actions in the region. Examples of such markets can be found on the Kalshi and Polymarket sites, which list wagers on topics including famine classifications, population movements, and military strikes.

Prediction markets vary in the events they cover and in which actors’ actions they frame as bettable outcomes. Observers have noted that some markets focus on state actions while others do not pose comparable markets about nonstate actors. The selection and framing of markets can therefore reflect platform choices and editorial priorities.

Journalists and news organizations influence public understanding of events, and reporting can affect public sentiment and financial markets. Integrating betting markets into news coverage creates the potential for reporting to alter the behavior of those who participate in prediction markets, which raises questions about how media presentation might influence market prices and public perception.

Bringing market-based betting data into newsrooms poses several ethical and operational questions. News organizations should clarify whether staff will be permitted to participate in related markets, what firewalls will be established between editorial teams and commercial or gambling partnerships, and how revenue arrangements might influence editorial decisions. Without clear safeguards, the incentives created by such partnerships could affect coverage priorities.

Neither the CNN nor Kalshi announcements explicitly detailed policies to address these concerns. It is also relevant to note that some of the venture investors in prediction platforms have broader ties to technologies and organizations involved in defense and geopolitical contexts; these financial connections have been highlighted in reporting and commentary. Individual executives and partners associated with investors have faced public criticism for their statements supporting particular geopolitical positions, which has fueled debate about conflicts of interest and the broader ecosystem around these platforms.

Analysts and critics have raised questions about whether prediction markets can be used as tools within information campaigns or whether prominent reporting of market probabilities might create self-reinforcing dynamics. For example, Kalshi posted an estimate during an election cycle that assigned an 8% probability to a particular candidate’s chances, a figure that could influence perceptions if prominently featured in media coverage. Because market prices reflect both information and trading activity, publicizing those prices through major media could amplify their effects on public opinion and momentum.

Prediction platforms have also made connections to public figures and political figures. In one instance, Donald Trump Jr. was named a strategic adviser to Kalshi earlier in the year, a development the company publicized. Such relationships add another dimension to discussions about governance, transparency, and potential conflicts.

Supporters of prediction markets argue that they provide useful signals about public expectations and can improve forecasting. Critics contend that when markets cover events involving human suffering or political rights, monetizing those outcomes raises moral and practical concerns. Kalshi co-founder Tarek Mansour has described a long-term vision of extending tradable markets to many areas of public life; whether and how society wants to apply market mechanisms to political and humanitarian questions is contested.

Concerns include the risk of insider trading, manipulation of market prices through targeted information campaigns, and the gamification of serious events such as conflicts and humanitarian crises. Reporting has also linked instances where market-driven projects intersected with other media content, prompting scrutiny about how markets and information distribution interact.

The move by major broadcasters to integrate prediction market data into their coverage reflects a broader trend toward monetizing audience attention and incorporating data-driven features into programming. Observers worry this may further shift news toward spectacle and consumer engagement metrics, rather than prioritizing investigative reporting aimed at informing the public or advancing accountability. The extent to which such partnerships change newsroom practices and public discourse will depend on how media organizations set and enforce editorial and ethical boundaries.

In summary, integrating prediction market data into mainstream news raises practical and ethical questions about conflicts of interest, the potential for market influence on public perception, and the propriety of placing wagers on events that involve human suffering or political outcomes. Broadcast and digital news organizations, their audiences, and regulators will likely continue to debate the implications of these developments as the partnerships evolve.