Crisis in Sudan; Facebook Papers & the National Security State; 'Unite The Right' Trial

Military dissolves civilian government in Sudan. Will a transition to democracy still be possible after this coup d’etat?

Niemat Ahmadi, President of the Darfur Women Action Group, joins us to talk about the evolving situation in Sudan where the military have apparently ousted the caretaker government in what is more and more looking like a coup d’etat. We talk about how former ruler Omar Al-Bashir still casts a long shadow in the country, with General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan consolidating his power by placing Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok, his wife and other ministers under arrest, arguing that civilian political infighting represented “a threat” to the country, the timing of these arrests, and whether a potential investigation into crimes committed by the military in the past years may have played a role in this power grab.

Alex Rubinstein, investigative reporter and co-host of the podcast Pro-Democracy Pod, joins us to talk about how dozens of media outlets are collaborating on what is now being called The Facebook Papers project, how Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen has been cultivated and legally represented by an organization led by former intelligence insiders with close ties to the US national security state, how this colors her statements to Congress and the reaction by those in power, and whether there is a long term project to increase surveillance in social media platforms in the guise of security concerns.

Jamal Muhammad, host of the Luv Lounge radio show and the Old School Lunch Bag Mix on Square 1 radio, joins hosts Michelle Witte and Bob Schlehuber to talk about the trial around "Unite the Right" rally, where dozens were injured and one person died in the chaos, to decide whether organizers planned for a violent showdown from the start. We also talk about the issue of money in politics, with a New York mayoral debate where several candidates who are on the ballot weren’t allowed to be part of the debate because they hadn’t raised and spent the required nearly $200,000 at the time, as well as Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen still out promoting their podcast and their book, and the limits and pitfalls of celebrity politicians.

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