Assange Court Proceedings; Zuckerberg’s Metaverse; Biden in Europe; Lebanon Crisis

Zuckerberg unveils new company name and plans to bring everybody into the Metaverse. Will techno-utopian dreams turn into a dystopia?

Mohamed Elmaazi, journalist and contributor to numerous outlets including Jacobin, The Canary, The Grayzone, and The Real News, joins us to talk about the court proceedings in the appeal filed by the U.S. in the extradition case of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. We talk about whether the Yahoo News report describing conversations within the US government about, among other ideas, assassinating Assange, has colored the public perception of the case, and whether it will affect the outcome of the case itself.

Morgan Artyukhina, writer and news editor at Sputnik News, joins us to talk about Mark Zuckerberg’s new plan to change the way we live our lives by unveiling his concept of the metaverse, which envisions conducting our daily interactions through avatars in virtual reality. We talk about how this move means that Facebook is treading even more into public utility territory, whether this transformation will make our government reconsider the way Facebook as a communication device is treated, and whether the company’s ambitions are actually achievable.

Reilly Colin Dixon, reporter for Yellow Springs News, joins us to talk about plans by famous and controversial comedian Dave Chappelle’s plans to develop his hometown of Yellow Springs, Ohio by building a comedy club, restaurant, production studio and offices, and a business/housing mixed development project, the intersection between comedy and politics, whether celebrities are the best spokespeople for political causes, and the long history of activism and counterculture of the town.

Laith Marouf, international affairs analyst and media law consultant, joins hosts Michelle Witte and Bob Schlehuber to talk about President Biden’s visit to Europe, where G-20 leaders are expected to endorse a 15 percent global minimum corporate tax rate, hold discussions on Iran, and seek to iron out supply chain issues. We also talk about Israel’s announcement targeting six Palestinian groups, allowing authorities to freeze their funds and potentially arrest their leaders, as well as the ongoing crisis in Lebanon that has suffered shortages of essential goods and has seen multiple deadly protests, and how corruption at the top has been one of the main drivers of this crisis.

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