May 3 – Bernie Sanders and the Democratic Turnout Factor; “Baltimore: Race, Class and Uprisings”; Dysfunction at the Top in Saudi Arabia

Full Program

Part 1

We begin with the entry of Independent Senator Bernie Sanders into the 2016 presidential race and discuss his likely impact on the Hillary Clinton campaign with Democratic strategist Ed Kilgore, the principal writer for the Washington Monthly’s Political Animal blog. He has a new book “Election 2014: Why Republicans Swept the Midterms” and we will analyze the turnout factor for Democrats and whether or not they have to be inspired to vote as opposed to the Republicans who seem to able to turn out over last one of their voters in midterms and presidential elections.

Part 2

Then with six police officers on trial for the murder of Freddie Gray in Baltimore and the mayor lifting the curfew we look into the broader economic and social issues that have to be addressed in the wake of the recent riots. Bill Fletcher Jr., a longtime labor, social justice and international activist joins us to discuss his article at teleSUR “Baltimore: Race, Class and Uprisings” and the extent to which, rather that have activists parachute in to demonstrate every time a black man is shot by the police, sustained community organizing is needed over the long haul to bring about social justice.

Part 3

Then finally we get an assessment of how dysfunctional the leadership is at the top in Saudi Arabia with a king who might have dementia and his reliance on his youngest son who may not even be 30 years old who is not only been made Defense Minister, but is now in charge of the Oil Ministry and the world’s largest oil company ARAMCO. Youssef Ibrahim, who served for 18 years as the senior regional Middle East correspondent for The New York Times, joins us to discuss divisions and dissatisfactions within the ruling Saudi family that may surface soon.