. he watching al jazeera, these are the top stories. ukraine is celebrating. one of its most significant victories since russia's invasion in february, ukrainian forces have entered the southern city of her son. oh, since welcome the soldiers and the ukrainian flag has been raised on public monuments as after russian forces retreated in what's seen as one of its biggest setbacks of the war. i'm at vow is in moscow. he says that russian officials are down playing withdraw. the russian minister of defense confirmed that the last russian soldier left the city of her son by 5 a. m. friday morning, after a night of heavy bombardment by russian artillery and other defences against ukrainian positions in an attempt to prevent them from getting closer or disrupting that withdrawal. and later that they thought mr. defense gave some more details, saying that 30000 russian soldiers left the city of crafts on people escaping m 23 rebels in a democratic republic of congo. say they have been sexually assaulted and tortured the army has been striking. rebel held territory near the border with rwanda. m. 23 has denied allegations of human rights abuses, saying the claims are designed to discredit them. the chief executive of the f, the exit crypto currency exchange has quit as a company files for bankruptcy lighted, states f t. x is one of the wells biggest crypto exchanges. it's seeking court protection as it looks to return money to uses. he was present, joe biden has arrived in cambodia where he'll be attending the r c on the summit later on saturday by and we'll be meeting southeast asian leaders will be discussing sparring violence and me and my russian aggression ukraine and chinese military activities and disputed waters the rest of the u. s. congress continues after tuesday's mid term elections. republicans have 49 seats in the senate. democrats, one behind the 48. they're also trailing in the house of representatives with 200 seats. republicans have 2117 short of a majority. and argentina's government has announced a deal with good suppliers as it tries to tackle anyway, inflation argentinians have held mass demonstrations over the cost of living. businesses now agree to regulate prices of many basic goods. those are the headlines. annisa continues here, not just here, that's half to up front. stay with us. spiraling costs. dwindling supplies. the shock is being felt around the world with the war in ukraine, triggering gas, the blowing uncertainty. europeans are bracing themselves for an unprecedented winter. just the a ripple on the human gulf of the winds, the energy crisis for us, the midterm elections and the votes. are it while republicans were hoping for red wave, the political landscape remains largely the same. so how does the country move forward when the american population remains more divided along ideological lines than at any point in the last 50 years? that conversation is coming up. but 1st, even a small republican majority in the house is still likely to spell trouble for democrats, already shown signs of division. so what is the future of the democratic party? and it's agenda. as a result were coming in, we spoke to congressmen, jamal bowman, just one reelection in new york, the congressman jamal bowman. thank you for joining us on upfront. of course, rather, thank you for having me. of course, of course, in the run up to the u. s. midterm elections, the republicans had a clear message. they were talking about the economy and they were talking about crime democrats. on the other hand, they said that there is on the fall out from the getting of abortion rights. and they also had a kind of abstract narrative of the future of democracy. but the initial impression from many, with a democratic messaging wasn't quite galvanizing voters. it wasn't quite doing the job. however, it does seem to have had an impact not enough to retain control of the house representative, apparently, but an impact. do you think democratic messaging needs to change? i think it needs to be sharpened for shore and i think there are challenges when you're trying to communicate to a so called big tank a lot more diversity in the democratic party. a lot of people coming from different backgrounds coming with different ideas. you have to understand how to leverage to different voices in a party, to community communicate to a diverse constituency. i'm so you know what was good about the election results so far and there are still many races to be determined. we saw a large showing or from jen z and young people overall a large showing of from people of color. but we also saw that magar republicans in those who were riding with donald trump, didn't do as well as the media would lead you to believe. so you know, the read tsunami or to read wave, if you will, i was predicted. doesn't seem to have taken place, and the house hasn't been determined yet, so we still got an outside shot to, to keep dad and also keep dissented on so we'll see how that goes. abilene outside shot for sure. and you're, you're right, republicans didn't have the read through nominated, they predicted. but what they have is justin of power. just in a votes. justin of seats. it seems to be real. anything that democrats want to do this upcoming a congressional season. but what does that mean for the democratic agenda? year, so particularly in the house, i am not looking forward to being in the minority. but as you know, policies don't become law until they pass the house and the senate. so the fact that the senate might still remain in our favor. is it actually right for collaboration? if republicans are ready, willing and able to do that? i got to was there because i agree, right? in the abstract that is true. that's actually how government is supposed to work. you got different chambers, you got different people in power, you work together, you compromise your advance policy, but that's not what actually happened, right. what we've seen is obstruction. what we've seen is gridlock. what we've seen is frustration from everybody, frankly, including the voters that nothing's going to get done. so when you look for you're not expecting and you're not expecting partisan bipartisanship and collaboration, you're expecting a fight. i mean, listen, yes, i'm expecting a fight, but i'm also an optimistic person. and even this pass cycle, we got to buy parson pieces of legislation. done the infrastructure bill and a safer communities act after the horrible you validate shooting, which has a huge focus on mental health supports and pushing a lot of resources there. and obviously we got the american rescue plan done. the chips act, which is also by parts and 3rd piece of my parson legislation and the inflation reduction act. again, high hopes we'll see, you know, more of the, remember a time before donald trump, when a former us president brock obama also is facing obstruction, is pre mother. right. there is just a sense that republicans aren't going to collaborate or cooperate with you. but it seems to me that even when you had both chambers of the congress, right, which we just saw the democratic majority for 2 years. we didn't see significant legislation on key issues that matter. i hear you and by on some bipartisan bills. i see i hear you on some central policies and i hear you on a kind of public response to a mass shooting which we should be able to come together on. but what about the stuff that the voters vote for you for vote for other people, for reproductive justice, reproductive rights, environmental policy, gun control, minimum wage, a universal, minimum wage living wage. even these are things that people come to you all for and we weren't able to get it done when you all controlled both chambers of congress. i know you're optimistic, i still would hope, but like what do i have any reason to believe that we will get anything done in the next 2 years? yes. so add to that list voting rights, add to that list of george flood justice and policing act. you know, there are many pieces of legislation that we not do with that. we did not get done historic investments in housing going big on climate. but as you know, we had control of the house control incentive, but there was a very slim majority. and if there were democrats who weren't on board with policy that we were pushing, they were not going to support those policies. enter jo, mansion and kirsty and cinema. right. so not only republicans will push back against the policies the american people want. is often democrats is often connected to big politics. why is it? let me let me pause. you can just have something that super interesting to me because you started by saying, look, we're big 10. basically, anybody, not a republican is going to be on our side and so we have the people to different ideological camps, different interest, different policy. i get that. some of this isn't about different ideology. some of this is about what you just started to allude to, which is special interests, corporate interest, also just flat out career rhythm. opportunism could help me understand why republicans are able to speak in a single voice even though they have ideological diversity. but when it comes to democrats outside of the big tent argument, why is it so hard for you all to come together on things that seems like voters sent to congress to fight for? you know, i think too many democrats have compromised themselves to the corporate interest in the corporate lobby. and many of them have come to congress and gotten rich and wealthy and work with wealthy lobby. yes, to make sure they remain in congress and fight for policy that support the wealthy in lieu or but doesn't support working class people. we saw from center the mansion center cinema and many members in the house as well. continue to act as to the corporate agenda in congress, and that's part of the problem. do you feel like you're getting a greater consensus for the type of work you do? we see the working families party. we see dsa with the organs organizations sort of expanding representation in congress. and we also see significant push back to that . how are you feeling about the actual political direction of the congress of civically democrats in the congress? you feel good? i mean, we have other progressive, so we're going to be coming to congress this cycle, but not just in congress. i mean, you saw historic races being one at the state level as well. governor, massachusetts is one example of that. so we need to keep organizing to when congressional seats, as well as state county municipal seats, and even school boards. man, because school boards are still implementing, implementing education policy. that is hard for the black and brown kids and school districts across the country. earlier you talked about democratic senators, jo, mansion and chris and cinema, and one of the key spaces where they have absolutely been at odds with at least a heart of the democratic party is immigration reform. immigration has been a priority issue for democrats, at least you've expressed that it is, but there has yet to be a cohesive party line. in 2021, there was a social spending plan that would have helped undocumented immigrants with their legal status. it got blocked again and it was mentioned in cinema. we're right in the mix of that. why is there no clear unified stance on immigration? we often in my opinion are responding to the fear mongering of republicans and media narrative around that. as opposed to telling a true story around immigration reform, and how much immigrants matter to our country. our economy rise when we have a road bus, healthy immigration system, our global footprint and global standing improves when we treat immigrants who are coming here seeking asylum with the utmost dignity and respect. we also have to tell the true story about how our foreign policy has been destructive to, to know of the triangle and many other countries that contribute to immigrants coming here in the 1st place. we are literally, along with many of our eyes in europe and canada are destroyed ecosystems in places like han during what mala and others which is leading to the need to come to erica because we have been so destructive while continuing to fund their military and police operations, so it's really important for us to tell the truth about that. to not be afraid of that, because as we know, afraid that you are global capitalism, global imperialism, your reason some big issues. and i hear you say it, i hear rashid to leave, say it, i hear on omar. say it, i occasionally hear a o c say, but what i'm not hearing is that being the heartbeat of the democratic party. is that fear or is that just? are you just on the ideological minority? well, yes and yes, right. so it is fear because i think members of my party who are older and from different parts of the country, can speak to this, these issues as well, without the backlash that they are afraid to receive. if they do speak about them, it is, are the logical as well. and this speaks to, some of the shifted are happening in the party towards a more progressive understanding of balls, not just domestic issues, but foreign policy issues. so, you know, my job is to make sure i'm speaking truth and being responsive in representing my district in a way they want me to represent them on this issue of immigration and many others. i mean, i started, my district are immigrants, so you know, i represent them and i need to represent them. the truth. you know, when i look on the republican side, i see the fantasy. nikki haley, as the other folk who might be the heir apparent, or you know, who are at least in the conversation. on the other side, i don't see any body right now who is next in line after president biden biden was elected. not because he was the most dazzling or energizing candidate, but because the voters quite pragmatically said that person can beat trump. right. right now he's pulling around 42 percent, which is not unusual doing a midterm. but the question is, who was there, who come, harrison pulling lower than that and out in the congressional landscape and in governor's houses around the country. i don't see anybody who seems poised to be next in line. that were you, are you worried about the future? the democratic party, in particular as it pertains to the white house. so i see a deep bench for, for the democratic party, everyone from elizabeth warren to gab newson to the governor of michigan to myself to a l. c. 2 i. on a presley, there are many incredibly talented, died now me people who can govern the country and get them excited about what this country is supposed to be. we haven't, as you know, we haven't really done the work of me in the ideals of our constitutional democracy . you know, the question for me is what, what does that look like? and how could we galvanize the american people to get there? and i think everyone i just named has the ability to do that. if they really embrace the beautiful diversity of our country, really a lot of that adversely for the white. how i can do it for the white house? no. do you see any of those people able to step into the role of presidential candidate and we see a president a o c with the president, but you know, with the president bowman and this is what we're talking about that. that's what we're talking. okay. yes, absolutely. fair, fair, and i was thinking and i think that's how other people are thinking as well. and i think that's what the country you don't have a chance to to do some traveling graph, this election cycle. and when i went to i was in michigan, i was in georgia housing, arizona. i was, i was in pennsylvania and the energy is there and people are passion, looking for visionary leadership. and i think yes, there's a possibility for all that for sure. i was menu woman, thank you so much for joining me up front. thank you, brother. good to be with you. the democrats and republicans are further apart, illogically, today than at any time in the past, 50 years. that's according to the pew research center. the mid terms proved to be far less of a red wave than expected with democrats flipping republican held seats and staving off republican wins in several key battleground states. but with an increasingly polarized electorate and a deep cynicism towards the electoral system, among many in the united states. what hope is there for a functional democracy? joining me to discuss this is an garrett artist. he is the author of the persuaders at the front lines of the fight for hearts mines and democracy. good to see. thank you for joining me on upfront. thank you for having me. there were a lot of crucial issues at stake in this election from been controlled reproductive rights to the high cost of living. there were even figures to some that democracy itself was head state. yet, despite all of that, the political landscape really didn't change that much. in fact, some people called it a studying returned to the status quo. what does that say about? but our electoral processes, i don't know that, that that's the case in the sense that there were, as you say, very big issues at stake. and over the course of the last several months, democrats actually did a remarkable job of linking various forms of freedom into a closing argument, the freedom to choose your leaders, a democracy that freedom over one's body. i think particular resident with young people the freedom to thrive on a planet that thrives and framed the, the kind of increasingly dangerous republican party, hijacked, by donald trump and, and oriented toward the kind of fascist division of america as a, as a kind of dangerous forest that will not help you or your family. i think we're also seeing that was despite that compelling closing argument from democrats, we ended up with an electro outcome so far. we have the same basic read state, same basic blue states, same partisan gridlock. it seems to me that despite making these compelling arguments about the status of democracy in the planet and reproductive justice, we're kind of in the same place in terms of the political landscape. look when i prefer to be living in a world in which a kind of fashion republican party isn't winning any seats at all. yeah, and i think part of what i argue in the persuaders is that it's not enough to eek out these narrow victories. the thesis of the persuaders is that it is time for a freedom movement that cannot eke out $5149.00 or $5545.00 victories against american fascism. but that can actually build a dynamic rooted, connected to ruling and transcendent movement that can beat the crap out of that movement. europe lee, for the era to come in your latest book, the persuaders you write about how we can change things by changing mind that persuasion is essential for achieving progressive victories. we're living through a time when you say that americans are being offered a clear choice between liberal democracy on the one hand and fascism. so how do we, how did people, and opposite side of the political or even any logical spectrum engage each other? if the alternative is so extreme, even fascist, as you put it, who are the real persuadable se? yeah. so this is, this is at the heart of the, of the book and i, i didn't have the answer to that myself as much as i would love to. so i spent time over the last few years, reporting on people who are, who are doing this work. and you know, i think a lot of the most important work that i saw is happening outside of the national limelight. it is organizing work. it is base building work, it is work that is not about vote for me in the election 2 days from now or donate $5.00 for the acute crisis. that is immediate. but it is the long term work of building a base for multi racial democracy in this country for all seasons. and, you know, i, i focused on, for example and experiment, arizona. it's happening everywhere. but i saw it in arizona called deep canvassing, where an army of organizers is going. ready door among their own neighbors and communities across the country. talking people through their deep prejudices on issues through their aspirations, through their values, but really going up some of the hardest issues we have on, on immigrant rights on trans rights on l. g b t writes on really hard economic issues. and what they do is they just process, they listen to people, they help people get out all of their prejudices, all of the bible that they might have about whatever proven question. and then they don't try to replace what is in that person's head. and if you've been married, you know that does not work. they try to stir up some cognitive dissonance in that person. and so to your fundamental question, i think there is a hard core 2030 percent on the left that has a very baked world view that they're not gonna be talked out of at the door. there's another 2030 percent equivalent prep. if you wait a bit of evidence, there's a group in the middle that can move, can be toggled into different views. if you build kind of process of trying to help make meaning and talk people through their views. part of what's worrisome is not just the people who have deeply entrenched, baked ideological positions. there are people who can't accept basic facts as true that there was a pole, an axial momentum poll from january 2022, but found that more than 40 percent of americans are either unsure or do not believe that president biden legitimately won the election. how can you begin to persuade people, even if i spend 2 hours at the door? if i can't get them to accept basic facts, they're still disputing fundamental truths. yeah, and i'm glad you brought that up. that is a almost separate problem. that kind of problem of persuasion in the context of disinformation and what i would call cult cult manipulation, which in many case case of q and on another phenomenon, you're dealing almost with the idea of a dispersed online cult that has 43000000 american adherents. right? now, look, i in the persuaders have a chapter on 2 different experts, thinking about this problem in different ways. i'm a both of them said is look, it, this is it gonna be endemic in the society right now? right? you're not going to be able to shut off this information. you're not gonna be able to tell eli mosques, mom, that she should raise them better and putting it on a twitter or, or, or, or, or pressure fox news advertisers. so there's no more of that at some level, you have to accept this information as a feature of the internet age at what they suggest, therefore, is we need a real public health approach to this information. which is to say, protecting people from being infected by it. not keeping it entirely out of the air, and that essentially means an educational revolution. we need a, a real upgrade of critical thinking to be resistant to very familiar, well worn repeated tactics of manipulation that show up in this information question fair enough. you've talked about a lot must already today a little bit. ah, and we've also talked about this information. there are people though, who say, look, ellen must buying twitter, could be victory for free speech. other people are saying, no, we have to think more content moderation. all forms of abuse and violence that can happen online. but either way, it's something we have to talk about, you know, what role, what impact you think you learn masks, acquisition, twitter is going to have on political discourse. look, i think you on musk is not special. i think he's a, an embodiment of a kind of silicon valley type that we, that we have come to know. and what really defines the, the silicon valley type is that they tend to be these very limited men. these, these are, these are kind of just like just limited in the sense that these are men with a lot of power who are not particularly cultivated, don't have a particularly good understanding of human society. but when these guys make money by, you know, building a, an app and, and locking out or, or, or making money in his case in these other businesses and kind of buying with saudi . ringback money, an app and, and are now in charge of kind of moderating human discourse and shaping, political and civic spaces. and being that guardian of spaces like black twitter, even though they are, you know, have kind of flirted with racist speech for years. it's a real problem. these are highly limited men who now have roles of profound responsibility for the human conversation. you know, mark zuckerberg, i'm not how many, you know, friends, mark, villalobos, adam. i was in charge of friendship. i'm human much better. what at one must not someone who, you know, you'd say, while this person really gets human conversation and human interaction. but he's now in charge of what he calls the global human town square. i just think we need a, a system of being able to talk to each other relate to each other. have these arguments about politics, yet seek to persuade each other that are not moderated by some of the people least capable at the skill of human connection. we can't obviously a ignore the fact he's also worth approaching $200000000000.00 and something more than thousands less up is problematic. or how do you feel about the idea that a single person could amass that much wealth. that much control over the public square over the human conversation. yeah, no one should amass that kind of wealth. you know, i don't think we should have billionaires. we don't agree with me. let's just try it my way for a little while it's not have them. let's use that money to fund education and health and things like that for everyone. and then if it's not good in 10 years, i will come back on the show and suggest we go back to having billionaires, if it, if it didn't actually make the society better. but we are not. we are choosing when we have billionaires to prioritize the, the importance of people being able to hoard wealth over the importance of people. more people, many people being able to live good lives. it's a, it's a dumb priority on our part. and frankly, with this other problem of these highly limited people, having this huge clause, i public authority over, you know, public life over us, over us all because they have nothing to do with their money except find new ways to rule us. and i think it's much better to just, you know, have a wealth tax and fund decent life for all people. and i go, there it is. thank you so much for joining us on upfront. thank you, bradley. all right, that is our show upfront. we'll be back next week. the ah, there are people made on children watching plastic bags, men and women who cross the continent to plead poverty and violence. now being used as political tools. bus is sent by the state of texas. don't these 101 asylum seekers at the side of the road in front of the residents of vice president, pamela harris, aid worker, say a baby arrived injured and a man with diabetes was rushed to the hospital after his insulin went back on the 40 hour bus ride to florida, governor and rhonda santas took credit for the flight part of a coordinated effort. your mom was held up in governors to send my books to democrat like cities. you were some, have declared states of disaster lease and age. the migrant, manipulating people are in very dire circumstances, purely for political gain and talk to al, just a, somehow abandoned by the international community. we listen, we have a huge price for the rural. i'm gonna turn what's going on, so we meet with global use maintenance. i'm talk about the store restock matter on out you, sir. ah, investigating the use and abuse of power across the globe on al jazeera. why do people tell stories and take risks to share their experiences? from every corner below, binding us together and 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