In the aftermath of Syria’s civil war, families have endured a desperate, over-decade-long search for loved ones forcibly separated by the Assad regime. We speak with investigative reporter Shane Bauer who reported in the New York Times that at least 300 children were taken from their parents—often detained—and placed into orphanages under murky, undocumented circumstances. Shane is best known for his undercover reporting for Mother Jones magazine. He has won several awards including the Harvard’s Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting and the National Magazine Award for Best Reporting. Read Shane’s article on Syria’s missing children here https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/18/magazine/takeaways-syria-missing-children.html
We also speak with Dara Baldwin, activist, scholar, and author with over twenty years of experience in policy and social justice work. Since President Donald Trumps federal takeover of the District of Columbia, new attention falls onto the Free D.C. movement. D.C. residents lack full voting representation in Congress and their local laws are subject to congressional oversight. The “Free D.C.” movement advocates for D.C. statehood, granting the district full representation and autonomy. Dara also sits on the advisory council for Free DC, a movement led by the people of the District of Columbia to exert their right to self-determination.
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