Most social media algorithms are designed to drive division and profit—”enragement equals engagement.” But Taiwan’s cyber ambassador @Audreyt.org says that bringing people together can actually be profitable, too. "The thrill of finding an uncommon ground is actually comparable or even higher.”

"The world cannot afford to lose Taiwan." @audreyt.org, Taiwan's ambassador at large, predicts the island will be safe from Chinese invasion as long as it remains "indispensable" to the rest of the world--both as a source of semiconductor chips and as a symbol of freedom.

Between 2014 and 2020, the approval rating of Taiwan's government jumped from 9% to over 70%. Taiwan’s cyber ambassador @Audreyt.org sees lessons for other countries about rebuilding trust in government. “The government needs to trust the people before the people trust the government back."

As U.S. investors move to acquire 80% of TikTok, former Taiwan Digital Affairs Minister @audreyt.org says what will matter is who controls the algorithm in the final deal. "As long as Beijing has a way to, directly or indirectly, influence the algorithm... we classify that as a harmful product."

Taiwanese Cyber Ambassador @audreyt.org argues social media that emphasizes common ground over division can be popular and profitable. "You can have engagement through overlap, not outrage." Follow on Spotify: bit.ly/43fV7Jw

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan's government relied on "humor over rumor" to fight misinformation, says @audreyt.org, posting cute dog memes to promote mask-wearing and hand-washing instead of censoring speech. "This de-escalated, de-polarized the situation." Follow on Spotify: bit.ly/43fV7Jw

"If you just look at the anti-social corner of social media, you will think that they are really polarized, but that's an illusion," says @audreyt.org. "Actually, most people agree with most of their neighbors, most of the time." FULL EPISODE: bit.ly/3J7Zrnp

Can technology save democracy? @audreyt.org, Taiwan's cyber ambassador and former minister of digital affairs, tells Margaret Hoover why she believes it can. TONIGHT 8:30 pm ET @pbs.org listings: to.pbs.org/39hI6Tf

"As soon as there are ways for young people to come together and set agenda in a depolarizing way, then suddenly there's a sea change." @audreyt.org, who became Taiwan's youngest government minister at 35, makes the case for involving young people in government.

"We want to send a message to the world that... authoritarianism actually does not deliver as well as democracy." Taiwan's Cyber Ambassador @audreyt.org explains how technology can boost democracy in Taiwan and around the world. FRIDAY @pbs.org Local listings: to.pbs.org/39hI6Tf

Former AG Alberto Gonzales says there is "no question" that the president exerting pressure on the Justice Department and interfering in investigations undermines confidence in the rule of law. "Without the rule of law, we have no democracy. We have no America."

Former AG Alberto Gonzales says "it pains me" to see prosecutors fired for their role in investigations that the president disapproves of. "I consider that a betrayal. They were hired to do a job. They did their job well. They protected America, and then they were fired for it." bit.ly/4nAEII3

If a president asked him to indict a political enemy without justification, former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales says he would refuse. "If he said, well, I want you to do it, then I have to say, I have to resign, Mr. President, because I cannot carry out that order."

The Trump administration has warned it may use a shutdown to fire workers and reshape the government. "I don't think that's the way to do it," says former AG Alberto Gonzales. "If you're going to do that, then do it in the light of day and make the case to the American people." bit.ly/4nAEII3

"Knowing certain members of the #SupremeCourt pretty well, I give them the benefit of the doubt," says former AG Alberto Gonzales. "But I do acknowledge, and I think they know, there's a loss of confidence in their work and they need to pay attention." bit.ly/4pSYgZD

"The Department of Justice is not the lawyer for Donald Trump," says former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. "The Department for Justice, from my perspective, that's the lawyer for the United States of America." Follow on Apple: bit.ly/4nAEII3

"No career prosecutor from that office was willing to present the case or to sign off on the indictment," says former AG Alberto Gonzales of the case against James Comey. "I think that is more telling in terms of whether or not we've got a good case here." bit.ly/4pSYgZD

"Not just Democrats, but I think some Republicans are concerned about some of the things that we see going on in this administration." Former AG Alberto Gonzales assesses the state of the Justice Department and the rule of law under Trump. FULL EPISODE: bit.ly/4o2qGyA

After James Comey's indictment, former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales discusses the danger of undermining the independence of the Justice Department. "Without the rule of law, we have no democracy." TONIGHT 8:30 pm ET @pbs.org listings: to.pbs.org/39hI6Tf

Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales questions the legality of U.S. military strikes on alleged drug boats from Venezuela, but he doubts there will be consequences. “I don't know that this administration is concerned about how they're going to be viewed in history,” says Gonzales.

After #PresidentTrump publicly pushed the #DOJ to indict his enemies, former AG Alberto Gonzales says such pressure is "contrary to norms." "I worry that ignoring those kinds of norms undercuts the confidence of the American people in the integrity of our judicial system."

"We have seen an erosion of public confidence, not only in the rule of law, but in the work of the Department of Justice," says former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. "And I think that's very, very dangerous." FRIDAY @pbs.org Local listings: to.pbs.org/39hI6Tf

The @WFP.org has warned of an "unprecedented" hunger crisis in #Afghanistan this winter if more aid is not provided. "I don't even want to think about that," says Executive Director Cindy McCain. "What we will see is exactly what you think you might see, and that is devastation and death."

As leaders in the U.S. and Europe scale back foreign aid, @wfp.org Executive Director Cindy McCain warns hunger could fuel mass migration toward their countries. "You would do anything to feed your family, and so they will hit the road and migrate." Follow on Apple: bit.ly/4nuThge

Amid famine in Gaza, World Food Programme executive director Cindy McCain says their team “can’t get in” to the Gaza strip. “The Israelis won't let us in…they make it very complicated and make it very difficult for us to operate efficiently.”

"The soft power that the United States had through the food aid and the aid in general that they were distributing and helping out with is very important." @WFP.org Executive Director Cindy McCain responds to U.S. humanitarian aid funding cuts. On Apple: bit.ly/4nuThge

Cindy McCain acknowledges @wfp.org had gotten "a little top-heavy," and she has taken steps to increase efficiency and effectiveness. "Using data better, using science and technology better, all of makes us a better organization." Follow on Spotify: bit.ly/42gTElP

"We just need access, and we need access now," says @wfp.org Executive Director Cindy McCain. "We need more diplomacy, we need countries really advocating for us instead of just saying, yeah, we support you. I need action from them." FULL EPISODE: bit.ly/4gTy78T

"I would challenge anybody from the private sector or any other area to try to do what we do and do it efficiently, effectively, and get the job done," says @wfp.org Executive Director Cindy McCain. Follow on Spotify: bit.ly/42gTElP

"In many countries, we're just barely hanging on." Amid funding cuts from the U.S. and others, @wfp.org Executive Director Cindy McCain discusses the challenges of feeding the hungry in Sudan, Gaza, and other regions in crisis. TONIGHT 8:30 pm ET @pbs.org listings: to.pbs.org/39hI6Tf

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said this week it is "ridiculous" to suggest U.S. foreign aid cuts have cost lives, but experts and aid groups disagree. Margaret Hoover asks @wfp.org Exec. Dir. Cindy McCain if she believes people have died because of the cuts. "I think people have, yeah."

As world leaders meet at the #UNGA, the World Food Programme's Cindy McCain explains how cuts to humanitarian aid have impacted @wfp.org. "What we've had to do is face the reality of cutting regions, cutting countries off what we do...I have to take food from the hungry to give to the starving."

"Food security is national security." @wfp.org Executive Director Cindy McCain discusses the challenges of confronting global hunger, fighting famine in Gaza and Sudan, and why the U.S. and other countries should fund humanitarian aid. FRIDAY @pbs.org Local listings: to.pbs.org/39hI6Tf

Over the next couple weeks, we'll highlight topics and segments from the latest long-form interview with @firinglineshow.bsky.social and @milleridriss.bsky.social. In this first segment, we look at the lethality and growth overall involving political violence.

"The data is terrible right now about how lonely many young men are." Cynthia @milleridriss.bsky.social, author of "Man Up: The New Misogyny and the Rise of Violent Extremism," explains how social isolation and the internet have made some men vulnerable to radicalization.

"They absolutely have blood on their hands," extremism expert Cynthia @milleridriss.bsky.social says of social media companies that have allowed users to "gamify violence" on their platforms. "And we live in a world where they have no liability for that."

Amid conservative calls for vengeance against the left over Charlie Kirk's murder, Cynthia MillerIdriss.bsky.social says the violence will get worse "if we don't tone down and de-escalate the rhetoric.” “The use of violence... to seek revenge, I think, is something we really have to worry about.”

Extremism expert Cynthia @milleridriss.bsky.social says misogyny is among the top predictors of support for political violence. "I'm often asked, what can we do to prevent political violence?... What if we actually address something like hostile sexism or misogyny?" bit.ly/46IYpHo

Cynthia @milleridriss.bsky.social says rising support for political violence among young Americans is "terrifying," but it is driven by a belief that peaceful solutions won't work. "It's on the rest of us to show them that political dialogue can lead to change." bit.ly/4nFTdtF

"A lot of tech executives don't allow their children to have phones at all. They don't allow them to have social media accounts," says Cynthia @milleridriss.bsky.social. "I think they know how damaging it is. And yet they also know how profitable it is." Follow on Apple: bit.ly/4nFTdtF

"After 9/11, we had a hyper-focus in this country on Islamist forms of terrorism," says political violence expert Cynthia @milleridriss.bsky.social. "We really took our eyes off of the ball when it came to white supremacist and far-right extremism." Follow on Apple: bit.ly/4nFTdtF

"By far, the biggest percentage of harm and lethality is coming from groups and movements that are far right in nature," says political violence expert Cynthia @milleridriss.bsky.social. "However, we have seen growth in left-wing extremism." FULL EPISODE: bit.ly/46d9Wi5

Cynthia @milleridriss.bsky.social observes there was bipartisan condemnation of Charlie Kirk's murder from political leaders. "But on social media, we also had a lot of celebration from the left and we had calls for civil war from the right... Those are really dangerous trends." bit.ly/46IYpHo

"It will get worse if we don't tone down and de-escalate the rhetoric," says political violence expert Cynthia @milleridriss.bsky.social after Charlie Kirk's death. "The tinderbox effect that can happen is a huge risk right now." TONIGHT 8:30 pm ET @pbs.org listings: to.pbs.org/39hI6Tf

The Trump administration has cast blame for political violence solely on the left. But despite a rise in extremism involving the far left, Cynthia @milleridriss.bsky.social says “by far the biggest percentage of harm and lethality is coming from groups and movements that are far right in nature.”

Tune in tomorrow and over the weekend, wherever you are. This incredible 26-minute interview offers so much, about violence, risk, rhetoric and prevention- join us!

"I think unquestionably it will get worse if we don't tone down and de-escalate the rhetoric." Extremism expert Cynthia @milleridriss.bsky.social discusses the Charlie Kirk shooting, the rise of political violence, and what fuels it. FRIDAY @pbs.org Local listings: to.pbs.org/39hI6Tf

"These are addictive services that people are providing." Cable TV pioneer John Malone, who was critical of efforts to regulate his industry, says more aggressive oversight of Big Tech is needed. But he adds if regulation destroys innovation, "they will have gone too far."

In an interview about his new memoir, cable titan John Malone laments over the state of the media. “Now we have a system where you can listen to whatever version of the news makes you happy,” he says. “This is not good for a democracy.”

"The party system is like two mafia organizations fighting for power, where power is more important than the country," says John Malone. "As the parties get more and more influenced by their extremes, this whole situation becomes less viable."