Explosion in Domestic Intelligence Gathering

Making News

Rome Parcel Bombs Raise Terror Fears in Europe ()

Much of Europe is on edge this Christmas season, and with parcel bombs exploding today at the Swiss and Chilean embassies in Rome, the tension's increasing.  Rachel Donadio is Rome Bureau Chief for the New York Times.

Guests:

• Rachel Donadio: Rome Bureau Chief, New York Times, @racheldonadio

Main Topic

Fighting Terror and Protecting Civil Liberties ()

Some 4000 federal, state and local organizations are battling domestic terrorism, far more than the number of terrorists who've been identified. The FBI is amassing data on US citizens who've never committed a crime. Local agencies monitor anti-war groups and Tea Party meetings. The Department of Homeland Security is spending tens of billions of dollars, more money than it can keep track of, and local agencies and "fusion centers" are happy to snap it up. Is fear breeding over-reaction?  Are Constitutional rights at risk?  Will the US develop a coherent intelligence strategy or become a police state?

Guests:

• Steven Hewitt: Director, Tennessee Fusion Center
• Michael German: Policy Council, ACLU
• Brian Jenkins: Senior Advisor, President of RAND
• Loch Johnson: Top Assistant, Aspin-Brown Commission on Intelligence

Links:

• Washington Post series on the growth of domestic intelligence
• Johnson's 'The Threat on the Horizon: An Inside Account of America's Search for Security After the Cold War'
• ACLU on illegal domestic spying

Reporter's Notebook

Does the Christmas Card Have a Future? ()

Are you getting fewer Christmas cards this year than you used to? What about cards wishing "Happy Holidays" or "Happy New Year?"  If you think the numbers are going down, you're not alone. Kate Julian is an editor at Slate.com and, after polling the staff at that online magazine, she wrote a column sub-titled, "Our mailboxes are practically empty."

Guests:

• Kate Julian: Editor, Slate

Links:

• Chicago Tribune on greeting card statistics