Police and Race in America Last Friday in Beverly Hills, California, TV producer Charles Belk—a 51-year old black man—was on his way to a pre-Emmy awards party. When he left a restaurant, he was stopped by police, handcuffed and taken to jail with bail sent at $100,000. After 6 hours, police reviewed videotape that proved Belk had not robbed a bank and released him 10 minutes later. Belk says it was all because he was “tall, bald, male and black.” Will policing ever be colorblind?

In the Age of Big Data, Is Privacy No Big Deal? Last year two US Senators who couldn't provide details said, "most Americans would be stunned" if they knew the extent of government surveillance. Now people know more, and a recent poll shows they're not "stunned" after all. Sixty percent are ready to sacrifice privacy in the interests of security. But others claim the government's gathering much more than it needs to know, accessing the Big Data of Internet giants like Google and Apple. As the companies make big money on what users give them for free, is the government amassing power that could weaken Democracy?

New Beginnings for Outgoing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Lawyer, First Lady, US Senator, presidential candidate, Secretary of State… Hillary Clinton has racked up one of the most impressive resumes in American politics. As Secretary of State serving the man she once battled for the presidency, she's logged nearly a million travel miles with visits to 112 countries. This month, Clinton ends another chapter in her long career of public service this month, when she leaves her post as Secretary of State. Over the years, she has been cheered, jeered, vilified -- and held up as a role model. Over the past few days, news about her health has been in the headlines – she was released from a New York hospital today after three days of treatment for a blood clot near her brain, with a prognosis for full recovery. But what kind of headlines will she be making in the future? Will it include another run for the White House in 2016?

Will Dodd-Frank Protect US from Banks 'Too Big to Fail?' Despite reassurances from the Obama Administration, many financial authorities say banks that are bigger than ever cannot be allowed to fail. Just five banks -- Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup, Wells Fargo and Bank of America -- now hold $8.5 trillion in assets. That's equal to 56 percent of the US economy, up from 43 percent six years ago. It's happened despite President Obama's call to "prevent the further consolidation of our financial system." Are pension funds and other depositors adequately insured?  Might taxpayer bailouts be needed all over again?

From New Hampshire, It's on to South Carolina and Florida New Hampshire Republicans had just 12 delegates to give in yesterday's primary. Mitt Romney got seven; Ron Paul took three and Jon Huntsman got the remaining two. Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum were shut out, and Rick Perry wasn't even campaigning. But, in less than two weeks, they'll be waiting in South Carolina, where Gingrich, Perry, Santorum and Paul are ready to give Romney trouble. Meanwhile, Republican power brokers and fundraisers are beginning to talk Party Unity.

Are Republican Governors Union Busting? With state budgets facing massive shortfalls, several Republican Governors are demanding concessions from public employee unions. Some union officials accuse the Governors of playing politics with Democratic supporters. In Wisconsin, unions have agreed to pay more for healthcare and retirement, but not to give up their bargaining rights.  The Senate's minority Democrats have left the state to prevent a vote in the legislature. In a recorded telephone call, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker appeared to confirm it's about more than the budget.

Are Political Spouses 'Fair Game?' In White House history, there's been more than one kind of First Lady. Laura Bush and Bess Truman, for example, have played very different roles and projected very different images from Eleanor Roosevelt or Hilary Clinton . The next First Lady will be either Cindy McCain or Michelle Obama , and American voters are sizing them up along with their husbands. "Fair game" is what one Republican group calls Obama, leading her husband to demand that his critics "lay off my wife." Though Cindy McCain says spouses and families should not be "fair game," Mrs. Obama has taken a lot more media heat, even from Mrs. McCain.  If they get the White House they are likely to play different roles and project different images.  Is that what makes for differing treatment? We look at the news coverage, the commentators and the blogosphere.

Civil Rights and National Security At the White House last week, President Bush signed the controversial new law on treatment of suspects in the "war on terror." It lays out new rules for interrogation, detention and prosecution.  Two hours after the President signed his name, the Justice Department began telling federal judges that dozens of lawsuits filed by detainees don't belong in their courts any more because military tribunals now have jurisdiction.  Lawyers for the detainees are filing arguments of their own, claiming the new law is unconstitutional. When will alleged coordinators of September 11th be brought before military tribunals? Do other prisoners now face unlimited detention without their day in court? Does the President now have sole power to tell the CIA what is torture and what's not?