PROFILE
FROM Christopher Ingraham
How the feds could seize suspects' property even before they're accused of a crime Jeff Sessions is restarting part of the federal program called civil asset forfeiture. When law enforcement finds reason to believe that some cash, a house, or other valuable asset has been used in illegal activities, they seize it, and it becomes government property. In 2014, the government took more property from American citizens than burglars did. After an outcry from civil rights groups, then-Attorney General Eric Holder stopped part of the program.
Can there be a moment of bipartisan comity in Washington? If Washington isn't a swamp, can it be drained?
The Attorney General fires a Pot Shot Attorney General Jeff Sessions is an ardent opponent of weed legalization he's now targeting medical marijuana providers.
White House unveils proposed budget President Trump has released his proposed budget , with massive reductions to the State Department, the EPA, the arts, science and America's poor. His White House Budget Director provided a rationale today on CBS This Morning. Mick Mulvaney said that the President wants more money for defense, law enforcement, veterans and school choice, and that he want do to that without adding to the deficit. Christopher Ingraham, who reports for the Washington Post's Wonkblog , says that early response from Republicans is measured, though several have called some of the cuts non-starters.
Information or Confirmation? With the amount of information about the election on November 8 available online, how do you know what's accurate?
ACLU calls for an end to the war on drugs In Texas, 16 people are serving life sentences for illegal drug possession. Seven of them had fewer than 4 grams — less than a packet of sugar. That’s from a study by the ACLU and Human Rights Watch who advocate decriminalization of simple possession. Christopher Ingraham reports for the Washington Post.
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Human Rights in the era of Donald Trump President Trump’s UN Ambassador, Nikki Haley, said today the US might pull out of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council. Serious violators of human rights are members of the Council itself–and a US resignation could make things worse. Later on today’s show, now that he’s into his second term, comedian turned US Senator Al Franken is telling jokes again.
What happens when America retreats from the world? Is President Trump taking his "America First" agenda to extremes, withdrawing the country from the international stage on trade and climate change, distancing America from its traditional allies across the Atlantic and even threatening to physically isolate the country through the building of a wall along its southern border? León Krauze guest hosts.
Ex-FBI Director Comey tells his side of the story Today, former FBI Director James Comey came close to calling the President who fired him a liar. The White House denied the claim and called it insulting, but Republican Senators did not challenge Comey’s truthfulness. Many questions remain: did the President try to obstruct a federal investigation? Later, we’ll go behind the “velvet rope” for a look at 5-Star health care for the richest Americans.
Terrorism and tweets, hate speech and murder Just days before an election, Britain is coping with a rash of deadly terrorism, and Prime Minister Theresa May is on the defensive. And again today, President Trump has tweeted criticism of the Mayor of London. Later, a double murder in Portland, Oregon has revealed the ugly past of a supposedly “progressive” city. One immediate question: is “hate speech” protected by the First Amendment?