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Washington Post
Investigative reporter for the Washington Post and author of No Place to Hide: Behind the Scenes of Our Emerging Surveillance Society.
PROFILE
Robert O'Harrow
Guest
FROM Robert O'Harrow
To the Point
Widespread Abuse of Police "Stop and Seize" Power Since September 11, 2001, the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security have spent big money training local police, sheriffs and state troopers to be more aggressive in searching for suspicious people, illegal drugs and other possible contraband. The Washington Post reports they may have learned their all lessons too well. Local police have seized hundreds of millions of dollars in cash from motorists — stopped, but never charged with crimes. In order to get their money back, thousands of drivers have been forced to prove they’re the rightful owners. That’s according to an investigative series in the Post called “Stop and Seize.” Robert O’Harrow wrote those stories.
To the Point
Widespread Abuse of Police "Stop and Seize" Power Since September 11, 2001, the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security have spent big money training local police, sheriffs and state troopers to be more aggressive in searching for suspicious people, illegal drugs and other possible contraband. The Washington Post reports they may have learned their all lessons too well. Local police have seized hundreds of millions of dollars in cash from motorists — stopped, but never charged with crimes. In order to get their money back, thousands of drivers have been forced to prove they’re the rightful owners. That’s according to an investigative series in the Post called “Stop and Seize.” Robert O’Harrow wrote those stories.
To the Point
PRISM, How Much Big Data Is the NSA Collecting and from Whom? On his way to meeting China's new leader today, President Obama stopped in San Jose to celebrate California's implementation of the Affordable Care Act. He ended up making a lengthy defense of the massive gathering of telephone records and Internet data , secret programs revealed in the past two days. The President said government access to Google, Facebook and other Internet records does not apply to "US citizens or people in the US." He insisted it's all approved and monitored by Congress and federal judges, but he conceded that privacy has been sacrificed for national security. We hear more about what's been revealed and how it might impact the so-called "shirt-sleeve" summit in the desert of Southern California.
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To the Point
The Trump agenda: where's the beef? President Trump says big things are happening. After celebrating a House bill on health care, he doesn’t yet have Senate agreement. With James Comey’s public testimony scheduled tomorrow, the President today tweeted his selection of a new FBI Director. Is the Chief Executive all style and no substance? Later, terror attacks in Iran and conflicting claims about who’s behind them.
To the Point
Trump plays scolder-in-chief with NATO allies At the opening of NATO’s dramatic new headquarters in Brussels today, President Trump acknowledged that Article 5 — promising that “an attack on one nation is an attack on all” -- has only been invoked one time: in the aftermath of September 11. But the President failed to provide what 27 other Alliance members have been waiting for: a re-commitment by America’s new leader to Article 5. Instead, they got a scolding.
To the Point
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.
To the Point
Will the Senate write a healthcare bill in secret? While Democrats and Republicans argue White House relations with Russia, another question is being decided behind closed doors: who gets help buying health insurance and who doesn't? We hear how the pros and cons are being shrouded in secrecy.