To the Point
Can Intervention Prevent Homegrown Terror?
A federal judge is taking a big chance with an 18-year old Somali American, accused of trying to join ISIS in Syria. Instead of waiting in jail for trial as a terrorist conspirator, he may be sent to a halfway house to be counseled about re-connecting with American society. Is he already a danger here in this country?
By Warren Olney • • 52m ListenA federal judge is taking a big chance with an 18-year old Somali American, accused of trying to join ISIS in Syria. Instead of waiting in jail for trial as a terrorist conspirator, he may be sent to a halfway house to be counseled about re-connecting with American society. Prisons are regarded as think-tanks for radicals where young, disaffected inmates like him are often recruited for violent action, including jihad. Is he already a danger here in this country… or is his youthful extremism subject to change?
Plus, Obama unveils the latest budget, and the new frontier for big data.
Banner Image: Imam preaching at Umayyad Mosque in Damascus; Credit: Paul Stocker
In this episode
3 storiesObama Unveils Trillion Dollar Budget
President Obama today unveiled a $4 trillion budget that lifts caps on defense spending and expands services for the middle class. It’s designed to challenge the Republican majorities in Congress. Richard Rubin covers taxes and budgets for Bloomberg News.
Read the story6 minCan Intervention Prevent Homegrown Terror?
Today or tomorrow, an 18-year-old Somali-American is expected to be transferred from jail to a halfway house in Minnesota—to await trial on federal charges of terrorism. The goal is to keep him out of prison—where hardened prisoners might radicalize him further. We look at the risks of a new approach toward homegrown extremists.
Read the story34 minThe New Frontier for Big Data - An Algorithm of Feelings
"Micro-expressions” are those flashes of honest feeling that appear on your face before you can control them. Now software companies are compiling databases with thousands of “micro-expressions” for use in commercial marketing—and potentially for intelligence work. Do they constitute invasions of privacy?
Read the story9 min
