The Internet Is Killing Democracy
Jamie Bartlett, whose TED Talk about the “dark web” has been viewed by over two million people, explains how democracy and technology may be incompatible.
The Future of Privacy
What is the individual’s right to privacy and how much should be sacrificed in the name of “security?” Edward Snowden, Noam Chomsky, and Glenn Greenwald discuss these and other questions.
A Small Minority in 10 States Will Elect the Next President
Even in a close presidential race, candidates need only campaign in 10 “purple” states to optimize their chances of winning. So how healthy is this for our democracy?
Peter Dale Scott Explains the Secret Cheney Operation on 9/11
9/11 was a seminal day in US history, but, as noted author and historian Peter Dale Scott tells WhoWhatWhy, the true significance of what happened goes far beyond what meets the eye. In this podcast, Scott focuses in particular on the implementation of a secret “Continuity of Government” plan that had been decades in the making. Consequently, he argues, there has been “a permanent change to the United States” that permeates the lives of all Americans. The result, according to Scott, has been the suspension of Constitutional rights and the transformation of America in ways that we are still living with today.
Magna Carta Celebrates 800th Birthday—How Far Has Liberty Come?
On the 800th anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta, a bipartisan group of worried senators serve as a reminder that no president is above the law.
The Undemocratic Primary
While the Republican field of White House hopefuls is historically deep and diverse, the GOP’s process of picking its nominee is highly undemocratic. Open primaries were supposed to bring transparency to party nominations once dominated by backroom deals. But party-sanctioned debate rules and the influence of conservative billionaires are stacking the deck in favor of the frontrunners.
Tsarnaev Case Judge: FBI Interview Reports Are Unreliable—And Cast in Stone
In allowing FBI interview reports to be read in court in lieu of witness testimony, US District Court Judge George O’Toole inadvertently highlighted an insidious tactic used by the FBI to manipulate witness statements. Anyone who gets a knock at the door from an FBI agent would be well advised to invite an attorney over before opening the door—or your mouth.
Exclusive: Oklahoma City Bombing Breakthrough, Part 2 of 2
Yesterday, we told you about new evidence of a likely undercover intelligence operative who associated with Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh in the period prior to the bombing, and about a government cover-up that continues to the present. Today, the rest of the murky story behind one of America’s worst tragedies.
Exclusive: Oklahoma City Bombing Breakthrough, Part 1 of 2
Rumors have circulated for years that there was more to the horrific Oklahoma City Bombing than just a handful of anti-government extremists. Now, WhoWhatWhy brings important new information to the table—about a man who almost certainly was a covert intelligence operative, his relationship with the principal person convicted and executed for the bombing, and a government cover-up that continues to this day. Part 1 of a 2-part series.
RadioWhoWhatWhy: Think You Know the First Amendment? Think Again.
We take a random walk through what the First Amendment and the Bill of Rights are really all about with Burt Neuborne. Neuborne is the former national legal director of the ACLU and the founder of the Brennan Center for Justice at the NYU Law School.
Tsarnaev Guilty, but Who Made the Bombs?
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev now faces the sentencing phase of his trial, even with questions about the case left unanswered. The most crucial of these: Who constructed the Marathon bombs and where?