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A special hour on the past, present and uncertain future of the USA Patriot Act. (episode)
A mere six weeks after 9/11, the USA PATRIOT Act was passed. Brooke and Bob relive the act's conception amid a climate of fear, confusion, and deceit.
For almost fourteen years we've been hearing about the Patriot Act. What exactly is in it again?
Three provisions of the Patriot Act are set to expire this weekend, unless a gridlocked Congress manages to find a last minute solution.
In the wake of the Charlie Hebdo shootings in Paris, French legislators are considering a new law that looks a lot like what the US passed after 9/11.
The current Patriot Act debate suggests that mass surveillance comes primarily from Section 215. But other, less-known programs actually account for most of the metadata collected.
Ultimately, our assumption that the Patriot Act is at the center of our nation's struggle between privacy and security...may not be true.
A surprisingly difficult -- and misleading -- question about the Iraq War, the police bombing that no one remembers, and the struggle of ownership in the age of the "Internet of Things." (episode)
In interviews over the past two weeks, 2016 hopefuls are facing a bad hypothetical question on Iraq: "knowing what we know now" would they have authorized the 2003 invasion?
In 1985, Philadelphia police bombed a city block and killed 11 people. This month, NPR's Gene Demby reported on the anniversary and discovered much of his audience had never heard of it.
In March, a rising 24-year-old football star shocked the sports industry when he announced that he was retiring from the NFL because of the long-term dangers of concussions.
In 2007, a New York Times reporter brought national attention to NFL concussions with a front-page story about a Philadelphia Eagles player. But the story didn't stop there.
A study found a short conversation with a gay person could make people more open to marriage equality, and the media reported it as a hopeful sign. But the findings were faked.
Because of copyright laws and the rise of the Internet of Things, farmers break the law if they tinker with the software inside their tractors. That is, unless a new bill helps them.
Self-described "Chinatown dance rock band" The Slants is comprised solely of Asian-American musicians, but their trademark was denied because it's disparaging to... Asian-Americans.
Brooke discusses the twelfth and thirteenth episodes of House of Cards with the show's creator, Beau Willimon. (article)
Brooke discusses the twelfth and thirteenth episodes of House of Cards with the show's creator, Beau Willimon (article)
Seymour Hersh on his claim the White House version of how Osama Bin Laden was killed is a lie, how a New York City nail salon expose went viral, and Liberia: finally Ebola-free. (episode)
This week journalist Seymour Hersh published an account of the killing of Osama bin Laden that directly contradicts the White House narrative.
While other journalists rushed to debunk Sy Hersh's latest story, Carlotta Gall of the New York Times says there's a lot to follow up on - and at least one detail rings true.
A New York Times exposé on labor abuses and health risks for New York City manicurists goes viral. We explore why.
Liberia has finally been declared Ebola-free. We revisit OTM's trip to Liberia and hear from journalist Rodney Sieh about how Liberians are processing the news.
After publishing an account of the killing of Osama bin Laden contradicting the official narrative, Hersh is being called a kook and conspiracy theorist. Here's his response. (episode)
What the media get wrong about earthquakes, surveillance the public loves and hates, and the creator of HBO's Veep. (episode)
After an earthquake, media coverage follows a predictable trajectory. We put together a template to help a discerning news consumer look for the real story.
After a calamitous earthquake, what we crave is least obtainable: certainty.
With the PATRIOT Act up for renewal in Congress, a federal appeals court ruled this week that the NSA's phone metadata program is illegal. We hear what it means for the law.
There is overwhelming support to outfit the nation's cops with body cameras. Theoretically, they promote accountability and transparency, but in practice it's much more complicated.
Bob spoke with Veep creator Armando Iannucci last year for our special hour on Washington, D.C. We never aired that interview, until now...
The latest conspiracy theory that an upcoming military exercise in Texas is cover for a military takeover is now part of political debate. How should journalists cover crazy?
Brooke discusses the tenth and eleventh episodes of House of Cards with Ron Klain and Amy Chozick. (article)
The deep historical roots of the Baltimore protests, shedding light on drone strikes, and combating sex worker stereotypes. (episode)
The protests in Baltimore over the death of Freddie Gray evoke uprisings of the '60s, reminding us that the problems driving people to the streets today have profound historical roots.
News that a US drone strike killed two innocent Americans raised new questions about who really runs the program, and who oversees it.
Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, discusses oversight of US drone programs and proposes how to make them more public.
The White House has released data about last year's Freedom of Information Act requests. The AP analyzed the administration's numbers and found their claim of openness lacking.
Brooke speaks with two former editors of $pread, a magazine by and for sex workers that folded in 2011, about their new anthology and what the media gets wrong about sex work.
A new reality show, 8 Minutes, follows a pastor trying to talk women out of prostitution. Brooke speaks with a writer and activist about why many are calling the show exploitative.