Spencer Ackerman
Democracy Now! Tue., Nov. 2, 2010
As millions of voters head to the polls, Democratic and progressive groups are concerned with reports of voter intimidation and efforts to suppress minority and poor voters from casting their ballots. We speak to Wendy Weiser of the Voting Rights and Election Project at the Brennan Center for Justice. With total campaign spending projected to hit $4 billion, the 2010 election is on track to be the most expensive non-presidential contest in US history. For analysis of the 2010 midterms, we speak to former presidential candidate and longtime consumer advocate and corporate critic, Ralph Nader. After the discovery of two parcel bombs from Yemen in Chicago-bound air cargo last week, the Obama administration is reportedly considering sending elite hunter-killer teams into Yemen to assassinate militants. One plan being considered would see US special forces units sent into Yemen under CIA control, which would give the US greater leeway to strike without the explicit blessing of the Yemeni government. We speak to Wired magazine senior reporter Spencer Ackerman. Democracy Now!, a daily independent newshour.
Email this pageGRITtv: Can We Scan Ourselves to Safety?
"There's money to be made and there are people out there who are going to say it can be done. And, yeah, it's techie and sexy and sounds good." That's Bruce Schneier quoted in a piece by Liliana Segura at AlterNet, talking about new airport security technology. In the wake of the failed underpants bombing attempt, new rules have been added, and discussion has ramped up of the use of full-body scanners and other invasive technologies. We ask Segura and Spencer Ackerman of the Washington Independent if we can scan ourselves to safety, or if this is just more security theater designed to get us to give up our civil liberties.
Democracy Now!: Wed., Dec. 30, 2009
We look at the Obama administration’s handling of the aborted bomb attack and the media’s coverage with Spencer Ackerman of the Washington Independent; in Cairo, we talk with Ali Abunimah of Electronic Intifada about the situation in Cairo and Gaza and with Roger Waters, who supports the Gaza Freedom March; a Red Cross spokesman remembers the Israeli assault; a final look at the U.S. economy with Dean Baker and the Rev. Jesse Jackson. "Democracy Now!" is a daily independent newshour.
