In this live, I set out to interview veteran journalist Jacob Ward about the rapid expansion of the surveillance state—particularly how ICE is reportedly using facial recognition, cell phone location databases, and commercially purchased data to bypass traditional judicial warrants. Jacob and I had our time zones crossed and we’ll reschedule the interview for next week. You won’t want to miss it.
Still, today we discussed the implications: the federal government is buying Americans’ data from private companies rather than obtaining it through court-approved warrants, raising urgent Fourth Amendment concerns. I also addressed reports that the government has subpoenaed social media platforms for information on users who are publicly critical of ICE—raising chilling questions about free speech, centralized databases, and whether dissent itself is being tracked.
Then I pivoted to breaking news about Stephen Colbert’s unaired interview with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico. According to reporting, CBS pulled the segment over fears related to the FCC—an extraordinary development that echoes the very “cancel culture” conservatives claim to oppose. Taken together, these stories paint a disturbing picture: expanding state surveillance, corporate compliance, media capitulation, and growing pressure on democratic norms. This wasn’t just a news cycle—it was a warning sign.
