Best Project On Government Oversight Podcasts (2024)

1
The Real Threat (S2 E6) 49:07

21d ago49:07

49:07

For the past few episodes, Maren has explored the reality of immigration detention, uplifting the conditions in Department of Homeland Security (DHS) centers where thousands are held under the presumption that they may be threats to national security. In the season finale of Bad Watchdog, we return to where we started, with the DHS’s counterterrori…

1
Behind the Curtain (S2 E5) 44:00

22d ago44:00

44:00

Content note: This episode discusses suicide and sexual violence. After a years-long legal fight from the Department of Homeland Security, a court order finally gave Nick and other investigators access to 33 reports detailing conditions in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities. The documents showed a disturbing pattern of a…

1
The Battle (S2 E4) 37:25

21d ago37:25

37:25

The Department of Homeland Security is a very large, very powerful federal agency. It’s also extremely secretive. Who monitors the agency and holds it accountable the actions it takes as part of its mission to protect the homeland? In this episode, Maren explains how hard it is just to access information about conditions in DHS detention facilities…

1
The Three Reports (S2 E3) 29:16

1M ago29:16

29:16

This episode discusses suicide and recounts an incident in which a homophobic slur was used. Maren follows the story of Berto Hernandez, who recounts their detainment at ICE’s Adelanto Detention Center and the treatment and conditions they faced inside. But when people in detention are mistreated, where can they turn for help? Experts from the Depa…

1
The Red Herring (S2 E1) 40:00

1M ago40:00

40:00

Established in the wake of September 11, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was entrusted with protecting the U.S. from national security threats. Since then, much of the agency’s focus has been on the southern border — with tens of thousands of people held in its detention centers on a daily basis. Host Maren Machles explores how this came …

1
The Hole (S2 E2) 30:39

2M ago30:39

30:39

Host Maren Machles learns more about people’s experiences in ICE detention by talking with formerly detained activist Berto Hernandez and traveling to El Paso, Texas, to hear directly from people who were recently released from ICE facilities. She explores how immigration laws and one anti-terrorism law from the 1990s influenced the current politic…

1
Announcing Bad Watchdog Season 2 2:30

2M ago2:30

2:30

In the wake of 9/11, and in fear of another attack, members of Congress agreed to create a powerful new agency, the Department of Homeland Security. Now, more than 20 years later, the agency has exploded in size. It’s doubled down on detaining immigrants — sometimes in horrifying conditions. This summer, the Project On Government Oversight’s invest…

1
Obscured: County Jails, Mental Health & Accountability Barriers with Brett Sholtis 37:48

9M ago37:48

37:48

We want to share a new podcast with you! Obscured tells stories that unfold largely out of the public eye. Investigative journalists and creators of Obscured Emily Previti and Stephanie Marudas are sharing the latest episode from their series “From Words to Weapons” with Bad Watchdog listeners. Obscured’s sixth episode of “From Words to Weapons” fo…

1
Cuffari Regularly Purges His Texts (Special Update) 25:17

1y ago25:17

25:17

Last week was the first time DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari testified in front of Congress since Bad Watchdog was released. Lawmakers took it as a chance to hold him accountable for some of the decisions he’s made as inspector general, from his delayed notification to Congress about the missing Secret Service text messages to the sexual misco…

1
Over Classified 18:15

1+ y ago18:15

18:15

How did classified records wind up in the homes of former President Trump and two former vice presidents, Joe Biden and Mike Pence? In this week’s episode, The Continuous Action explains how the over-classification of government documents contributed to those news stories. The government has been classifying far too many documents — just about ever…

1
Courting Disaster 24:05

1y ago24:05

24:05

The Supreme Court has an ethics problem. The Project on Government Oversight’s Sarah Turberville and David Janovsky join Walt to discuss the need for a code of conduct for the highest court in the United States. The court’s legitimacy relies on the public’s faith in the institution, and it’s clear the American people believe the court has been poli…

1
Infiltrated! 22:53

1+ y ago22:53

22:53

A 2015 membership roll for the Oath Keepers, a violent, anti-government extremist group, included hundreds of current or former employees of the Department of Homeland Security. That’s according to a leaked document reviewed by the Project On Government Oversight. Since the creation of the document, members of the Oath Keepers, including its founde…

1
The Authoritarian’s Fist 23:37

1+ y ago23:37

23:37

Imagine a world in which the president had unfettered power to use the massive federal workforce as a weapon against political rivals. In that scenario, federal officials would be forced to serve a political party’s interests instead of the public interest. Your access to federal benefits and services could be slowed or blocked depending on your de…

1
Anything Goes 29:31

1+ y ago29:31

29:31

Members of Congress write their own rules — and those rules allow stock trades galore! In this episode of The Continuous Action, host Walt Shaub dives into topic of congressional stock trading, outlining the problems with the practice and asking the question we’re all thinking: How is this legal? He’s joined by a member of Congress who’s leading a …

1
Banned from Office! 23:19

1+ y ago23:19

23:19

Is Donald Trump constitutionally disqualified from running for president? In this episode of The Continuous Action, Walt Shaub and Virginia Heffernan examine a provision of the Constitution that bans insurrectionists from holding public office. The “disqualification clause” was ratified with the rest of the 14th Amendment just after the Civil War, …

1
The Perfect Storm (S1 E6) 32:08

1+ y ago32:08

32:08

In the final episode of “Bad Watchdog,” Nick and Adam discover that Cuffari knew about even more missing January 6th text messages from the Trump-era DHS leadership team, and Maren asks the million-dollar question: Why hasn’t this guy been removed from power? Experts weigh reforms to the inspector general system that would improve accountability fo…

1
Who is Joseph Cuffari? (S1 E5) 35:55

1+ y ago35:55

35:55

Cuffari’s mismanagement of Homeland Security’s watchdog office has Maren wondering how he ended up with such an important job in the first place. She looks back at his Senate confirmation, alleged ethics violations, and dubious qualifications, and she and Nick talk with Representative Bennie Thompson (D-MS), chair of the House Committee on Homeland…

1
The Story of an Agency (S1 E4) 36:49

1+ y ago36:49

36:49

The Homeland Security watchdog tries to bury a report on sexual harassment and misconduct at the agency, but POGO’s investigators expose the plot. Maren talks to former Border Patrol officer and current reform advocate Jenn Budd about her own painful experiences working for the agency. DHS Secretary Mayorkas responds almost immediately to Nick and …

1
Abuse of Power and People (S1 E3) 28:41

1+ y ago28:41

28:41

Nick and Adam discover that Cuffari’s office removed damaging findings from an official report about dozens of cases of domestic abuse by Homeland Security law enforcement agents with access to government-issued firearms, and they poke holes in Cuffari’s excuses for refusing to criticize the agencies he’s supposed to hold accountable. Maren circles…

1
Introducing: Bad Watchdog 3:35

1+ y ago3:35

3:35

The Continuous Action will return for a second season in the spring of 2023. In the meantime, check out the Project On Government Oversight's newest podcast, Bad Watchdog. Bad Watchdog is about what happens when the watchdog tasked with overseeing the most powerful law enforcement agency in the country doesn’t do its job. In a six-part series, host…

1
The Tip of the Iceberg (S1 E2) 28:44

1+ y ago28:44

28:44

A troubling pattern of ignoring serious misconduct at the Department of Homeland Security begins to emerge. Despite widespread condemnation of law enforcement’s use of tear gas on Black Lives Matter protesters gathered in Lafayette Square in Washington, Homeland Security watchdog Joseph Cuffari declined to investigate the incident. Investigative re…

1
The Missing Text Messages (S1 E1) 27:33

1+ y ago27:33

27:33

How did a peaceful transfer of power devolve into the first breach of the U.S. Capitol in over two centuries? Deleted Secret Service text messages may hold important answers about what happened on January 6, 2021, but Homeland Security watchdog Joseph Cuffari failed to inform Congress for months they were missing. What’s more, Cuffari refused a req…

1
Introducing: Bad Watchdog 2:20

1+ y ago2:20

2:20

Government watchdogs don’t normally make the evening news. But when Homeland Security Inspector General Joseph Cuffari failed to alert Congress for months that Secret Service agents deleted text messages after January 6, he was thrust into the national spotlight. And it turns out there was a lot more that he was covering up. In a new six-part podca…

1
Episode 14: Conversation with Fiona Greenland on Fingerprint Men, Pixel Politics and Art Police 1:06:23

2y ago1:06:23

1:06:23

Joining me today is Fiona Greenland, Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Virginia, to discuss some of her recent work on fingerprinting and the origins of surveillance culture in the United States and on pixel politics and satellite interpretation in the Syrian war. Fiona Greenland is the author of Ruling Culture: Art Police, Tomb…

1
Episode 13: Conversation with Hager Ben Jaffel and Sebastian Larsson on Problematising Intelligence Studies 46:45

2y ago46:45

46:45

Joining me today are Hager Ben Jaffel, Research Associate at the National Center for Scientific Research in France and Sebastian Larsson, Associate Senior Lecturer in War Studies at the Swedish Defence University, to discuss their latest edited volume titled Problematising Intelligence Studies: Towards a New Research Agenda, published in 2022 with …

1
Episode 12: Conversation with Mareile Kaufmann on Surveillance, Hackers, Secrecy and Predictive Policing 1:26:50

2y ago1:26:50

1:26:50

Joining me today is Mareile Kaufmann, Professor at the Department of Criminology and Sociology, at the University of Oslo, to discuss her work over the past few years on surveillance, predictive policing, hackers and secrecy, among others. Texts discussed in this podcast episode: Kaufmann, M. 2020. Hacking Surveillance. First Monday 25(5): https://…

1
Episode 11: Conversation with Emily West on Amazon 1:17:55

2y ago1:17:55

1:17:55

Joining me today is Emily West, an Associate Professor of Communication at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, to discuss her book Buy Now: How Amazon Branded Convenience and Normalized Monopoly published in 2022 with The MIT Press. © Tereza Østbø Kuldova, 2022 Produced with the financial support of The Research Council of Norway under project…

1
Out of Control 50:28

2y ago50:28

50:28

In Episode 5 of The Continuous Action, hosts Walt Shaub and Virginia Heffernan sound a dire warning about the largest law enforcement agency in the country, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). While most people think of the agency as having limited reach, two-thirds of Americans live within CBP jurisdiction. It’s also one of the country’s lea…

1
It’s Good To Be The King 53:49

2y ago53:49

53:49

Hosts Walt Shaub and Virginia Heffernan investigate the ways presidential power has expanded at the expense of checks and balances. What systems exist to rein in a would-be authoritarian president, and how are they faring in these turbulent times?  The hosts talk to historian Matt Dallek, who explains the expansion of presidential power and the dan…

1
Bonus: China’s Surveillance State  39:12

2y ago39:12

39:12

This bonus episode features our full interview with Maya Wang, the senior China researcher for Human Rights Watch. As Maya explains, a comprehensive, multi-layered surveillance system blankets much of China with one primary goal: to ensure that the Chinese communist party can rule forever. We included an excerpt of this interview in Episode 3, “The…

1
Episode 10: Conversation with Sarah Esther Lageson on Digital Punishment 1:02:34

2+ y ago1:02:34

1:02:34

© Tereza Østbø Kuldova, 2022 Joining me today is Sarah Esther Lageson, Associate Professor at School of Criminal Justice at the Rutgers University, to discuss her book Digital Punishment: Privacy, Stigma, and the Harms of Data-Driven Criminal Justice published in 2020 with Oxford University Press. Produced with the financial support of The Research…

1
The Eyes On Your Face 54:16

2+ y ago54:16

54:16

In Episode 3, hosts Walt Shaub and Virginia Heffernan grapple with government surveillance, focusing in particular on facial recognition technology and the ways that the government could — and already does — abuse this pervasive technology. Facial recognition expert Jake Laperruque describes the arms race between technology companies developing new…

1
War Lies, Watchdogs, and Whistleblowers 54:46

2+ y ago54:46

54:46

In Episode 2, hosts Walt Shaub and Virginia Heffernan explore a troubling truth: the government lies, particularly when it comes to war. The government has repeatedly misled the American people to justify starting or staying in a military conflict, leaving whistleblowers and watchdogs the dangerous task of exposing the truth. Military expert Mandy …

1
The Wave 51:16

2+ y ago51:16

51:16

In the inaugural episode of The Continuous Action, former Office of Government Ethics Director Walt Shaub and journalist Virginia Heffernan begin exploring the issues confronting democracy by examining the wave of voter suppression efforts crashing across the states. They interview Janai Nelson, president and director-counsel of the NAACP’s Legal D…

1
Introducing The Continuous Action 3:10

2+ y ago3:10

3:10

On The Continuous Action, co-hosts Walter Shaub and Virginia Heffernan break down some of the biggest issues facing our republic today. In this limited series, Shaub, former director of the Office of Government Ethics, and Heffernan, a seasoned journalist, interview experts, activists, philanthropists, and others on topics ranging from voting right…

1
Episode 9: Conversation with Albert Fox Cahn on the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.) 59:04

2+ y ago59:04

59:04

Joining me today is Albert Fox Cahn, the founder and executive director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.) to discuss the work of this non-profit advocacy organization and legal service provider based in New York. © Tereza Østbø Kuldova, 2022 Produced with the financial support of The Research Council of Norway under projec…

1
Episode 8: Conversation with Sarah Brayne on Predictive Policing and Surveillance 1:06:01

3y ago1:06:01

1:06:01

Joining me today is Sarah Brayne, Assistant Professor at the Department of Sociology at the University of Texas at Austin, to discuss her book Predict and Surveil: Data, Discretion, and the Future of Policing published in 2020 with Oxford University Press. © Tereza Østbø Kuldova, 2021 Produced with the financial support of The Research Council of N…

1
Episode 7: Conversation with Kate Kenny on Whistleblowing in Global Finance 1:05:15

3y ago1:05:15

1:05:15

Joining me today is Kate Kenny, Professor of Business and Society at NUI Galway School of Business and Economics, to discuss her book Whistleblowing: Toward a New Theory published in 2019 with Harvard University Press. © Tereza Østbø Kuldova, 2021 Produced with the financial support of The Research Council of Norway under project no. 313004 – Luxur…

1
Episode 6: Conversation with Sun-Ha Hong on Technologies of Speculation 1:16:01

3y ago1:16:01

1:16:01

Joining me today is Sun-ha Hong, Assistant Professor of Communication at Simon Fraser University, to discuss his latest book Technologies of Speculation: The Limits of Knowledge in a Data-Driven Society published in 2020 with New York University Press. © Tereza Østbø Kuldova, 2021 Produced with the financial support of The Research Council of Norwa…

1
Episode 5: Conversation with Catherine Besteman on Militarized Global Apartheid 45:34

3y ago45:34

45:34

Joining me today is Catherine L. Besteman, Francis F. Bartlett and Ruth K. Bartlett Professor of Anthropology at Colby College, to discuss her latest book Militarized Global Apartheid published in 2020 with Duke University Press. © Tereza Østbø Kuldova, 2021 Produced with the financial support of The Research Council of Norway under project no. 313…

1
Episode 4: Conversation with Ursula Rao on Digital Identities, Biometric Technology and Bodies as Evidence 1:00:03

3y ago1:00:03

1:00:03

Joining me today is Ursula Rao, Director of the Department of ‘Anthropology of Politics and Governance’ at the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology in Halle, to discuss digital identities, biometric technology, e-governance, new security regimes and bodies as evidence. Rao, U. 2018. Biometric Bodies, Or How to Make Electronic Fingerprinting…

1
Episode 3: Conversation with Dean Wilson on Pre-Crime, Predictive Policing, and Surveillance 1:23:30

3+ y ago1:23:30

1:23:30

Joining me today is Dean Wilson, Professor of Criminology in the School of Law, Politics and Sociology at the University of Sussex to discuss pre-crime and pre-emptive imaginaries, predictive policing, and surveillance. We discuss the book Pre-Crime: Pre-emption, Precaution and the Future, co-authored with Jude McCulloch, and published by Routledge…

1
Episode 2: Conversation with Simon Egbert and Matthias Leese on Criminal Futures: Predictive Policing and Everyday Police Work 1:24:16

3+ y ago1:24:16

1:24:16

Joining me today are Simon Egbert, Postdoctoral Fellow at Bielefeld University, on an ERC research project on The Future of Prediction, and Matthias Leese, Senior Researcher at the Center for Security Studies (CSS) in Zürich, to discuss their recent book Criminal Futures: Predictive Policing and Everyday Police Work, published in 2021 with Routledg…

1
Episode 1: Conversation with Ignas Kalpokas on Algorithmic Governance and the Futures of Politics and Law in the Post-Human Era 1:03:09

3+ y ago1:03:09

1:03:09

Joining me today is Ignas Kalpokas, Associate Professor at the Department of Public Communication at the Vytautas Magnus University in Lithuania, to discuss his recent book Algorithmic Governance: Politics and Law in the Post-Human Era, published in 2019 with Palgrave Macmillan. Algorithms govern our everyday lives in a myriad of ways. From determi…

1
Is The F - 35 Program At A Crossroads 29:27

3+ y ago29:27

29:27

On this episode of The Pentagon Labyrinth, we analyze the most recent F-35 testing report in depth and place the issues raised in the proper context.By Center for Defense Information

1
Telling The Truth About Afghanistan with Lt. Col. Daniel L. Davis 45:07

3+ y ago45:07

45:07

Retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Danny Davis talks about the official lies told about the Afghanistan War, revealing the truth, and how America can forge a new foreign policy path moving forward.By Center for Defense Information

1
What’s the Military’s Role in a Contested Election with Mark Nevitt 33:31

4y ago33:31

33:31

Retired Navy JAG and Syracuse Law professor Mark Nevitt talks about the laws governing the president’s authority to deploy the military within the United States.By Center for Defense Information

1
Military Health Care Challenges with Dr. Robert Adams 38:02

4y ago38:02

38:02

Retired Army doctor Robert Adams talks about the consequences of the efforts to outsource the military’s health system over the past decade, despite repeated warnings from medical professionals.By Center for Defense Information

1
Citizen-Soldiers Versus Soldier-Citizens with Dr. Steele Brand 33:48

4+ y ago33:48

33:48

The relationship between the military and the society it serves has a significant impact on policy decisions and even budgets. The veneration of service members in the United States today manifests benignly in the refrain, “Thank you for your service,” and the much appreciated discounts at the local home improvement center, but this reverence can a…

1
National Security and Corruption with Sarah Chayes 38:26

4+ y ago38:26

38:26

Corruption is often viewed as a byproduct of unrest and ineffective government. Former adviser to the chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff Sarah Chayes, in her book Thieves of State: Why Corruption Threatens Global Security, makes the case that corruption is the single largest source of unrest in the world. With this lens, it is possible to bette…

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