Investigative writer and privacy activist with a flair for exposing corporate shenanigans and bureaucratic misdeeds, Liz McIntyre co-authored the bestseller Spychips with Katherine Albrecht. In the first half, she discussed her work fighting for privacy rights and the latest developments in Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and other methods of silently tracking people through technology. She began with an examination of the newest uses of "chipping" technology, and the Three Square Market company, which recently asked its employees to have electronic ID devices implanted in their bodies. McIntyre pointed out that studies seem to indicate the animals implanted with the RFID chips are showing higher rates of cancer.
McIntyre said that automatic tracking could also come in the form of skin tattoos made with magnetic ink, which can even be made to appear invisible on the skin. Retailers such as Neiman Marcus are already using chipping technology in clothing, some of which are permanently embedded in cloth seams and the soles of shoes. She says it is not known whether the tracking ability of the implanted devices is used for more than simple inventory or is active after the items are purchased and removed from the store. Macintyre warned that widespread use of these devices would achieve many goals, "none of which are in the consumers’ interest." She also expressed the worry that we are "maybe one terror incident away" from calls for the government to track citizens all of the time.
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Chief investigative reporter for WSMV-TV, the NBC-affiliated station in Nashville, Jeremy Finley’s investigative reporting has resulted in some of the highest honors in journalism, including more than a dozen Emmys. In the second half, he shared his most intriguing investigations including mysterious missing persons cases, serial killers, and other shocking and infamous crimes. In his career, Finley says that he has "unfortunately had a front row seat," to some truly disturbing events. One of the most frustrating cases has been the disappearance of (then) 13-year-old Tabitha Tuders, who vanished one morning in 2003 while on the way to school in Nashville. There are still no leads or clues in the case, which continues to haunt the girl’s family, although he says that they "have never given up."
Finley also discussed the infamous case of the murder of beloved Tennessee Titans quarterback Steve McNair, who was murdered by his mistress in 2009 at the age of 36. The murder caused a major scandal, since McNair was married at the time with two children. The mistress, Sahel Kazemi, found out that McNair had been seeing another woman beside her, and she shot McNair five times before killing herself. The community was so shocked that many at the time thought the murder was "a hit job." Finley discussed his new novel, which he says was partially inspired by UFO research he heard on Coast to Coast. He also said that the term "fake news" bothers him deeply, since he believes most journalists see it as their duty to be fair and impartial.
News segment guests: Andre Eggelletion, Dr. Anthony Youn, Steve Kates