In the first half, Lauren Weinstein, an expert regarding a wide range of privacy issues related to technology's impact on individuals and society, discussed such topics as Microsoft's aggressive push of Windows 10, and Internet censorship. Microsoft has been pushing their latest software, constantly badgering users to upgrade, and even starting to download it on people's systems before they've agreed to it, he reported. The default setting of Windows 10 is more invasive of people's privacy than their previous operating systems, but has settings that users can adjust, he added.
The popularity of live video streaming through such apps at Periscope has a dark side that's beginning to emerge-- people are streaming crimes and violent attacks, seeking a larger audience for the heinous activities, Weinstein lamented. He also talked about how Europe's "right to be forgotten" law is creating a convoluted situation in relation to Internet censorship and Google search results, as well as the complexities surrounding the "ad-blocking wars" between content providers and users who use software to block web page ads.
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In the latter half, Spirit Medium and 22-year-old college student Monica Ten-Kate who stars in her own TV show, Monica the Medium, on Freeform (formerly ABC Family), discussed her ability to contact the Other Side. What perhaps sets her apart from other mediums, is that she doesn't filter messages from deceased spirits when they communicate with her. She conveys their humor and unvarnished personalities, Ten-Kate revealed. She also has contact with spirit guides, who can be assigned to people before they're born or just be around someone for temporary periods. It's deceased loved ones who might be more "mischief making" in a person's life by moving objects or messing with the electricity as a way to communicate that they're still "around," she noted.
Interestingly, while on the air, Ten-Kate said that the spirit of a young male who committed suicide by hanging himself was in contact with her, seemingly wanting to relay to his loved ones (presumably show listeners) that he's OK. His suicide was an impulsive decision, she said, and no one suspected what he was going through. One way for people to connect with loved ones on the Other Side is through automatic writing-- "you'll know it's not yourself when you literally can't keep up" with the words flowing out, she shared.
News segment guests: Dr. Peter Breggin, Howard Bloom, Steve Kates