Passengers under the microscope
The week's news at a glance.
Washington, D.C.
The government plans to do background checks on all airline passengers and assign everyone a threat level. A computer screening system will be tested at three undisclosed airports next month. It will scan terrorism watch lists, and search credit reports and bank records for anything suspicious. Those cleared will be rated green. Anyone labeled yellow will get extra screening. Red won’t fly. Civil liberties groups complained that the new checks, approved by Congress after Sept. 11, would be a violation of privacy and could “create a permanent blacklisted underclass of Americans who cannot travel freely.”
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Why are meteorologists worried Trump could ruin their forecasts?
Today's Big Question How a conservative push to dismantle a little-known government agency could lead to big headaches for anyone hoping to get a handle on their local weather
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'Such wrongdoing encourages foreign corrupt practices'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Can Japan's new prime minister govern effectively?
In The Spotlight A 'popular gadfly' gets the top job
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published