Happy Friday! Holliday Woodard back again with what you might have missed this week.
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This week’s Decision Points walked you through a court case about border searches, privacy concerns around Flock cameras, the launch of our 2026 Best States rankings and a concerning report on Iran.
Monday
To start the week, Olivier zoomed in on a federal court case in Georgia that threatens to change the laws surrounding border searches. Samuel Tunick, a U.S. citizen and activist from Atlanta, had his cellphone seized by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. When agents demanded a code to access it, he instead gave them a “duress” code that erased the phone’s digital contents. He faces a federal charge for destroying property to prevent its seizure.
Olivier notes that customs agents claim nearly boundless authority to search people coming into the country, with courts recognizing a “border search exception” to the Fourth Amendment.
The court’s ruling will set a precedent – either giving priority to Fourth Amendment protections or siding with the government and making forensic search countermeasures illegal.
Tuesday
Next, Olivier explained the growing concerns over Flock Safety’s automated license plate readers (ALPRs), which record a car’s make, model and license plate with a timestamp. While the technology has great value to law enforcement, the database has been used in ways that have drawn criticism, such as finding political protesters and assisting in abortion investigations. One Kansas police chief used Flock cameras to track his ex-girlfriend.
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Communities across the country have reduced their work with Flock, and some vigilantes have taken to covering the cameras’ lenses with stickers.
Wednesday
Midweek, Olivier interviewed Managing Editor for News Eric Litke about U.S. News & World Report’s annual Best States rankings. Here are the key takeaways:
Thursday
To close out the week, Olivier covered a Reuters report that says Iran may receive up to 400 Chinese-made missiles within weeks. Beijing immediately denied the report. If the report is true, he notes, the U.S.-Iran conflict may escalate into a test of superpower relations.
While the Washington Post recently reported Russia is providing Iran with intelligence to target U.S. forces, President Donald Trump insisted that neither Russia or China are giving weapons to Iran.
For now, the American public waits to hear whether U.S. intelligence has the same information as Reuters.
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