States test the limits of surveillance and regulation

Across the U.S., governments are renegotiating the balance between security, privacy, and regulation. Florida is considering a state-level 'CIA'-style counterintelligence unit, raising fears of unchecked domestic surveillance, while New Mexico legislation moves the opposite way by restricting police use of Flock license-plate reader cameras and their data. At the federal level, the White House is pushing for a clean extension of a controversial spying law, signaling continued reliance on expansive surveillance authorities. Meanwhile, thinly attended hearings on emergency cannabis regulations highlight how major policy shifts in controlled substances are advancing with minimal public or official engagement, even as enforcement and monitoring powers grow.