Topic: Rapiscan

The TSA is removing RapiScan backscatter X-ray machines from airports after the company failed to develop privacy software that masks naked images. The contract has been shifted to L3 Communications. The hosts argue that the government lied about the ability to fix these machines and mention legal concerns regarding the scanning of minors, which they equate to the collection of prohibited imagery.

A company called Unique Solutions is installing "My Best Fit" kiosks in shopping malls, which use 3D body imaging to help consumers find clothing sizes. The hosts warn that this technology is conditioning the public to accept TSA-style body scanners while building a massive biometric database. They note that the company's privacy policy allows for data licensing to marketers and potentially the Department of Homeland Security.

Rapiscan Systems has been named the official security supplier for the 2012 London Olympics. This follows a controversial history with the TSA, where experts have questioned the safety and efficacy of the company's backscatter X-ray machines. The hosts note that despite a quarter-billion-dollar investment, the machines have faced significant criticism regarding radiation risks and privacy.

Congressman John Micah of Florida revealed during a hearing that a General Accounting Office (GAO) report on TSA body scanners is being kept top secret because the failure rates are "pronounced." Micah argued that the American public would be outraged if the expenditure on these non-functional machines were revealed. The TSA maintains that the machines are effective, but refuses to disclose specific performance data due to security classifications.

Rapiscan Systems is protesting a government purchase order given to SAIC for cargo inspection systems. The hosts highlight the lack of mainstream media coverage regarding the reported failure of airport scanners, noting that the information is publicly available via C-SPAN but ignored by major news organizations.

Andreas Kotowski of Rapiscan Systems defends the safety of "nude scanners" by comparing their radiation output to eating a quarter of a banana. The hosts mock this comparison as absurd. In breaking news, State Department spokesman PJ Crowley resigns after criticizing the treatment of Bradley Manning.

A host recounts a meeting with a high-powered lawyer who represented Rapiscan in a $129 million lawsuit against L3 Communications over backscatter technology patents. The conversation touches on the involvement of Michael Chertoff and the CEO of Rapiscan, Deepak Chopra (not the spiritual leader), who traveled with President Obama to India.

Deepak Chopra, the CEO of OSI Systems (parent company of Rapiscan), is identified as a major donor to Barack Obama who accompanied the President to a business meeting in Mumbai. The discussion highlights potential conflicts of interest regarding the government's push for scanners manufactured by Chopra's company. Additionally, TSA Director John Pistole is described as a personal friend of the President.

Representative John Duncan delivered a floor speech criticizing the $300 million expenditure on airport scanners, labeling it a matter of money rather than security. Duncan highlighted the role of former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, whose firm represents Rapiscan, the company selling the scanners to the government. He characterized the arrangement as a "sweetheart insider deal" involving former high-ranking federal officials.

Former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff is accused of profiting from the sale of body scanners through the Chertoff Group. The segment details the "revolving door" of government officials, including former UK Home Secretary John Reed and former Senator Al D'Amato, joining lobbying firms for security contractors like L3 Communications and Rapiscan. The hosts characterize the rapid deployment of expensive, potentially unsafe equipment as systemic corruption.

The hosts investigate Rapiscan Systems, a provider of airport body scanners, noting that a man named Deepak Chopra is the founder of the parent company, OSI Systems. They attempt to verify if this individual is related to the New Age author or the US Chief Technology Officer, Anish Chopra.