Ginger McCall, EPIC's Open Government Program, joins Thom Hartmann. While Progressives may enjoy reading the Huffington Post - and Conservatives may enjoy reading the Drudge Report - the Department of Homeland Security apparently enjoys reading BOTH websites..as well as social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook. So why is DHS monitoring popular news and social networking websites? Well...the agency claims it's JUST trying to keep tabs on major, developing events - and has been since 2010. Just monitoring web traffic around things like the Haiti earthquake and the Winter Olympics - to help the DHS command center better respond to them. But is that REALLY what's going on? Not according to the Electronic Privacy Information, EPIC - which recently filed a Freedom of Information Act Request with the Department of Homeland Security to find out what's REALLY going on.

Neal Asbury, The Legacy Companies, joins Thom Hartmann. A basic right that will be under attack tonight during the South Carolina Republican Presidential debate - not just by candidates on stage - but also in the form of TV commercials as part of a $10 million campaign by the right-wing Center for Union Facts - to undermine unions across America. The organization is pushing for the so-called Employee Rights Act - a piece of legislation that would make it much harder for workers to start or keep a union, and much easier for employers to bust one up. It's the right-wing opposite of the Employee Free Choice Act, or "card check" - which makes it easier for employees to unionize. So the question is - should it be harder or easier for American workers to unionize?

Sam Sacks fills in for tonight's episode and discusses Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's campaign finance violations during his 2010 election race.

Sam Sacks fills in for tonight's episode and debates conservative guest, Brian Darling on the Republican presidential candidates' tax cut plan for the 1% wealthy population in America.

Sam Sacks fills in for tonight's episode and discusses why the Republican Presidential New Hampshire Primary is becoming more like a reality television show instead of a legitimate political race.

On the one hand, Iceland is the happiest country in the world, with a world-class health, educational, and social safety net system. On the other hand, they were just robbed blind by the Banksters - the direct result of privatization and deregulation. First around 2000 the national-owned banks were deregulated and privatized. Then the private owners ran them into huge debt and crashed. Now the Banksters who bought the banks want the people of Iceland to pay up for the bankers crimes. It's an amazing story...Thom explains calling in from Iceland.

Sam Sacks fills in for Thom Hartmann and discusses the possibility of Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney winning the New Hampshire republican primary. Later, Big Picture host, Thom Hartmann joins the show via Skype from Iceland.

In tonight's Conversations with Great Minds, Thom Hartmann is joined by economist and financial expert, Gunnar Tómasson. He studied at Manchester University and Harvard University and then in 1966 joined the IMF. Born in Iceland, Tómasson understands his country's banking system collapse and its repercussions. Thom and Gunnar talk about the world's flawed monetary system and what governments need to do to repair the massive financial damages.

Brian Darling, Human Events & Anthony Holm, Republican Strategist/Attorney & Eric Burns, Bullfight Strategies joins Thom Hartmann. With just days before the New Hampshire primary, Santorum gets testy with a college student's question and 1% Romney is STILL sold on corporations being people. and more....

Did the Tea Party express come to a complete halt? What ever happened to their patriotic rallies? In my daily take, I'll show you how they're living large right here in the nation's capital.

For tonight's Conversations with Great Minds I sit down with Gunnar Tomasson. Gunnar was originally born in Iceland - but now resides in nearby Maryland. He studied at both the University of Manchester and Harvard University - before going on to become a senior staff member with the International Monetary Fund from 1966 to 1989. Currently - Gunnar is a financial consultant - and with global markets around the world in turmoil - and the nation of Iceland taking a unique approach to shoring up its' economy - he can offer some much needed insight into solutions to get us all out of this mess. He knows a thing or two about world economies, their debts and the revolutions that followed bankrupt countries. He'll cover the collapse of Iceland and what can we can learn from that.

For tonight's Conversations with Great Minds I sit down with Gunnar Tomasson. Gunnar was originally born in Iceland - but now resides in nearby Maryland. He studied at both the University of Manchester and Harvard University - before going on to become a senior staff member with the International Monetary Fund from 1966 to 1989. Currently - Gunnar is a financial consultant - and with global markets around the world in turmoil - and the nation of Iceland taking a unique approach to shoring up its' economy - he can offer some much needed insight into solutions to get us all out of this mess. He knows a thing or two about world economies, their debts and the revolutions that followed bankrupt countries. He'll cover the collapse of Iceland and what can we can learn from that.

Thom gives his insight involving the current financial state of Michigan, one year after Governor Rick Snyder's new law which replaced statewide city officials with hand picked "financial managers".

Speaking at a conference this week - Jack Gerard - the head of the American Petroleum Institute - which is the nation's largest lobbying organization for oil and gas corporations - told President Obama, "I think it would be a huge mistake on the part of the president of the United States to deny the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline...Clearly, the Keystone XL pipeline is in the national interest. A determination to decide anything less than that I believe will have huge political consequences." Do what the oil barons say - build the damn pipeline - or suffer "huge political consequences." The sad part is - in today's post Citizens United world - we have to take these threats seriously

Michael Olenick, Legalprise, FindtheFraud, joins Thom Hartmann. 5 years after the Housing bubble burst - the housing crisis is still lingering. But could it be WAY worse than any of us imagine.