Straight to The Point With Catherine Herridge

L.A. Times Studios, Catherine Herridge
  • 5.0 (9)
  • News
  • Updated Weekly

Hosted by Emmy Award–winning journalist Catherine Herridge, Straight to the Point draws on extensive sourcing, primary documents, and on-the-record interviews to deliver fact-driven, independent journalism. Each episode will feature in-depth conversations with influential leaders and experts, providing context and clarity on the issues shaping the world today.

  1. May 29

    Judicial Watch Sues Intel Agencies Over DEW Records

    This week on Straight to the Point, I sat down with Chris Farrell, Director of Investigations and Research at Judicial Watch for an in-depth interview on the organization’s new Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the DOJ/FBI,CIA, DoD, Homeland Security and ODNI for Directed Energy Weapon (DEW) records including the reported purchase of a device by Homeland Security Investigations. Farrell says the intelligence agencies are “stonewalling” the release of information related to Judicial Watch’s February 2026 FOIA requests that followed our team's exclusive investigations with DEW attack survivors. Farrell argues their non-response, combined with years of reported gaslighting of injured government employees and civilians could reveal a coordinated effort to conceal the truth of directed energy weapon attacks – also known as Havana Syndrome or Anomalous Health Incidents (AHIs) - including questions about foreign technology and why some government personnel may have been returned to the same high-risk locations after being hit. An ODNI Spokesperson said “As DNI Gabbard told Chairman Crawford during the Annual Threat Assessment hearing in March, she believes the Biden-era ICA on AHIs should be retracted.” Asked if Gabbard would make unclassified reports public before she leaves, an ODNI official said “She is actively working to declassify information about the COVID-19 pandemic and Anomalous Health Incidents before June 30.” Asked about alleged CIA spying on Gabbard’s investigative team, an ODNI official said, “We have confirmed that the Intelligence Community Inspector General is aware of the allegations and is working, alongside ODNI and interagency partners, to uncover the truth about any potential wrongdoing.” A CIA official said the Agency “has been and will continue to be supportive of any IG investigation into past conduct by the CIA on this issue.” The CIA official also disputed allegations that the Agency had frustrated the investigation by DNI Gabbard’s team: "CIA worked to provide the DIG with access to information responsive to the Executive Orders prior to its disbandment by the DNI.” On AHIs or Havana Syndrome, the CIA official said the CIA Director “...has been clear, including in sworn testimony before Congress, that CIA defers to ODNI leading an interagency analytic review of AHIs.” Hosted by Emmy Award–winning journalist Catherine Herridge, Straight to the Point draws on extensive sourcing, primary documents, and on-the-record interviews to deliver fact-driven, independent journalism. Each episode will feature in-depth conversations with influential leaders and experts, providing context and clarity on the issues shaping the world today.

    18 min

  2. May 18

    Inside the Maduro Raid Part II

    BREAKING: First Look Inside Maduro Whistleblowers $50 Million Dollar Rewards For Justice Claim; Detailed Source Intelligence Revealed 20 Miles of Underground Tunnels, Ministry of Defense Bunker Schematics, Armored Convoy Movements & Route Vulnerabilities, Modified Escape Plane Cleared for Turkey, and Venezuelan Military Preparedness For Ground Invasion. This week on Straight to the Point, part II of our exclusive sit down Wesley Tabor and “Mack,” two former DEA operatives with more than 40 years of combined experience in the global drug wars. Based on sworn affidavits, Wesley and Mac activated high level sources within “every node” of the Maduro regime, providing critical intelligence to DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) and DELTA that led to the successful capture of the Venezuelan dictator by American authorities. We walk through the actual intelligence packet submitted for their $50 million Rewards for Justice claim. The extraordinary never-before-seen documents include photos and videos of anti-air defenses, schematics for roughly 20 miles of underground tunnels, detailed Ministry of Defense bunker layouts, Maduro’s armored convoy specifics, a modified Embraer aircraft with expanded fuel tanks and clearance to reach Turkey, and more. Now almost five months since the successful raid that captured Nicolás Maduro, the sources who provided this intelligence remain in hiding and under threat while the U.S. government has still given no response on the $50 million reward claim. We reached out to the DEA multiple times. The DEA did not respond to our questions, including allegations DEA Administrator Cole has been “bragging” about taking down Maduro and claiming he was running the sources. A spokesperson for the Justice Department declined to comment. The DOJ has oversight for the DEA. The Rewards for Justice Program confirmed receipt of our questions but did not answer them. TIMECODES: 00:35 Never Before Seen Intelligence From “Every Node” Maduro Regime 02:10 Venezuelan Source Network Hunted Down and Lives at Risk 03:00 Maps, Intelligence Showed Maduro Prepared for US Ground Invasion 04:00 Delta Wanted More Intelligence From Wes an “Mack’s” Sources 05:10 Intelligence Revealed Maduro Missile Batteries/Which Ones Were Not Functional 05:58 Maduro’s 20 Miles of Underground Tunnels, Rat Lines, Schematics 08:00 Maduro Convoy: Delta Snatch and Grab 10:05 Maduro Escape Plans Reportedly Included Turkey 11:10 Maduro Planes, Including ”Decoy Jet” and Pilots 13:10 Potential Destinations Included Turkey, Cape Verde and Iran 13:40 DEA “Controversy”, Pipeline of Intel Remains Open to Delta 14:55 Maduro’s Spiritual Adviser Identified: Potential Tracking and Surveillance 16:20 Reward Claim Should Be Evaluated and Validated 19:13 New Reporting: DEA Administrator Allegedly Taking Credit For Running the Maduro Sources 19:30 DEA Did Not Answer Our Questions or Address Allegations About the Administrator Hosted by Emmy Award–winning journalist Catherine Herridge, Straight to the Point draws on extensive sourcing, primary documents, and on-the-record interviews to deliver fact-driven, independent journalism. Each episode will feature in-depth conversations with influential leaders and experts, providing context and clarity on the issues shaping the world today.

    21 min

  3. May 18

    The Grand Conspiracy Against President Trump

    BREAKING: Former Federal Prosecutor Reveals Obama Prosecution Possible in ‘Grand Conspiracy’ Case Against President Trump; Says James Comey’s “8647” Indictment Will Likely Survive First Amendment Challenges by Defense Under True Threats Doctrine This week on Straight to the Point, I sat down with former DOJ official and longtime federal prosecutor Jim Trusty for a wide-ranging interview on the expanding investigations into Obama-era intelligence and law enforcement officials dubbed “The Grand Conspiracy." Trusty identified 18 USC 242 as the leading statute for prosecutions in the alleged ‘grand conspiracy’ against President Trump and discusses how former CIA Director John Brennan’s TV appearances and recently published book might have restarted the statute of limitations. Trusty also addressed James Comey's recent “8647” threat indictment, possible superseding false statements charges, and whether the root of it all was an effort to undermine an incoming President. @thelatmg @latimesstudios_ Responding to the NC indictment, former FBI Director Comey said he is still innocent, not afraid, and believes in the independent judiciary. John Brennan has called the investigation politically motivated. Columbia Law School Professor Daniel Richman has not responded to repeated requests for comment. 00:00 Intro 00:40 Legal Theory Behind “Grand Conspiracy” Against President Trump 01:30 Former CIA Director Brennan Investigation/Indictment 02:15 Florida Courts Are the Battleground 02:52 What is 18 USC 242: Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law 04:30 Brennan Alleged “Abuse of Authority” 2017 Election Interference Report 04:55 Former NSA Director Rogers Critical Witness 05:30 Justice Department Can Get Around Statute of Limitations 06:15 Did Brennan’s TV Appearances, Book “Restart the Clock” on Statute of Limitations? 07:45 Brennan Claims Politically Motivated, Selective Prosecution 09:00 Attorney General Bondi vs Acting Attorney General Blanche 09:40 Comey “Seashell” Indictment Can Survive First Amendment Challenges 11:32 Comey “Forfeiture of Assets” 13:28 Superseding Indictment Comey Case 14:05 Columbia Law School Professor Daniel Richman Liaison to Media 15:14 FBI Director Patel Declassified FBI Media Leaks Probe Codenamed “Arctic Haze” 16:00 Richman: Potential False Statement to Investigators? 16:50 Violations: Comey Memos About Trump/Russia Collusion Investigations 18:20 Was Comey the Source of Classified Leak? 18:45 President Obama: Trusty “Room for Potential Prosecution” 20:00 Defendants Strategy to Run Out the Clock 21:50 Legitimate Indictments vs. Moral Condemnation 23:10 White House Briefing: Taking the New Media Seat 23:55 Breaking the Legacy Media Hold on Washington DC Reporting Hosted by Emmy Award–winning journalist Catherine Herridge, Straight to the Point draws on extensive sourcing, primary documents, and on-the-record interviews to deliver fact-driven, independent journalism. Each episode will feature in-depth conversations with influential leaders and experts, providing context and clarity on the issues shaping the world today.

    26 min

  4. May 18

    Inside the Maduro Raid

    EXCLUSIVE: Whistleblowers Seeking $50 Million ‘Reward For Justice’ Give First Ever Interview And Release 2025 Affidavit Detailing Specific Intelligence They Say Led To Successful Capture of Venezuelan Dictator Nicolas Maduro This week on Straight to the Point, I sat down for an exclusive first interview with two former DEA agents with more than 40 years of combined experience in the global drug wars. Wesley Tabor, and an undercover agent we agreed to call “Mack,” revealed how their source network infiltrated “every node” of the Maduro regime and delivered vital intelligence to DEA, Delta Operators and others that, they say, directly contributed to the dictator’s capture. The Rewards for Justice Program falls under the U.S. State Department. Affidavits and other records independently reviewed by our team detail how sources provided the US government with bunker schematics, underground tunnels, convoy photographs, offensive military bases, escape aircraft tail numbers, gold stockpiles, and even key movements of Maduro and his spiritual advisor. Wesley and “Mack” say this information was extracted from Venezuela using unconventional methods such as commercial “entertainment” platforms and at great risk to their sources. Despite the DEA reportedly withdrawing their involvement, they say their team continued feeding intelligence directly to their Delta Detachment contact at Fort Bragg. Now four months since the historic raid in Venezuela, they say they have received no response on their $50 million ‘Rewards for Justice’ claim which would help their sources begin new lives. Currently, Wes and “Mack” said the sources, and their families, including children are being hunted down and their lives threatened. If the Rewards for Justice Program does not pay for credible leads and tips, Wes and Mack say it will discourage other sources from cooperating and supporting future US operations. Hosted by Emmy Award–winning journalist Catherine Herridge, Straight to the Point draws on extensive sourcing, primary documents, and on-the-record interviews to deliver fact-driven, independent journalism. Each episode will feature in-depth conversations with influential leaders and experts, providing context and clarity on the issues shaping the world today.

    20 min

  5. Apr 17

    DEVELOPING: Rep. Anna Paulina Luna Says Major “Purge” on Capitol Hill is Just Beginning

    From LATMG | This week on Straight to the Point, GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna sat down to discuss why she drafted a motion to expel Rep. Eric Swalwell and exclusively revealed the support she says she received from his own Chief of Staff. The Congresswoman raised serious questions about the now infamous hotel video and warned that additional House members and at least one sitting Senator have serious questions to answer. Rep. Luna told us that we are only weeks away from finding out just how much taxpayer money is used for a congressional slush fund to bury sexual harassment and other disputes. We also discussed the “Wolf of Wall Street” insider trading by members of Congress, seeking justice on Epstein, the Republican midterm outlook, and more. @thelatmg @latimesstudios_ Hosted by Emmy Award–winning journalist Catherine Herridge, Straight to the Point draws on extensive sourcing, primary documents, and on-the-record interviews to deliver fact-driven, independent journalism. Each episode will feature in-depth conversations with influential leaders and experts, providing context and clarity on the issues shaping the world today.

    23 min

  6. Apr 17

    Operation Epic Fury

    BREAKING: Retired CENTCOM Commander Gives Exclusive In-Depth Analysis of Operation Epic Fury; Warns That Iran’s Fight is "Existential" And U.S. Should Not Underestimate Their Ability to Continue Enduring The Fight This week on Straight to the Point, on the eve of the ceasefire, I sat down with retired 4-Star General Joe Votel for an exclusive interview to discuss Operation Epic Fury. Gen. Votel gives expert insight into how long Iran can sustain the fight, what it would take to open the Strait of Hormuz by force, control Kharg Island, options for securing Iran’s enriched uranium, the planning behind last weekend’s successful rescue operation inside Iran, and the atmosphere in the Situation Room during high-risk missions. Straight to the Point: Operation Epic Fury 00:30 US Had Iran Attack Plan On The Shelf - Deliberate Execution of Campaign Plan 01:25 Military End State 02:00 This is Existential: Iran Has “Very Great” Ability to Absorb Pain 03:03 Remaining Military Objectives 03:30 Opening Strait of Hormuz By Force 06:10 What It Would Take For US To Control Kharg Island 07:20 Is Deployment of Ground Forces Likely Or Inevitable? 08:25 Does the US Military Have Capabilities To Seize Iran’s Enriched Uranium? 10:18 Impact of President Trump’s Social Media Posts “Whole Civilization Will Die Tonight” 11:15 Rescue Mission Was “Extraordinary” In “Every Measure” 12:40 “When An American Is In Peril, We Pull Out All The Stops And We Accept A Lot of Risk To Go Get Them.” 13:16 The Rescue Contingency Plan 14:00 High Risk Covert Capabilities: Title 50 15:50 Inside The Situation Room 16:55 Gen. Dan “Razin” Cane: Great Communicator 19:10 Failed 1980 Rescue Mission for American Hostages In Iran: Planted Seeds For Special Forces/Special Ops Hosted by Emmy Award–winning journalist Catherine Herridge, Straight to the Point draws on extensive sourcing, primary documents, and on-the-record interviews to deliver fact-driven, independent journalism. Each episode will feature in-depth conversations with influential leaders and experts, providing context and clarity on the issues shaping the world today.

    23 min

  7. Apr 2

    Exposing Epstein's Saudi 9/11 Connection

    EXCLUSIVE: New Files Examined By Law Enforcement/Intelligence Analyst Reveal Jeffery Epstein Allegedly Acted as Go-Between to Block 9/11 Victim Families From Suing Saudi Arabia And Details Possible FARA Violations This week on Straight to the Point I sat down with Morgan Wright, a nationally recognized cybersecurity, law enforcement and intelligence analyst. Wright analyzes the new revelations from the Epstein files and discusses evidence that Jeffrey Epstein functioned as a high-level influence operator allegedly protecting Saudi Arabian interests which included apparent attempts to block 9/11 families lawsuits before Trump took office, a 9/11 “shadow” commission with Ghislaine Maxwell, and bragging about SCIF access with Steve Bannon. Wright also says that Epstein fits the exact profile of individuals valuable to the CIA National Resources Division and questions why Epstein was never investigated for apparent violations of foreign lobbying laws by either party. Ken Starr died in 2022. A Saudi Embassy spokesperson confirmed receipt of our questions about the Kingdom’s relationship with Epstein, but did not immediately comment. The Estate of Jeffrey Epstein did not respond to our email seeking comment. A spokeswoman for Kathryn Ruemmler, former White House Counsel for President Obama said: "Ms. Ruemmler did not take any action, in either a professional or personal capacity, related to JASTA (Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act,) the 9/11 families, or their ability to sue Saudi Arabia. She was never asked to take any action on this matter and never did.""Ms. Ruemmler welcomes the opportunity to appear before the Committee. At the time she interacted with Jeffrey Epstein, she was a practicing criminal defense attorney and shared a client with him. She has done nothing wrong and had no knowledge of any ongoing criminal activity on his part.”  @LATimesStudios  Time Stamps: 01:00 Epstein: Alleged effort to Block 9/11 families from suing Saudi Arabia 02:00 Epstein: Claims he will get former Obama WH Counsel and Ken Starr to help 03:18 Urgency to Act: Before President Trump’s first term 04:20 Epstein: Violations Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) 05:05 Neither Republican nor Democrat Administrations Pursued Epstein’s Alleged FARA violations 06:10 Ghislaine Maxwell: “Shadow” 9/11 Commission 08:15 Epstein: Brags to Steve Bannon About Access to “highly classified” facility 10:12 Epstein: In-Q-Tel (CIA-Backed High Tech Fund) 11:30 Epstein: Travel to “Denied” Areas 12:22 Congresswoman Mace: CIA should open its books on Epstein 13:30 CIA: National Resources Division For Intelligence Gathering 14:40 Epstein Attorneys File CIA and NSA FOIAs: Controlling The Narrative 17:49 DOJ “Coding Error” on Trump/Epstein Files 19:30 Response Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Epstein Estate, Kathryn Ruemmler Hosted by Emmy Award–winning journalist Catherine Herridge, Straight to the Point draws on extensive sourcing, primary documents, and on-the-record interviews to deliver fact-driven, independent journalism. Each episode will feature in-depth conversations with influential leaders and experts, providing context and clarity on the issues shaping the world today.

    22 min

  8. Mar 26

    FBI's Secret Targeting of Team Trump

    BREAKING: Longtime Trump Advisor Michael Caputo Shares Never-Before-Seen FBI Subpoena And Search Warrant Targeting Him During Biden Administration: Alleges Biden Era Weaponization Continues at DOJ During Trump’s Second Term This week on Straight to the Point I sat down with longtime Trump confidant and advisor Michael Caputo. In this exclusive interview, Caputo shares a never-before-seen FBI subpoena and sweeping federal search warrant that targeted him during the Biden Administration. Caputo details the horrifying fallout of the secret Biden-era investigation over his Ukraine reporting and anti-weaponization policy work that stayed active even inside the Trump administration and the devastating toll it took on his family. Hosted by Emmy Award–winning journalist Catherine Herridge, Straight to the Point draws on extensive sourcing, primary documents, and on-the-record interviews to deliver fact-driven, independent journalism. Each episode will feature in-depth conversations with influential leaders and experts, providing context and clarity on the issues shaping the world today.

    24 min
See All (28)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

Hosted by Emmy Award–winning journalist Catherine Herridge, Straight to the Point draws on extensive sourcing, primary documents, and on-the-record interviews to deliver fact-driven, independent journalism. Each episode will feature in-depth conversations with influential leaders and experts, providing context and clarity on the issues shaping the world today.

Information

You Might Also Like