lend your money to states that have the tax pay. california muni bonds. >> toby. >> i'm a total bear. if you read meredith whitney's great book, you wouldn't put a penny into california muni bonds. cavuto is next. >> well, they might be watching you. is it time to start watching them? hi, everyone. glad to have you. i'm neil cavuto. and watch out because apparently washington does not want you finding out much at all about this nsa snooping. senators closing the door on another secure briefing this week. let me say that is what's pretty weak. doesn't the public deserve better? who's going to save them? not this man of steel who might be smashing box office records this weekend. yeah, this man of steel wants to smash down those doors of taxpayers everywhere. why are they laughing?

which one of these will have theirs? >> you look good, neil. >> to our superheroes, ben stein along with these two. adam, charlie gasparino. what do you think? >> the secret meetings about the secret recordings that the american people still aren't sure about, listen. at some point we should get something more than just a memo from the nsa telling them what they did. we deserve answers. if there's sensitive things, that's one thing. i think it's an affront. i think these guys have contempt for the american people, contempt for the constitution. i think they just don't care. >> i think it's a delicate balance when you're dealing with national security. and i would rather these briefings be behind closed doors. and if it means that i don't know some things about it, that's a good thing because it

means that the terrorists don't know some things about it. i don't have a problem with them. >> what do you make of it? some argue the terrorists are finding other ways around this thanks to the leaks. what do you think? >> we know that terrorists are finding other ways around it. all we have to say is boston or london to know that. it is a very delicate balance. and of course, we don't ever want another 9/11 or anything remotely close to it. he could listen to phone calls and see the e-mails of every person in the world, especially every person in the united states. that is a terrifying situation. and the terrorists accomplished far worse than we had first thought. >> which general alexander in his testimony this past week of the nsa denied. he said that was false. >> gasparina. >> i don't believe everything here is like top secret. i mean, i think there is a degree of information that we

can get out of this that, you know, does not violate social security concerns. and i think, listen. when you have this much problems from this administration, i really do worry about this administration when it's james rosen, when it's the irs, when it's this stuff. i'm a reporter. i can put three trends together and come up with a story. i worry about the story about this administration. and we should be -- we should at least have some insight into this stuff. some insight. >> adam. >> i'll try to cut the balance between charles and charlie here. i'm a reporter, too. i always favor openness. you know, we, of course, charles, we deserve answers here. but this is national security. if there's one instance where we can agree that let's let them have their conversations in secret and then absolutely report their findings -- >> why is the information that this guy snowden said about you can listen into calls, why is that national security?

that's not national security. that's an affront to our individual freedoms. >> this is the beauty of our system. you don't have to like congress. i know most of us don't. but our elected representatives -- >> answer that question. do you think that's a national -- >> i don't think that's -- >> with respect to that question, which is what gives these guys the right to listen to every conversation in america in and general alexander said he's not allowed to do it, obviously the guy's doing a lot of stuff he's not allowed to do. >> why does it violate our national security interests? >> why should taxpayers pay for it? a lot of people expressed no surprise, this was going on. many senators have different points of view on this. when i told them the president said you knew about this, he said, well, i didn't. so now it comes to do we as taxpayers want an okay on this

in the name of defending our lives? >> but to your point, what is this? what are we okay if we don't know? what are we okaying? >> absolutely. absolutely. >> it's a national security concern. everything. >> the fact that you're basing this on the word of some, well, guy who has fled to hong kong -- >> that's why they should come out and let us listen to some of this. in washington they don't know. >> i think we know a lot about it -- "usa today" wrote about it back in 2006 when we first knew about it. >> a friend of mine broke -- >> you might be perfectly fine with that. i'm not saying necessarily that they're up to nefarious purposes. i think what i'm getting at, that's the step before you do wiretap. that is the step before you do start listening into calls. so people say no, no, these are just records piled on someone's desk or a computer. the next step is. >> i remember when that 2006 story broke.

calling from "usa today" broke the story. it was a great scoop, but it wasn't this. and yes, and i will tell you this. getting probable cause to tap a phone is very easy. i know that for a fact. i wrote a book largely based on that stuff. when they talk about there's, like, you have to go to a judge and all this stuff, those are rubber-stamp decisions, i'm telling you. >> ben stein. >> okay. last week, i think charles payne said the smartest thing ever anyone's said on the show. he said 170 million calls to yemen, that's what they're checking on, 170 million calls to yemen. the second thing is, does anyone really seriously believe they're just going to get the records -- the phone number of who called and the caller and not listen in on the calls? i mean, give me a break. >> it's so easy to listen in on the call. >> i do believe that they're collecting these phone call records and they're running a algorithms on them on vast amounts of data looking for patterns just like they do in credit card records.

>> you don't think they, then, listen to the phone calls? >> i think they would go through the proper channels and there are also checks and balances in place. >> they never turn it down. >> this is where i agree with what dagen. it is being investigated. it's not something that should be investigated with sh listening. >> exactly. you just read my mind. no one would be an investigator. >> this one alleged nut, we wouldn't know anything. because of all that security. >> like the likes of google and facebook, push back on these government requests. they've come out and said that. >> finally. >> by the way -- >> so they say. >> -- the old guys discovered something called a backbone. >> i'll trust google and facebook over that doofus who's in hong kong any day. >> really? i trust the guy in hong kong. >> i do, too. >> i wish we had more time.

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live from headquarters, i'm kelly wright. firefighters making progress today against the most destructive wildfire in history. the fire burning outside of colorado springs has killed two people and destroyed nearly 500 homes. crews today lifting evacuation orders for thousands of anxious residents thanks to surprise rain showers. officials warn it could still flare up. if the weather shifts. the cause is under investigation. authorities believe it was human caused. former south african president nelson mandela is,

quote, recovering well. that according to his grandson. 94-year-old has been in serious but stable condition with a recurring lung infection. mandela has been in and out of hospitals in recent years. i'm kelly wright. now back to "cavuto on business." this might have you burning. i'm not talking about egyptian protesters burning the american flag. i am talking about an egyptian politician saying the following during a meeting he thought was closed to the press. and i quote here. "i'm very fond of battles with the enemies, of course with america and israel." never mind we just gave his country $1.3 billion in military aid. and i think we're up to $10 billion now for this very shaky ruling government. charles payne, that's a slap in

the face. >> oh, my gosh. but we've been getting slapped in the face since the end of world war ii. we've given away a trillion dollars to help countries around the world. our soldiers have fought and died around the world. we always get this kind of push b pushback. it's amazing. there's so much you can do. we're a judeo-christian nation. we believe in helping each other, we believe in helping out others. this kind of cash has got to come with strings attached. this is ridiculous. >> you have to see that meeting. a lot of people think of him as an errant opposition leader. he's saying outlandish stuff. they're all nodding their head. and it's really like over the top. >> it was really shocking, frankly. and maybe now's the time to do a cost benefit analysis of what we're getting for our money out of egypt. >> we never do. >> but now is the time to do it, don't you think. >> before a need does serve a purpose, we have some relationship. this is a vital part of the world.

>> as long as aid keeps coming. >> right. >> what do we get for it, charlie? >> it's not iran yet. we don't get stability. we get some degree. >> about desperately trying to buy our friends, but to put a deposit on their hatred? come on. >> well, i mean, look. by the way, if we base decisions on what every, you know, numbnut member of any legislature including our own says, you know, we'd be on pretty thin ground here. let's just remember -- >> we don't have money to give away anyway. i'm not saying we have to do this in the interest of the united states. if we are hoping to provide stability that it's ultimately in our interest and we're not getting that because the countries we're giving it to are no big fans of ours, then why continue digging a deeper hole? >> well, and i think the first part of your statement is the critical part. we give them that money for our

interests. and we're playing long ball. you know, we can't -- i mean, sure, we should examine it. we should do a cost benefit analysis. but we make investments here for decades. >> i could save a lot of drama for the cost benefit analysis now. zero. nothing's coming up here. nothing, nothing and nothing. ben stein. >> we have been giving aid to these arab countries for a very, very long time. they almost all hate us. i think the interesting question is we're going to keep it for a long time. like charles said, it's not iran. we'll give them any amount to become not iran. >> if that's your litmus test, who's next? mozambique? >> it's a pretty good litmus test. it's better than the alternat e alternative. >> no the alternative is giving nothing. >> we can't give them nothing, then they'll hate us even more. $1.3 billion is a drop in the bucket. >> we had given iran a whole lot

of money when the shah was in power. >> carter got rid of the shah. if carter had stood up to the shah, it would be a whole different world. >> we've got a lot in foreign aid. we've got a lot of countries -- many of them do not flip over. i'm thinking we could do these cost benefit analysis up the yin yang. the fact of the matter is, we are now in a position where we don't have the money to do this, and now we've got to sort of size up, all right, what are we getting for this? bang for the buck but not the kind of bang we wanted. >> take it, pull it away and see what happens. >> you know, i can tell you it is not a world of total ingratitude if you walk down the street in israel and talk about the united states and what we've given them. israelites start to cry with gratitude, literally cry with attitude. >> that's israel. we're talking about egypt. >> how much money are we talking about here? it's not that much money. >> egypt sent sadat over $100 billion including the

forgiveness. >> by the way, we had a friend in that part of the world. we bought them off. >> a few decades -- no, no, hear that out. a few decades of relative peace or stability in our mind. >> right. i think it was worth it. and by the way, they're still kind of a friend. i don't know. they're not around yet. >> they're sort of a friend. >> i don't know. listen, it's a delicate balance. who said that earlier? >> i did. about national security. >> all of these people sicken me. >> not me. >> hey, listen. you know what? i guess the only way you can relate it is i have some relatives i give money to, and they still don't think i give them enough. >> just don't give it to them. whoa, whoa! this is a good point. why do you still give it to them? >> i guess peace and stability. >> okay. >> there you go. okay. >> delicate balance. >> he wants a relationship with them. >> no, i don't want a relationship with them.

that's why i give them money. they wait a while before they ask again. >> this is the equivalent of them sitting around bad-mouthing you and forgetting to hang the phone up. and you overhear it. >> you want stability. >> i'm right. >> we will see. gasparino, you really -- i hope your book fails miserably. forget targeting conservatives. try taking millions of medical records. why an investigation against the irs has the forbes gang really worried about this health care law. that's at the top of the hour. but up next -- >> what the hell happened to my car? >> i don't know, man, but the good news is is is it doesn't look all that bad, brian. it's just that spot right there that's upsetting you, right? >> what if the next time you got in a wreck, the police asked for your license, registration and cell phone? think it can't happen? think again.

fasten your seat belts and put away that cell phone. the new jersey state legislature debating a bill that would allow police officers to look at your cell phone if you get into an accident. supporters want to make sure that you really weren't chatting or texting at the time of the wreck. adam, what do you make of that? >> well, you know, this is a good example of where you can think government does a good on one hand and on the other hand wanting to protect us from our government. i think they have every right to -- >> is it a delicate balance? >> -- right before we were in a crash. they don't have the right to rifle through our phones and look at all of our records. >> wait a minute. you just were okay with them collecting our phone records. and now if they take the phone, now you get all upset. >> who knows what's on that phone? >> no, if they have probable

cause, they can go ahead and try to find out specifically if we were texting right when that happened. the technology allows it. if it doesn't, we need to develop the technology. but i don't want some cop -- >> what do you make of that? >> i make of it that i have been crashed into repeatedly by girls who are applying makeup or men who were texting -- >> or fans. anything to get you out. >> or fans, right. i would like them to be able to examine, see if people have been texting. texting while driving is an absolute outrage, disgrace to humanity. >> but charles payne, everyone has their cell phone in their car. so are you going to instantly conclude if you're a law officer, well, i'm going to check the phone. >> the slippery slope argument is there. adam's talked about probable cause. can you imagine in new jersey we're going to start seeing high-speed chases? we're going to start seeing the gun and the cell phone go out the window? what the heck is going on?

>> in new jersey, it's impossible to have a high-speed chase. >> with all the traffic. 25 and 30. >> if it's raining, you get out and run. >> you don't have to worry about that. but it is an overstep, isn't it, charles? >> wait a second. i've got to text sweet cheeks over here. you know, listen. i do think this is about the law. probable cause is one of the easiest things to create if you're a law enforcement sort of stuff. listen. it's like if you bump into ben stein, if you crash into ben stein, you know, arrest him for crashing into ben stein. not for possibly using this text -- >> exactly. >> texting. >> if you're the cause of the accident, you're the cause of the accident. i find this to be a huge personal invasion of privacy. >> you're another one. >> it's way more complicated than that. >> you have no problem -- adam? i'm telling you. i'm just telling you. last week's show tape, look at

it. >> no, i heard. >> i'm kidding. look at what you're saying. it doesn't jibe with what you're saying about being perfectly fine with them, you know, taking your phone records. >> because they're taking a whole mass of phone calls. >> and for no reason. >> and they're running algorithms on them looking for patterns that i'm not involved in. >> don't you start doing that algorithm thing with me. i don't know what that is. this is dangerous and you know it. >> it's our nation's duty and our government's duty to protect all citizens. it is not some cop's duty in new jersey to rifle through my purse looking for my phone. >> go ahead. >> it's more important than that. it's not a delicate balance because the person who crashes into me is going to say no, i wasn't doing anything wrong. ben stein stopped short. >> if you stop short, ben, it's still not your fault. if you stop and they rear end you, it's not your fault. >> she's going to say it's ben stein's fault.

or he's going to say it's ben stein's fault and they're going to look at the text and say you weren't paying attention. >> you can look at my cell phone if i get to frisk the cop. there. >> supposedly, you're done. charlie gasparino, thank you both very much. many, many people are pulling money out of stock funds. our gang says buck the trend with their buck making.

our gang says don't follow the crowd. follow their money-making picks instead. charlie. >> mesh axle should be called global axle. a turnaround play hot stock. >> adam? >> ibm. this is a solid grower. it's extremely inexpensive. a technology stalwart. this is the time to buy and hold these types of names. >> ben, what do you want to hang on to? >> rqi has been slammed by the dividend pullback. but it always comes back. and in the meantime, it has a good dividend. >> all right.

good picks. i have no idea. i mean, hopefully they will be good picks. in the meantime, we continue. 30 minutes in. hope springs eternal. forget about the nsa. it's the irs that should have you really worried. the tax man accused of seizing tens of millions of private medical records. now lawmakers are launching an investigation. and this comes amid another report that the irs just canceled a controversial order for spying equipment. like secret cameras and office plans, coffee trays, even clock radios. well, no wonder. more than three out of four americans now say the irs should not enforce the health care law. so do the overwhelming majority of you have it right? hi, everybody, i'm david asman. welcome. let's go in focus with steve forbes, elizabeth mcdonald, rich carl, rick ungernd