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Asking the U.S. government to allow Google to publish more national security request data — This morning we sent the following letter to the offices of the Attorney General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Read the full text below. -Ed. — Dear Attorney General Holder and Director Mueller
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Little Green Footballs, Associated Press, Digits, Guardian, The Verge, New York Times, GigaOM, Gawker, Politico, Daily Kos, msnbc.com, Hit & Run, Business Insider, ABCNEWS, Yahoo! News, Wired, KALW, TechCrunch, The Daily Caller, Forbes, TalkLeft, emptywheel and ThinkProgress, more at Mediagazer »
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FBI sharply increases use of Patriot Act provision to collect US citizens' records — The FBI has dramatically increased its use of a controversial provision of the Patriot Act to secretly obtain a vast store of business records of U.S. citizens under President Barack Obama, according to recent Justice Department reports to Congress.
Discussion:
CANNONFIRE, emptywheel, Hot Air, Weasel Zippers, The Raw Story, BuzzFeed and The Huffington Post

A.C.L.U. Files Suit Over Phone Surveillance Program — WASHINGTON — The American Civil Liberties Union on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against the Obama administration over its “dragnet” collection of logs of domestic phone calls, contending that the once-secret program — whose existence …
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Hit & Run, The Political Carnival, Yahoo! News, Taylor Marsh, The Gateway Pundit, Business Insider and Wired


ACLU Files Lawsuit Challenging NSA's Patriot Act Phone Surveillance
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ACS Blog, Mediaite, CBS DC, American Spectator, Daily Kos and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Hoyer: No comparison between Obama, Bush on secret NSA surveillance
Discussion:
Politico, Associated Press, The Fix, PERRspectives, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Weasel Zippers

ACLU Files Lawsuit Challenging Constitutionality of NSA Phone Spying Program
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, Firedoglake, The Next Web and emptywheel

In NSA programs, democracy works in secret
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Balkinization, CNN and New York Times

Senators: End Secret Law
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Wired, PoliticusUSA, Mother Jones, ACLU, Taylor Marsh, Daily Kos, The Verge, Guardian, Liberal Values and ThinkProgress

Former President George W. Bush's Image Ratings Improve — Views of Bush more positive than negative for first time since 2005 — PRINCETON, NJ — Americans' views of former president George W. Bush have improved, with 49% now viewing him favorably and 46% unfavorably.
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CNN, The Moderate Voice, Mediaite, Yahoo! News, Politico, Washington Wire, Post Politics, Hot Air, The Hill and Taegan Goddard's …
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George W. Bush Gets First Positive Rating Since 2005: Poll
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Hullabaloo, Power Line and Alan Colmes' Liberaland


Franken ‘Very Well Aware Of’ NSA Tracking Phone Records — ST. PAUL (WCCO) — US Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., says he's not surprised by revelations that federal security agencies collect phone and computer data on American citizens. — The National Security Agency secretly gathered personal data …
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The Huffington Post, Yahoo! News, Washington Free Beacon, Booman Tribune and JONATHAN TURLEY
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Durbin: FISA declassification bill dead on arrival
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msnbc.com, Politico, The Plum Line and Mediaite


Wake Up! — In 2007, John McCain's “comprehensive” immigrant-legalization bill failed after opponents flooded the Senate with calls, shutting down the switchboard. Despite considerable press hype, the bill didn't even muster a majority on the crucial cloture vote. — It won't be that easy this time.
Discussion:
KALW, Michelle Malkin, Hot Air and ThinkProgress
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In 84-15 vote, Senate moves forward on immigration reform
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American Spectator

Senate votes 82-15 in first step to debate immigration reform
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Conservatives4Palin, Politico and The Gateway Pundit

A Little Birdie Told Me — WASHINGTON — In her first two days on Twitter, Hillary Clinton did not bother to follow the man she wants to follow. — No @BarackObama for @HillaryClinton as of Tuesday night. — Hillary debuted firmly entrenched in Clintonworld, following Bill, Chelsea …
Discussion:
msnbc.com
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Republican Nominee For Virginia Lieutenant Governor Misspells Own Book Title...On The Cover — E.W. Jackson's self-published book Ten Commandments to an Extraordinary Life has a big error on the cover. Commandments — not “comandments.”
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, The Fix, Politico and Daily Kos

GOP lawmaker: US Muslim leaders ‘complicit’ in terrorist attacks — Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.) on Tuesday said the failure of Muslim leaders to repudiate acts of terrorism done in the name of Islam makes them “potentially complicit” in these attacks. — “When the most devastating terrorist attacks …
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Weasel Zippers
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GOP Congressman: American Muslim Leaders Are ‘Potentially Complicit’ In Terrorist Acts
Discussion:
Mediaite, beliefnet, The Raw Story and The Huffington Post


Lindsey Graham: ‘If I thought censoring the mail was necessary, I would suggest it’ — Sen. Lindsey Graham would propose censoring Americans' ‘snail’ mail if he thought it would help protect national security, the South Carolina Republican said Tuesday. But for now, he says he doesn't think it's necessary.


Obama Schmoozes Reporters At Secret Meeting — The president popped into an off-the-record briefing with reporters Monday. — Via: Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP — WASHINGTON — President Obama held an off-the-record meeting with select reporters from some of the nation's largest print …
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers, Capital New York, Mediaite and The Huffington Post


Most disapprove of gov't phone snooping of ordinary Americans — PLAY CBS NEWS VIDEO — Polling analysis by Sarah Dutton, Jennifer De Pinto, Anthony Salvanto and Fred Backus — In the wake of the recent disclosure of two classified U.S. surveillance programs, most Americans disapprove …
Discussion:
The Week, Weasel Zippers, Outside the Beltway and Post Politics


Obama administration to drop limits on morning-after pill — (Reuters) - The Obama administration will scrap age restrictions on the sale of emergency contraception pills, making the morning-after pill available to women and girls without a prescription. — The U.S. Department of Justice …
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The Huffington Post and americanthinker.com
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Obama didn't change his mind on Plan B, Justice changed its legal strategy
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CNN, New Republic, Mediaite, PoliticusUSA, Hit & Run, National Review and The Dish


Trailing, Gabriel Gomez takes fight to Ed Markey — Underdog Massachusetts Republican Senate candidate Gabriel Gomez went all out in a debate against frontrunner Ed Markey Tuesday to pin Washington's ills on the longtime Democratic congressman. — Gomez said the national debt, now $17 trillion …
Discussion:
CNN


Darrell Issa On IRS Investigation: Releasing Full Transcripts Now Would Be ‘Reckless’ — WASHINGTON — One week after he released partial transcripts of interviews with IRS officials involved in the scandal surrounding the targeting of conservative groups, the chair of the House Oversight …
Discussion:
Taegan Goddard's …, Washington Post and Politico


Germans accuse U.S. of Stasi tactics before Obama visit — (Reuters) - German outrage over a U.S. Internet spying program has broken out ahead of a visit by Barack Obama, with ministers demanding the president provide a full explanation when he lands in Berlin next week and one official likening …
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Infowars and WorldViews