Top Items:
New York Times:
A Powerful Rebuke of Mass Surveillance — For the first time since the revelation of the National Security Agency's vast dragnet of all Americans' telephone records, a federal court has ruled that such surveillance is “significantly likely” to be unconstitutional.
Discussion:
Daily Kos, Prairie Weather and Taegan Goddard's Wonk Wire
RELATED:
Charlie Savage / New York Times:
Judge Questions Legality of N.S.A. Phone Records — WASHINGTON — A federal district judge ruled on Monday that the National Security Agency program that is systematically keeping records of all Americans' phone calls most likely violates the Constitution, describing its technology as …
Discussion:
American Prospect, Close Read, No More Mister Nice Blog, Mediaite, Mark Udall, Politico, The Volokh Conspiracy, Washington Post, Firedoglake, SCOTUSblog, Guardian, DISSENTING JUSTICE, The Reaction, ThinkProgress, Outside the Beltway, NYT Bits, The BLT, TechCrunch, Talking Points Memo, Mashable, Senator Wyden's Press Feed, TIME, Hit & Run, TalkLeft, The Raw Story and Althouse, more at Mediagazer »
Josh Gerstein / Politico:
Judge: NSA phone program likely unconstitutional — A federal judge ruled Monday that the National Security Agency program which collects information on nearly all telephone calls made to, from or within the United States is likely to be unconstitutional. — U.S. District Court Judge …
Bradley Brooks / Associated Press:
Snowden Petitions Brazil For Asylum In Exchange For Help With Spying — RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden says he would be willing to help Brazil investigate NSA spying on its soil, but could not fully participate without being granted political asylum …
Discussion:
Outside the Beltway
Ian Millhiser / ThinkProgress:
This Is The Most Important Paragraph In The Court Decision Against The NSA — The National Security Agency went into Judge Richard Leon's courtroom with a powerful precedent on its side. In its 1979 decision in Smith v. Maryland, the Supreme Court held that individuals do not have a …
Discussion:
The Impolitic, Taylor Marsh and Liberal Values
Guardian:
NSA phone surveillance program likely unconstitutional, federal judge rules
NSA phone surveillance program likely unconstitutional, federal judge rules
Discussion:
The Agonist, The Week and Frederick Leatherman Law Blog
Orin Kerr / The Volokh Conspiracy:
Preliminary Thoughts on Judge Leon's Opinion
Preliminary Thoughts on Judge Leon's Opinion
Discussion:
emptywheel, ACS Blog and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion
Guardian:
Edward Snowden says judge's ruling vindicates NSA surveillance disclosures
Edward Snowden says judge's ruling vindicates NSA surveillance disclosures
Discussion:
USA Today, The Week, Informed Comment, TechCrunch and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »
Andy Greenberg / Forbes:
An NSA Coworker Remembers The Real Edward Snowden: ‘A Genius Among Geniuses’
An NSA Coworker Remembers The Real Edward Snowden: ‘A Genius Among Geniuses’
Discussion:
USA Today, Hot Air, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, KTOO, The Verge, emptywheel, Business Insider, Firedoglake, CBS News and AEIdeas
David Nather / Reuters:
Next Obamacare crisis: Small-business costs? — Think the canceled health policies hurt the Obamacare cause? There's another political time bomb lurking that could explode not too long before next year's elections: rate hikes for small businesses. — Like the canceled individual health plans …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo and Politico
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Erik Wasson / The Hill:
Senate poised to approve budget — The Senate is poised to approve the two-year budget deal on Tuesday, but the tally is not expected to match the landslide in the House. — The bill, which sets top-line spending levels for 2014 and 2015, is on track to just barely get the 60 votes it needs to clear the upper chamber.
Discussion:
Roll Call
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Daniel Strauss / Talking Points Memo:
Senate Conservatives Fund: Boehner Targeting Conservatives Just Like IRS
Senate Conservatives Fund: Boehner Targeting Conservatives Just Like IRS
Discussion:
Daily Kos
Dylan Byers / Politico:
Lara Logan to return to ‘60 Minutes’ — Lara Logan and Max McClellan, the ‘60 Minutes’ journalists who were put on a leave of absence following their now-retracted report on Benghazi, are set to return to the program early next year, POLITICO has learned. — Logan and her producer …
Discussion:
The Raw Story, Hullabaloo and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »
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Jack Mirkinson / The Huffington Post:
‘60 Minutes’ Trashed For NSA Piece
‘60 Minutes’ Trashed For NSA Piece
Discussion:
Firedoglake, Mediaite, Techdirt, Business Insider, Gothamist, Politico, Ricochet Conversations Feed, CBS News, ThinkProgress, Talking Points Memo and Poynter
Jessica Hopper / Sound of the City:
Read the “Stomach-Churning” Sexual Assault Accusations Against R. Kelly in Full — It has been nearly 15 years since music journalist Jim DeRogatis caught the story that has since defined his career, one that he wishes didn't exist: R. Kelly's sexual predation on teenage girls.
Discussion:
The Hinterland Gazette and Business Insider
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Annie Linskey / Bloomberg:
Brown's Move to New Hampshire Fuels Talk of Senate Race — Former Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown plans to move to New Hampshire, the latest sign that he's considering a U.S. Senate bid there, which would complicate Democrats' effort to hold their majority in the chamber.
Discussion:
Post Politics, Outside the Beltway, The Fix, Daily Kos, ABC News, CNN, First Read and Balloon Juice
Quinnipiac News + Events:
Release Detail — December 17, 2013 - Iowa Gov's Approval, Reelection Prospects Improve, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Christie Tops Clinton By 5 Points In 2016 Race — Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad's reelection prospects are improving as voters approve 58 - 32 percent of the job he is doing …
Discussion:
Taegan Goddard's … and Politico
Anneta Konstantinides / ABC News:
Mike Huckabee to Launch ‘Huckabee Post’ — Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee will launch a news publication “Huckabee Post” in January 2014, ABC News has learned. — The site will cover a range of topics from news and politics to sports and pop culture, according to the former governor's son, David Huckabee.
Discussion:
Politico, Talking Points Memo, TheBlaze.com and NewsBusters, more at Mediagazer »
Brendan Sasso / The Hill:
Tech execs to confront Obama on spying — Executives from the nation's biggest technology companies will meet with President Obama on Tuesday to discuss the revelations about National Security Agency surveillance. — The meeting will include Apple CEO Tim Cook, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer …
mynews13.com:
George Zimmerman is selling his original artwork on eBay — SANFORD — It appears George Zimmerman has turned to painting, and is selling his own, original artwork on eBay not one week after prosecutors dropped domestic violence charges against him. — Now the painting has a bid of almost $100,000.
Discussion:
NY Daily News, Talking Points Memo, The Raw Story, Gawker, Mediaite and Liberaland
Rick Kissell / Variety:
Fox News Remains Ratings Champ As 2013 Comes to Close — It and rivals CNN, MSNBC down from last year — Fox News Channel maintained its grip on the cable-news network ratings prize in 2013, drawing more viewers than the combined averages of CNN, MSNBC and HLN.
Discussion:
Scared Monkeys and The Gateway Pundit
FDA Consumer Health Information Updates:
FDA Taking Closer Look at ‘Antibacterial’ Soap — On this page: — When you're buying soaps and body washes, do you reach for the bar or bottle labeled “antibacterial”? Are you thinking that these products, in addition to keeping you clean, will reduce your risk of getting sick or passing on germs to others?
Discussion:
New York Times, The Verge, NBCNews, BBC, Los Angeles Times and The Week