The Big Story
The BBC says that US privacy watchdog advises NSA spying is illegal:
The bulk collection of phone call data by US intelligence agencies is illegal and has had only “minimal” benefits in preventing terrorism, an independent US privacy watchdog has ruled.
The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board advised by a 3-2 majority that the programme should end.
The two dissenting voices are from Republicans who were Justice Department attorneys during the Hedgemony, and think at an advisory panel made up of lawyers, including a retired Appeals Court judge, shouldn’t be making determinations about the legality of the program. Excuse me, but as the panel’s experience and expertise is the law, not intelligence, why would anyone expect them not to deal with the legal issues?
Marcy Wheeler, Lambert, and Charlie Pierce all join me and dozens of others in noting that we have been saying this for years.
January 23, 2014 2 Comments
The Weather Outside …
… Sucks … again.
I’m waiting for the THIRD cold front in TWO days to pass through. Not as bad as the Arcticalypse locally, but Houston, Texas and Fairbanks, Alaska are due to have pretty much the same forecast today – temperatures in the thirties and freezing rain. The Weather Underground notes that Alaska Bucks Freezing Temperature Trend, Is Warmer Than Lower 48.
The same Pacific high pressure ridge that is preventing the West Coast from getting any rain is pushing warmer ocean air into Alaska. Barrow, Alaska, the northernmost settlement in the US just saw its first sunrise in two months, but will be warmer than St Louis, Missouri in a few days.
January 23, 2014 5 Comments
