Regardless of what you think of him – REMINDER:  We would never know, nor be having this conversation, were it not for Snowden.
NSA_FISA_courtWASHINGTON DC – The National Security Agency’s (NSA) reach covers about 75 percent of all U.S. Internet traffic through a slew of partnerships with some of the largest telecom companies in the country, according to a Wall Street Journal report released late Tuesday.
According to the report, gathered from interviews with current and former government officials and telecom industry workers, telecom companies like AT&T filter the data for the NSA, but in looking for communications that begin or end outside of the country, often sweep up unrelated domestic communications.
In addition, the surveillance network at times retains the content of emails and phone calls sent between U.S. citizens as part of a dragnet meant to capture correspondences between foreign targets.
The NSA defended the practice, telling the Journal that if domestic communications are “incidentally collected during NSA’s lawful signals intelligence activities,” that the agency follows “minimization procedures that are approved by the U.S. attorney general and designed to protect the privacy of United States persons.” (read more)

Benghazi-Gate Investigation:  Just Get It Past The Election.... At.All.Costs.  "Cue James Clapper Sword Falling Routine"....
WASHINGTON DC – WASHINGTON (AP) — The nations’ top intelligence official is declassifying three secret U.S. court opinions showing how the National Security Agency scooped up as many as 56,000 emails annually over three years and other communications by Americans with no connection to terrorism, how it revealed the error to the court and changed how it gathered Internet communications.
Director of National Intelligence James Clapper authorized the release Wednesday.
The opinions show that when the NSA reported to the court in 2011 that it was inadvertently collecting as many as 56,000 Internet communications by Americans with no collection to terrorism, the court ordered the NSA to find ways to limit what it collects and how long it keeps it. (read more)

President Obama Quadruples Down:

Liar Liar pants(The Hill) — President Obama stands by his assertion that “there is no spying on Americans” by the National Security Agency, the White House said Wednesday.
The comments from White House spokesman Josh Earnest follow a report that the NSA accessed about 75 percent of all U.S. Internet traffic through partnerships with some of the nation’s largest companies.
Earnest said the NSA’s efforts were a “narrowly focused program that is focused specifically at foreign intelligence.”
While domestic information was occasionally accessed, that amounted to “compliance issues” rather than systematic spying by the NSA.
He also said the president has taken “steps to address” privacy concerns and stressed that the programs were conducted by “national security professionals.” (read more)
the three stooges you nazty spy 1

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