WASHINGTON DC – US intelligence chiefs have confirmed that the National Security Agency has used a “back door” in surveillance law to perform warrantless searches on Americans’ communications.
The NSA’s collection programs are ostensibly targeted at foreigners, but in August the Guardian revealed a secret rule change allowing NSA analysts to search for Americans’ details within the databases.
Now, in a letter to Senator Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat on the intelligence committee, the director of national intelligence, James Clapper, has confirmed the use of this legal authority to search for data related to “US persons”.
“There have been queries, using US person identifiers, of communications lawfully acquired to obtain foreign intelligence targeting non-US persons reasonably believed to be located outside the United States,” Clapper wrote in the letter, which has been obtained by the Guardian. (more…)

When you combine the dots of testimony and information, and pull back from the pixels, a clear image begins to emerge.   The character visible in the image is actually the artist, Denis McDonough....   Here’s the High-Def Version:

WASHINGTON – The CIA’s former deputy director disclosed Wednesday that Obama administration officials were alerted the day before they went on national television that a key tenet of their original Benghazi storyline might be inaccurate. But he did not explain why the administration continued to cling to its narrative even after U.S. intelligence debunked reports that the deadly attack was born out of a protest over an anti-Islam video.
In often testy exchanges with Republicans who accused him of a cover-up, Michael Morell flatly denied that he “inappropriately altered and influenced” the infamous Benghazi talking points to downplay the role of terrorism in the attacks. (more…)

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

UPDATE:

Shooter Identified as 34-year-old “Ivan Lopez”

Spc. Ivan Lopez, Fort Hood, Warrior Transition Brigade pic.twitter.com/vGVry6aFaE

— DrRustyShackleford (@mypetjawa) April 3, 2014

https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/451510827758010368

KXAS-TV in Dallas reporting 1death, 8 injuries, 2 possible shooters. This from @KCENNews live feed: http://t.co/v2hrtcHyeN

— Jim Roberts (@nycjim) April 2, 2014

(more…)

NORTH CAROLINA – House Speaker Thom Tillis (R-Mecklenburg) and Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) issued a joint statement Wednesday in response to more alarming evidence of voter error and fraud discovered by the North Carolina State Board of Elections.
Initial findings from the Board presented to the Joint Legislative Elections Oversight Committee today show:

• 765 voters with an exact match of first and last name, DOB and last four digits of SSN were registered in N.C. and another state and voted in N.C. and the other state in the 2012 general election.
• 35,750 voters with the same first and last name and DOB were registered in N.C. and another state and voted in both states in the 2012 general election.
• 155,692 voters with the same first and last name, DOB and last four digits of SSN were registered in N.C. and another state – and the latest date of registration or voter activity did not take place within N.C.

(more…)

Again, as predicted.    Here’s the way the entire face saving fiasco is being spun by the Palestinians.  Fatah spokesman Ahmad Assaf told reporters the Palestinian Authority “blackmailed” Israel to bring about the release of dozens of prisoners.

Palestinian Media – The Palestinian Authority’s only reason for agreeing to and continuing the peace negotiations with Israel is to bring about the release of prisoners, Fatah’s spokesman Ahmad Assaf has indicated. Stating that the PA “blackmailed” Israel to release the prisoners, Assaf explained that by virtue of the PA’s membership in the UN, the PA is able to threaten Israel with taking it to the International Criminal Court. Assaf maintains that to prevent the PA from doing so, Israel agreed to release 104 prisoners, most of them serving life sentences for murder.

Senior PA leader Nabil Shaath explained already in November and again in December 2013, that the reason the PA has not “stopped negotiations,” is because the PA wants to first fulfill its goal of having all the prisoners Israel arrested before the Oslo Accords released. (more…)

As predicted.   Golly-Gee Mr. Ketchup, why the long face ?

ISRAEL – US Secretary of State John Kerry left Israel Tuesday morning as details emerged of a possible deal that would lead to the release of imprisoned Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard by passover and would ensure the continuation of peace talks into 2015.
Kerry will return to the Middle East on Wednesday to meet Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.
Officials included in the talks said that the emerging deal contains the following elements:
1) Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard will be released before the first Passover seder on Monday April 14.
2) The negotiations will continue into 2015, during which time the Palestinians will commit themselves not to engage in diplomatic warfare against Israel by going to international organizations for recognition.
(more…)

Bait and Switch.  False Advertising.  Fraud.  Fraudulent inducement. Gross Negligence.  Failure to due “due diligence”.  Failure to honor “fiduciary responsibilities”.
It’s not legal just because it’s the “government” doing it.
(more…)