Senate Approves Revised Patriot Act

NPR reports:

The Senate has approved the USA Freedom Act, which will alter the way U.S. agencies conduct surveillance and gather data. A final vote on the bill came late Tuesday afternoon, after amendments to the bill failed. President Obama can now sign the bill into law as soon as it reaches him, after an expedited enrollment process. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., voted against the measure today, as he did last fall. Also voting against the bill Tuesday was independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination. The lead sponsor of the bill in the House, Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., promises it will "rein in the dragnet collection of data" by the NSA and others, and "increase transparency of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court." Calling today's passage "a milestone," ACLU Deputy Legal Director Jameel Jaffer says, "This is the most important surveillance reform bill since 1978, and its passage is an indication that Americans are no longer willing to give the intelligence agencies a blank check."

Rand Paul Claims Patriot Act Victory

Sen. Rand Paul is claiming victory over last night's expiration of several major portions of the Patriot Act, but he may be merely grandstanding as the Senate is expected to quickly reauthorize the expired laws.

The Senate entered a debate period late Sunday on the Patriot Act that pushed beyond the midnight deadline. With the debate ongoing, that effectively ends the National Security Agency's bulk data collection program. President Barack Obama and government officials spent last week warning of serious national security consequences, while the most ardent advocates of NSA reform were prepared to call a bluff they saw as little more than fear-mongering. The National Security Agency officially shut down the bulk metadata collection program officially at 7:44 p.m. Sunday night, a senior government official told CNN's Justice Correspondent Pamela Brown. Officials had previously indicated they would shut the program down around 8 p.m. to ensure all procedures were in place before the midnight deadline. The Senate is expected to restore the expiring authorities midweek.

Rand Paul Vows To Filibuster Patriot Act

Sen. Rand Paul said yesterday that he plans to filibuster against the impending reauthorization vote for the Patriot Act.

"I'm going to lead the charge in the next couple of weeks as the Patriot Act comes forward," he said in a one-on-one interview with the New Hampshire Union Leader. "We will be filibustering. We will be trying to stop it. We are not going to let them run over us. And we are going to demand amendments and we are going to make sure the American people know that some of us at least are opposed to unlawful searches." Paul, the Republican U.S. Senator from Kentucky, said that even architects of the Patriot Act say roving wiretapping by the National Security Agency was not part of the legislation's intent.

More from The Hill:

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) has said that he favors a full reauthorization of the measures, but other lawmakers say they would be willing to pass reform legislation. A short-term extension would give lawmakers more time to sort out their differences beyond the current June 1 deadline for renewing the law. A filibuster of the Patriot Act provisions could give Paul more visibility as the presidential campaign ramps up. He lists his opposition to the National Security Agency's surveillance programs on the homepage of his website and sells a “NSA Spy Cam Blocker” in his campaign store.

John Oliver Talks "Dick Pics" And The Patriot Act With Edward Snowden

Via NBC News:

Snowden spoke to the "Last Week Tonight" host in Moscow, where he has been for more than a year since being charged with espionage after leaking classified information regarding the NSA's extensive surveillance programs. Oliver asked Snowden to explain the implications of NSA surveillance on racy personal photos. "The good news is there's no program named 'the dick pic program'," Snowden said. "The bad news is they're still collecting everybody's information — including your dick pics." He added: "When you send your junk through Gmail, for example, that is stored on Google's servers. Google moves that data from data center to data center invisibly to you. Without your knowledge, your data could be moved outside the borders of the United States temporarily. When your junk was passed by Gmail … the NSA caught a copy of that." The North Carolina-born Snowden also explained his decision to reveal classified information, saying he wanted to make Americans aware that government agencies were snooping on U.S. citizens.

HBO has posted the full episode. The Patriot Act is due for renewal in a couple of months.

Oliver Stone To Direct Snowden Biopic

Via the Guardian:

He has tackled the Kennedy assassination and the Watergate break-in, the Vietnam conflict and the Bush administration's "war on terror". Now the Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone is set to whip up fresh controversy with his adaptation of The Snowden Files, an account of the ongoing NSA scandal written by the Guardian journalist Luke Harding. Stone's thriller will focus on the experiences of the American whistleblower Edward Snowden, a contractor at the National Security Agency who leaked thousands of classified documents to the former Guardian columnist Glenn Greenwald back in June 2013. The film is to be produced by Stone's regular business partner Moritz Borman, with Harding and other Guardian journalists serving as production and story consultants. "This is one of the greatest stories of our time," Stone, 67, said in a statement. "A real challenge. I'm glad to have the Guardian working with us." Stone's previous films include Platoon, JFK and W. The director has also made documentaries on Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez, together with a 2012 TV series, Oliver Stone's Untold History of the United States.

Production of the film is set begin at the end of the year.

Tweet Of The Day - NSA

It's not a butt tweet, it's an encrypted job posting.

Glenn Greenwald Returns To US For First Time Since Breaking NSA/Snowden Story

Gay journalist Glenn Greenwald returned to the United States today for the first time since breaking the Edward Snowden story. Some have called for his arrest as Snowden's alleged co-conspirator. Greenwald himself said he expected to be detained at once, but he exited JFK airport without incident. TIME reports on the reason for today's visit:

Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras, who broke the Snowden story and met with the whistleblower in Hong Kong, are in New York City to receive the prestigious George Polk Award. Greenwald, formerly a columnist for The Guardian and now a partner in the upcoming First Look Media venture, and Poitras, a documentary filmmaker, will share the journalism award with Ewen MacAskill of The Guardian and Barton Gellman of the Washington Post, the Huffington Post reports. Greenwald, who currently resides in Rio de Janeiro, told The Huffington Post that he wanted to return to the U.S. because “certain factions in the U.S. government have deliberately intensified the threatening climate for journalists.” He noted that language used by government officials suggested that reporters who investigated Snowden’s documents were complicit with him.

Edward Snowden Skypes Into SXSW

Fugitive NSA leaker Edward Snowden skyped into a SXSW panel today via seven proxy servers, a tactic probably taken to cloak his location. NPR has the story:

Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor who has leaked large amounts of classified information about the agency's electronic surveillance programs, spoke via video to a sympathetic audience at South By Southwest Interactive on Monday. Snowden, who is wanted for prosecution in the U.S., was in Russia, where he's been given temporary asylum. Repeating things he's said before, Snowden declared Monday that he would do what he did all over again because he had seen the Constitution being "violated on a massive scale." The Obama administration disagrees, though Snowden's revelations did begin a process that he wants the NSA to stop holding on to massive amounts of "metadata" about the phone calls and electronic communications of millions of people around the world.

The ACLU provides the video.

Obama Slams Edward Snowden

"I’m not going to dwell on Mr. Snowden’s actions or his motivations. I will say that our nation’s defense depends in part on the fidelity of those entrusted with our nation’s secrets. If any individual who objects to government policy can take it into their own hands to publicly disclose classified information, then we will not be able to keep our people safe, or conduct foreign policy. Moreover, the sensational way in which these disclosures have come out has often shed more heat than light, while revealing methods to our adversaries that could impact our operations in ways that we may not fully understand for years to come." - President Obama, in today's speech announcing "major reforms" at the National Security Agency.

GOP Rep. Peter King: Rand Paul Doesn't Deserve To Be In the Senate

Mediaite recaps one of the meow-rich GOP infighting moments we've seen in quite a while:

Appearing on Fox News Channel on Sunday, Rep. Peter King (R-NY) defended the National Security Agency from attacks on its intelligence gathering practices. He specifically said the charges made against the NSA by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) are “lies” and that he “doesn’t deserve to be a U.S. Senator.” “Rand Paul does not know what he’s talking about,” King said after being asked to respond to Paul’s comments about the NSA. “And, Rand Paul is really spreading fear among the American people.”

Tea Party sites spent yesterday calling for King's head.

New York Times: Pardon Edward Snowden

From the Times editorial board:

Considering the enormous value of the information he has revealed, and the abuses he has exposed, Mr. Snowden deserves better than a life of permanent exile, fear and flight. He may have committed a crime to do so, but he has done his country a great service. It is time for the United States to offer Mr. Snowden a plea bargain or some form of clemency that would allow him to return home, face at least substantially reduced punishment in light of his role as a whistle-blower, and have the hope of a life advocating for greater privacy and far stronger oversight of the runaway intelligence community. [snip] When someone reveals that government officials have routinely and deliberately broken the law, that person should not face life in prison at the hands of the same government. That’s why Rick Ledgett, who leads the N.S.A.’s task force on the Snowden leaks, recently told CBS News that he would consider amnesty if Mr. Snowden would stop any additional leaks. And it’s why President Obama should tell his aides to begin finding a way to end Mr. Snowden’s vilification and give him an incentive to return home.

Don Lemon Vs Larry Klayman

CNN host Don Lemon and crackpot freak show Larry Klayman got into it last night.

Klayman has previously received media attention for saying during a government shutdown rally that Obama needs “to put the Quran down, to get up off his knees, and to figuratively come out with his hands up,” leading to a particularly contentious fight with Martin Bashir. On CNN, Klayman was steamed that his appearance was preceded by what he saw as a hit piece on his character, and told Lemon, “It’s important to note that you’re a big supporter of Obama, that you have favored him in every respect.” He called Lemon an “ultra-leftist,” but Lemon interrupted and threatened to cut him out of the segment if he kept going. Toobin, who was never a fan of what Snowden did, argued that this was an important ruling on a serious subject that shouldn’t be tarnished by the “tin foil hat paranoia” of the “lunatic” on screen with him. Klayman responded by attacking Toobin’s past and calling him an unserious person who ‘should not be doing legal commentary for CNN.”

RNC Slams "Bystander President"

100+ Groups Cosponsor Privacy Rally

Celebrities and journalists endorsing the rally include Wil Wheaton, Glenn Greenwald, Anil Dash, and Daniel Ellsberg. Details are here. (Tipped by JMG reader Win)

New York Times To Publish Documents Leaked To Guardian By Edward Snowden

Citing oppressive measures by the British government, the Guardian has partnered with the New York Times to publish documents leaked to them by Edward Snowden.

The New York Times is in the Snowden game. The paper — which NSA leaker Edward Snowden deliberately avoided over his fear that it would cooperate with the United States government — is now working with the Guardian on a series of stories based on documents that detail National Security Agency cooperation with its British counterpart, the Government Communications Headquarters, known as GCHQ. “In a climate of intense pressure from the UK government, The Guardian decided to bring in a US partner to work on the GCHQ documents provided by Edward Snowden,” Guardian spokeswoman Jennifer Lindenauer said in an email. “We are continuing to work in partnership with the NYT and others to report these stories.”

Last month British officials demanded that the Guardian hand over Snowden's documents. When they refused, the officials reportedly made them destroy several hard drives in their presence. The Times and the Guardian have worked together in the past on the Wikileaks story and on the News Corp wiretapping scandal.

Tweet Of The Day - Wikileaks

USA Today has more:

National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden has been granted temporary asylum in Russia for one year and left a Moscow airport to formally enter the country's territory, according to his lawyer. Anatoly Kucherena, Snowden's legal representative, told Interfax Thursday that he had given Snowden temporary papers issued by the Russian Immigration Service. The Associated Press reported that Snowden had actually left Sheremetyevo airport, where he has been holed up since arriving June 23 from Hong Kong. Kucherena said Snowden was unaccompanied when he left the airport in a regular taxi. RT.com reported that his whereabouts will be kept secret.

Snowden's father this morning thanked Vladimir Putin for having the "courage and strength of conviction to keep my son safe."

Sen. Rand Paul Vs. Gov. Chris Christie

Over the weekend Christie took on the libertarians:

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is ripping libertarians — including Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) — for challenging government surveillance programs and failing to understand the dangers of terrorism. “This strain of libertarianism that’s going through parties right now and making big headlines I think is a very dangerous thought,” the New Jersey GOP governor said on Thursday at a Republican governors forum in Aspen, Colo. “You can name any number of people and (Paul is) one of them.” “These esoteric, intellectual debates — I want them to come to New Jersey and sit across from the widows and the orphans and have that conversation. And they won’t, because that’s a much tougher conversation to have,” Christie said.

Yesterday Paul fired back on Fox News.

Snowden: NSA Is Working With Germany

Fugitive NSA leaker Edward Snowden yesterday accused Germany of working with the United States government in spying on private citizens.

America's National Security Agency works closely with Germany and other Western states on a 'no questions asked'-basis, former NSA employee Edward Snowden said in comments that undermine Chancellor Angela Merkel's indignant talk of "Cold War" tactics. "They are in bed with the Germans, just like with most other Western states," German magazine Der Spiegel quotes him as saying in an interview published on Sunday that was carried out before he fled to Hong Kong in May and divulged details of extensive secret U.S. surveillance. "Other agencies don't ask us where we got the information from and we don't ask them. That way they can protect their top politicians from the backlash in case it emerges how massively people's privacy is abused worldwide," he said.

Edward Snowden Seeks Asylum In Russia

NSA leaker Edward Snowden has applied for asylum in Russia.

Foreign ministry consul Kim Shevchenko said the request was made on Sunday night. The Kremlin has made no comment. The 30-year-old former CIA analyst is believed to be holed up in a Moscow airport hotel. Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Mr Snowden was welcome to stay as long as he stopped "inflicting damage on our American partners".

The US has not yet made any comment on the latest developments. President Barack Obama, speaking earlier in Tanzania, said Washington and Moscow had held "high level" discussions about Mr Snowden. "We are hopeful the Russian government makes decisions based on the normal procedures regarding international travel and the normal interactions law enforcement have," he told reporters, pointing out that Mr Snowden does not have a valid passport or legal papers.

Earlier reports had said that Snowden was seeking asylum in Ecuador.

Putin: Russia Won't Extradite Snowden

Russian President Vladimir Putin today confirmed news reports that NSA leaker Edward Snowden is presently in a Moscow airport. However Putin said that Snowden is a "free person" and that Russia will not comply with US requests that he be arrested and extradited.

"In the territory of Russia, Mr. Snowden committed no crimes," Putin said. "Mr. Snowden is a free person. The sooner he chooses his final destination, the better it is for us and for him." Putin confirmed that Snowden is in the transit zone of a Moscow airport and has not technically crossed the border in Russia. Even if he had, Putin said Russia and the U.S. don't have a relevant extradition treaty and that any accusations leveled at the Kremlin for not grabbing Snowden were "gibberish" and "nonsense."

Just hours before Putin's comments top U.S. officials warned Russia to turn over the former contractor for the National Security Agency. Secretary of State John Kerry said Monday it would be "very disappointing" if Snowden was "willfully allowed to board an airplane... and there would be without any question some effect on the relationship and consequences." Today the Secretary said that even though Russia and the U.S. do not have a standard extradition treaty, there were still "standards of behavior" between sovereign nations and the request for Snowden was "normal and basic."

According to ABC News, US agents believe Snowden is traveling with four laptops "full of US government secrets."