Read this first! Here’s what’s happened with the controversial Patriot Act program Section 215 last night

After years of using delaying tactics and last minute deadlines to push last minute Senate votes, Mitch McConnell’s attempt to use building deadline pressure to extend, with some modification, three of the more controversial Patriot Act provisions failed late Sunday night. The bill to do so is the USA Freedom Act. It is still likely…

Read More

Key Parts of Patriot Act Expire Temporarily as Senate Moves Toward Limits on Spying – NYTimes.com

Photo Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the majority leader, grudgingly approved debate on the House bill. Credit Zach Gibson/The New York Times WASHINGTON — The government’s authority to sweep up vast quantities of phone records in the hunt for terrorists expired at 12:01 a.m. Monday after Senator Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky, blocked…

Read More

With expiration of Patriot Act, Mitch McConnell’s maneuver fails – CSMonitor.com

WASHINGTON — As promised by Sen. Rand Paul, the federal government’s massive gathering of Americans’ phone records “went dark” at midnight Sunday, dealing a blow to the program’s advocates – including Senator Paul’s fellow Republican from Kentucky, Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell. The expiration of the program and other anti-terrorism surveillance provisions under the Patriot Act, although…

Read More

Patriot Act provisions have expired: What happens now? – CNNPolitics.com

Story highlights At 7:44 p.m. Sunday, the National Security Agency’s bulk data collection program ended The government loses authorities under three Patriot Act provisions 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…

Read More

NSA bulk phone data collection program expires after Senate misses deadline | Fox News

The National Security Agency’s ability to collect the phone records of millions of Americans in bulk expired late Sunday after the Senate failed to strike a deal before the midnight deadline. However, that program, as well as several other post-9/11 counterterrorism measures, were likely to be revived in some form in the coming days after…

Read More

The New Senate USA FREEDOM Act: A First Step Towards Reforming Mass Surveillance | Electronic Frontier Foundation

Earlier today, Senator Patrick Leahy introduced a revised version of his USA FREEDOM legislation, the USA FREEDOM Act of 2014, which focuses on telephone record collection and FISA Court reform. While this bill is not a comprehensive solution to overbroad and unconstitutional surveillance, it is a strong first step. EFF urges Congress to support passage…

Read More