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The [Wednesday] Papers

By Steve Rhodes

“The National Security Agency – which possesses only limited legal authority to spy on U.S. citizens – has built a surveillance network that covers more Americans’ Internet communications than officials have publicly disclosed, current and former officials say,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“The system has the capacity to reach roughly 75% of all U.S. Internet traffic in the hunt for foreign intelligence, including a wide array of communications by foreigners and Americans. In some cases, it retains the written content of emails sent between citizens within the U.S. and also filters domestic phone calls made with Internet technology, these people say.”


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“The surveillance system is built on relationships with telecommunications carriers that together cover about 75% of U.S. Internet communications. They must hand over what the NSA asks for under orders from the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. The firms search Internet traffic based on the NSA’s criteria, current and former officials say.
“Verizon Communications Inc., for example, has placed intercepts in the largest U.S. metropolitan areas, according to one person familiar with the technology. It isn’t clear how much information these intercepts send to the NSA. A Verizon spokesman declined to comment.”
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“At times, the NSA has asked for access to data streams that are more likely to include domestic communications, this person says, and “it has caused friction.” This person added that government officials have said some providers do indeed comply with requests like this.”
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“For the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, officials say, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and NSA arranged with Qwest Communications International Inc. to use intercept equipment for a period of less than six months around the time of the event. It monitored the content of all e-mail and text communications in the Salt Lake City area.”
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Obama Lied.
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Obama: I Don’t See Snowden As A Patriot.
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Fact-Checking The President’s Press Conference.

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Obama Assurance Of Surveillance Oversight Is Undercut By FISA Court’s Chief Judge.
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Obama Administration Asks Supreme Court To Allow Warrantless Cellphone Searches.
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“I think if the American public knew what our government was doing, they wouldn’t be allowed to do it anymore.”
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NSA Violations ‘Just The Tip Of A Larger Iceberg,’ Say Wyden, Udall.
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Groklaw Legal Site Shuts Down Over Fear Of NSA E-Mail Snooping.
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Conspiracy To Commit Journalism.
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Judge Sentences Bradley Manning To 35 Years.
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Daniel Ellsberg: Snowden Made The Right Call When He Fled The U.S.
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Jeffrey Toobin Preaches on Sanctity of Government Secrets Despite Once Stealing Classified Documents.
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David Brooks, Tom Friedman, Bill Keller Wish Snowden Had Just Followed Orders.
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The Price Gina Gray Paid For Whistleblowing.
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What NSA Transparency Looks Like.
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Elsewhere on today’s Beachwood:
Local Music Notebook
Including news and music from and about Sasha Go Hard, Katie Got Bandz, Pelican, Robbie Fulks, Amazing Tapes From Africa, Pickles Piekarski and more.
Help Save Classic Chicago Television!
Preserve those fuzzy memories. Including commercials and promos from Zayre, Scared Straight! Chicago Reacts, Real People and Golden Bear restaurants.
Fantasy Fix Football Draft Guide: WRs
Did Brandon Marshall make the top 20?
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The Beachwood Tip Line: Don’t be afraid of your freedom.

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Posted on August 21, 2013