<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A federal judge in New York ruled the National Security Agency's bulk collection of data on nearly every phone call made in the United States is . . . . . . . . . . . . legal. </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Courtesy of CNN at:</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/27/justice/nsa-ruling/index.html?hpt=hp_t1">http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/27/justice/nsa-ruling/index.html?hpt=hp_t1</a></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"> </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">-----------------------------------</span></div><div><strong style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><h1 style="padding: 0px; margin: 15px 0px 0px 10px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">NSA gets win in court over bulk data collection</h1></strong></div><div><strong style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px;"><br></strong></div><div><strong style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">(CNN)</strong><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">-- The National Security Agency notched a much-needed win in court, after a series of setbacks over the legality and even the usefulness of its massive data collection program.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A federal judge in New York ruled Friday that the National Security Agency's bulk collection of data on nearly every phone call made in the United States is legal.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The ruling contrasts</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/16/justice/nsa-surveillance-court-ruling/index.html" style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; outline: 0px;">with another ruling last week</a><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">by a federal judge in Washington, who called the same program "almost Orwellian" and likely unconstitutional.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In his ruling Friday, U.S. District Judge William Pauley said that while the NSA's program under Section 215 of the Patriot Act has become the center of controversy since it was revealed by leaks by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, it is legal.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"But the question of whether that program should be conducted is for the other two coordinate branches of government to decide."</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">-----------------------------------<br></span><br><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><a href="http://www.moscowcares.com/" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000">http://www.MoscowCares.com</font></a></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Tom Hansen</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Moscow, Idaho</span></div></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"There's room at the top they are telling you still.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">But first you must learn to smile as you kill,</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">If you want to be like the folks on the hill."</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- John Lennon</span></div></div></body></html>