With the announcement of the Pulitzer recipients not far away (April 14th)-it occurred to me that when the winners and finalists are announced-a great many readers might not have been aware, let alone have read, many of these prize-winning works of journalism.
So, as a run-up to the official announcement, DailyNewsGems.com, will be highlighting some outstanding works of journalism, worthy of Pulitzer consideration.
-Bill Lucey
Photo Credit: The Guardian
Sporadic debate advanced by privacy advocates over the breadth of the U.S. government’s domestic spying potential, reached a crescendo in June, 2013, when The Guardian reported that the National Security Agency (NSA) was collecting telephone records of millions of U.S. customers of Verizon, one of the leading broadband and telecommunications companies in the country.
In its exclusive bombshell, The Guardian obtained a copy of the order from Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (Fisa), directing Verizon to release electronic phone records of its customers (both within the US and between the US and other countries) to the NSA on an “ongoing, daily basis’’ and additionally prohibits the telecom provider from making publically known the existence of the government’s request or even the specific court order.
The government’s authority to seek such an invasive order, regardless of whether they’re suspected of illegal behavior, The Guardian reported, stem from the "business records" provision of the Patriot Act, 50 USC section 1861.
``The document shows for the first time that under the Obama administration the communication records of millions of US citizens are being collected indiscriminately and in bulk – regardless of whether they are suspected of any wrongdoing.’’
“The secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (Fisa) granted the order to the FBI on April 25, giving the government unlimited authority to obtain the data for a specified three-month period ending on July 19.’’ http://goo.gl/Z18Cd7
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If you’re aware of any outstanding works of journalism that you would like to see included at DailyNewsGems, send links to Bill Lucey at wplucey@gmail.com
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