PBC News & Comment: Obama Now Owns the Surveillance State

In signing the Patriot Act extension, Obama bobs and weaves about privacy and security, but he now owns it completely….
--at the Guardian, Spencer Ackerman gives a brutal, accurate account of the big gap between Obama’s words and actions on domestic surveillance
--Glenn Greenwald recaps the frequent, hysterical use of the phrase “the threat from terrorists has never been greater
--Greenwald also breaks down the unproven initial reports from yesterday’s Boston killing of suspect who was branded “terrorist” through leaks
--audio highlights of Jason Leopold’s testimony to House Oversight committee on FOIA, you can watch it here
--new twist in Middle East clusterf@ck: Syrian government seems to be supporting IS in Allepo, as the rebels fight other rebel groups
--Obama tells Israeli TV show: Netanyahu is risking Israel’s credibility over Palestine
--US tries diplomacy in Yemen conflict, imagine that!
--Rhode Island politician Lincoln Chafee enters Dem presidential race
--Hillary’s lawyers are filing lawsuits to restore voting rights slashed by Republicans to suppress votes