President Obama has placed a federal judge in an “inescapable, paradoxical situation” in a case challenging the federal government’s authority to hide warrantless wiretapping behind a “state secrets” shield, the judge said at a hearing on December 14.

By a vote of 73-23, the United States Senate voted to extend for five years the FISA Amendments authorizing the warrantless wiretapping of domestic communications.

This week, Congress will consider the renewal of the 2008 FISA Amendments. Should they be approved, warrantlesss wiretapping will be legal for another five years.

On December 19, the Nevada chapters of People Against the National Defense Authorization Act (PANDA) announced the introduction of BDR 728, the Nevada Liberty Preservation Act. Sponsored by Nevada State Senator Don Gustavson, the bill will be presented to lawmakers in February, when the state legislature reconvenes.

“Christmas is not more important than this legislation.” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) actually said that with regard to his effort to begin debate on the Senate’s renewal of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).

On Christmas Eve, 1860, South Carolina adopted a resolution declaring itself independent of the United States of America.

At a press conference held Thursday afternoon, four of the leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees announced the completion of the compromise version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2013.

One controversial portion of the NDAA bill passed by the Senate on December 4 didn’t make the cut, however, after the conference committee’s negotiations: the Feinstein-Lee Amendment (passed by the Senate 67-29) — which its authors said would have protected American citizens from indefinite detention.

The federalization of the state militias is another prong of the federal government's pincer attack on the rights protected by the Second Amendment.

If you ride public transportation, watch what you say. In city after city, transit authorities are installing sophisticated surveillance equipment to record every word spoken by riders.

A resolution sponsored by retiring Representatives Ron Paul (R-Texas) and Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) requiring Attorney General Eric Holder to release all information related to President Obama’s death-by-drone program has failed to pass committee.