Obama Renews Patriot Act Provisions

The president has signed a one-year extension of several provisions in the Patriot Act that would have expired Sunday, renewing the government’s authority to spy on phones and seize records and property of citizens.

The renewal has already been passed by the House and the Senate. —JCL

The Associated Press:

President Barack Obama has signed a one-year extension of several provisions in the nation’s main counterterrorism law, the Patriot Act.

Provisions in the measure would have expired on Sunday without Obama’s signature Saturday.

Three sections of the Patriot Act that stay in force will:
* Authorize court-approved roving wiretaps that permit surveillance on multiple phones.
* Allow court-approved seizure of records and property in anti-terrorism operations.
* Permit surveillance against a so-called lone wolf, a non-U.S. citizen engaged in terrorism who may not be part of a recognized terrorist group.

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Flickr / The White House

President Barack Obama makes a phone call in the Oval Office on a line that probably is one of the many tapped by the U.S. government.