|
(Continued from page 28)
some pocket area," said Snohomish County District 21 Fire Chief Travis Hots.
• Two bodies were recovered Tuesday, while another eight were located in the debris field from Saturday's slide 55 miles northeast of Seattle, Hots said.
• That brings the likely death toll to 24, though authorities are keeping the official toll at 16 until the eight other bodies are recovered.
• ___
Officials: Senate secretly considered phone company option for NSA program 3 years ago
• WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Senate Intelligence Committee three years ago secretly considered -- but ultimately rejected -- alternate ways for the National Security Agency to collect and store massive amounts of Americans' phone records, The Associated Press has learned.
• One of those options, outlined in a classified 2011 NSA analysis and reviewed in detail during closed committee meetings, was similar to what President Barack Obama is now advocating: that the government stop the bulk collection of Americans' phone records and instead ask phone companies to search their own business records for terrorism connections.
• After reviewing the 2011 NSA analysis, the Senate overseers decided not move forward with any alternate arrangement, according to two government officials familiar with the review. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the classified report.
• The 2011 report is significant because not much has changed -- operationally -- with the NSA's phone records program in the past three years. What has changed is that Americans now know the extent of the once-classified, massive surveillance operation, and they're not happy with what they consider to be invasions of privacy.
• Obama's decision to call for changes in the program is not because he believes the program is flawed. It's because he needs to regain the trust of the American public.
• ___
Health care Q&A: When your health plan disappears; bracing for the penalty
• WASHINGTON (AP) -- The new health care law helps some people, hurts others and confuses almost everyone. Hoping to simplify things a bit, The Associated Press asked its Twitter, Facebook and Google Plus followers for their real-life ques (Continued on page 30)
|
|
