Senators Say NSA Phone Monitoring Has Been Going on for Years, IRS Official Apologizes for Lavish Conference and Star Trek Spoof, Gitmo To Get More Guards: P.M. Links

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  Credit: NSA

  Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) have said that the monitoring of Verizon phone calls by the National Security Agency has been going on for years and is nothing new, as if that should make us feel any better. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) defended the NSA's monitoring of the calls saying, "I'm glad the NSA is trying to find out what the terrorists are up to overseas and in our country."

• An IRS official has apologized to Congress for organizing a $4.1 million conference and for his appearance in a Star Trek spoof which was one of two videos made for the event.

• More guards are to be sent to the prison camps at Guantanamo Bay, where officials hope there will eventually be 2,000 staff for the 166 prisoners.  

• Attorney General Eric Holder has promised that he won't prosecute journalists for their reporting.

• Colorado regulators won't enforce a new law that requires marijuana-themed publications to be kept behind store counters.

• Most Americans believe that the legal recognition of gay marriage is inevitable.

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