Report: Obama Set to Approve some NSA Reforms

Including a public advocate

According to the Los Angeles Times, President Barack Obama is set to announce a "package of intelligence reforms" that would put a public advocate in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) for the first time.

Anonymous sources within the White House also told the Times that the changes will include transferring control of the telephone metadata records from the National Security Agency to a private entity. Advisers are also considering a separate proposal to require a federal judge's approval each time a national security letter is issued, except in emergencies.

Before going on a winter holiday to Hawaii, President Obama told reporters at the White House that he would spend some time reviewing the report by the Review Group on Intelligence and Communications Technologies, which was issued with dozens of recommendations.