The secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court approved 100% of all applications last year

Without modifications. The number is up 13% to 1506 from last year when two applications were denied.

This does not include warrantless wiretaps of Americans communicating with potential persons of interest overseas, started under Bush.

National Security letters by the FBI are also up. "The Justice Department report, meanwhile, said the FBI issued 24,287 “national security letter” requests last year on 14,212 people, “a substantial increase from the 2009 level of 14,788 NSL requests concerning 6,114 U.S. persons,” Aftergood wrote in a blog post. In 2008, there were 24,744 requests regarding 7,225 people."

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/05/domestic-surveillance

$25 computer on a USB stick

This is pretty awesome. An ultra-low cost computer with provisionally the following specs:

* 700MHz ARM11
* 128MB of SDRAM
* OpenGL ES 2.0
* 1080p30 H.264 high-profile decode
* Composite and HDMI video output
* USB 2.0
* SD/MMC/SDIO memory card slot
* General-purpose I/O
* Open software (Ubuntu, Iceweasel, KOffice, Python)

On a USB stick. Plug it in to a monitor and keyboard that has a mouse port, and you're up and running Ubuntu. Definitely awesome. It's a step above vaporware in that he apparently has working models and he's registered as a UK charity, so it might become a mass-market reality.

This is going to be a fantastic tinkering machine. There was a Slashdot comment to take the think and slap it in a touchscreen chassis and instant tablet computer.

http://www.raspberrypi.org/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/rorycellanjones/2011/05/a_15_computer_to_inspire_young.html

http://www.geek.com/articles/games/game-developer-david-braben-creates-a-usb-stick-pc-for-25-2011055/

http://tech.slashdot.org/story/11/05/06/122233/A-25-PC-On-a-USB-Stick