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From VOA Learning English, |
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this is In the News. |
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A special advisory group in the United States |
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is urging President Barack Obama to make changes |
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to the government's surveillance programs. |
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The group offered its suggestions |
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in a report released this week. |
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Mr. Obama ordered the report |
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on the intelligence gathering activities |
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earlier this year. |
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The order followed information leaks from Edward Snowden, |
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a former National Security Agency contract worker. |
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The leaks created a huge problem |
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for the NSA and the president. |
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They also added to public knowledge |
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about government information gathering, |
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including the collection of data |
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from telephone calls and activities on the Internet. |
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The surveillance programs are operating |
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under U.S. congressional approval. |
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They have been amended at different times, |
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and are under the supervision of a special court. |
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Mr. Obama has described the programs |
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as important to keeping Americans safe. |
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But he has called for more "self-restraint" by the NSA. |
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In its report, the Review Group on Intelligence |
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and Communications Technologies proposes 46 changes. |
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One is to end the government's storage of "metadata" |
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of the telephone records of Americans. |
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The report proposes that private companies |
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or a non-government agency keep the records instead, not the NSA. |
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Another proposal is to require a court to approve |
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individual searches of phone and Internet data records. |
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The report also proposes limits on the NSA's power |
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to study known targets of counter terrorism surveillance |
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after they enter the United States. |
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The report is calling for a new process to identify |
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"uses and limits of surveillance |
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on foreign leaders and in foreign nations." |
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It says decisions should consider whether other methods |
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or targets of collection could provide needed information. |
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The review group met with President Obama on Wednesday |
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after sending him their report last week. |
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Press secretary Jay Carney said President Obama |
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plans to study the document over the holidays. |
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He will speak to the nation about it next month |
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after a separate government investigation is completed. |
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"The president has been clear |
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that even as we review our efforts |
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and make some changes in how we do things, |
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we will not harm our ability to face those threats. |
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That is, his number one obligation as commander-in-chief." |
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The official US position on Edward Snowden remains unchanged. |
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The Obama administration says he should return |
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to the United States to face criminal charges. |
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It disagrees with suggestions that he receive a pardon |
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to prevent him from releasing additional information. |
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Earlier this week a federal court ruled |
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that secretly collecting the telephone records of Americans |
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is likely unconstitutional. |
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Mr. Obama also faced pressure from leaders of high-tech companies. |
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Reports said they urged him to make aggressive reforms, |
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and expressed concern about damage to the United States' image |
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and business interests overseas. |
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The "60 Minutes" television program recently spoke |
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with the head of the NSA, Keith Alexander. |
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He denied that the agency is collecting e-mails |
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or listening to the phone calls of Americans. |
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He said the NSA's job is foreign intelligence. |
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And that's In the News, from VOA Learning English. |
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I'm Faith Lapidus. |