A map of closed US embassies and consulates due to Al-Qaeda threat.. An Americana roundup…

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The Troubling Takeaway from Snowden’s Leaks: America Is Drowning in Secrets

With his slow, steady stream of leaked NSA documents, Edward Snowden is offering a glimpse into what President Obama’s pledge of transparent government might have looked like — had he chosen to deliver on it.

Members of Congress denied access to basic details of NSA spying

Members of Congress from both sides of the house have been denied access to details of NSA spying, even as they are being asked to vote on extending funding for continued surveillance. Both GOP Rep. Morgan Griffith of Virginia and Democratic Rep. Alan Grayson of Florida have been stonewalled for weeks by the their colleagues on the House Intelligence Committee, who will not even discuss whether a vote was taken to approve NSA spying, nor how that vote went. The existence of such a vote, let alone how it went, is a secret, as are the details of the programs that Congress are being asked to vote for.