They Know When You've Been Sleeping

Dec. 26, 2014 The Agenda The NSA broke the law through unauthorized surveillance for more than a decade Mic In a vaguely suspicious Christmas Eve news dump, the National Security Agency released reports Wednesday night that detailed intelligence collection practices that violated the law over more than a decade, including unauthorized surveillance of Americans' overseas communications.  + The heavily redacted documents, released in response to a lawsuit brought by the ACLU under the Freedom of Information Act, cover the period from the fourth quarter of 2001 to the second quarter of 2013 and detail an alarming number of violations of American privacy. + In a 2012 case, an NSA analyst "searched her spouse's personal telephone directory without his knowledge to obtain names and telephone numbers for targeting." Stalking potential romantic partners was apparently so widespread at the agency that analysts referred to it by the nickname LOVEINT (i.e., "love intelligence"). + In another 2012 case, an analyst conducted surveillance "on a U.S. organization in a raw traffic database without formal authorization because the analyst incorrectly believed that he was authorized to query due to a potential threat." The surveillance yielded nothing. The Interview is a massive "free speech" hit Reuters The Interview finally opened in more than 300 movie theaters across the U.S on Christmas Day, drawing many sell-out audiences and statements by patrons that they were championing freedom of expression. + You can also stream The Interview online, but don't call yourself a patriot. + Also, the movie is kind of ridiculous and the whole controversy is bullshit: "Last week, President Obama was talking about this crapbasket buddy film in a press conference during which he also discussed one of the most pressing environmental decisions facing our government." + A.O. Scott's New York Times interview is a masterstroke: "In the mirror the movie holds up, we are at our best when we are funny, stupid, sincere and immature, and that's why everybody loves us" + Still, there's a big problem with The Interview everyone's ignoring. Marvels So why do Jews eat Chinese food on Christmas anyway? [Mic] Atheist services have sprung up around the country, even in the Bible Belt. But why? [the New York Times] Believe it or not, the world is more peaceful than ever. [Slate] 11 sentences from books that told the honest truth about love in 2014. [Mic] "A big part of the widespread feeling that things are getting worse is simply the slow, sad unfolding of adulthood." [the Awl] The "traditional family" is officially dead. [Mic] The Star Wars holiday special George Lucas wants to smash every copy of with a sledgehammer. [Salon] The very American history of Christmas lights. [Gizmodo] People who doodle have a scientifically proven advantage over the rest of us. [Mic] Here's exactly what Americans got stuck in their rectums in 2014. [Deadspin] Fast food isn't just making you fat — it's making you stupid too. [Mic] Photo of the Day Christmas around the world, in pictures: The Guardian's picture editors bring you a selection of the best Christmas photographs from around the world. Mic Check is carefully and dutifully assembled each day by Jared Keller. Did we miss something you wanted to read about? Want to see us focus on an under-covered issue? Have a tip for the next edition? Email jared@mic.com. Share Mic Check and help your friends stay informed: http://eepurl.com/of1jj. Follow Mic!      Copyright © 2014 Mic, All rights reserved. You are receiving this because you opted in while creating an account on Mic. Our mailing address is: Mic 325 Hudson Street 1001 New York, NY 10013 Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences