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PBC News & Comment: Modest Surveillance Reforms Will Leave Police State Untouched

32-year NSA veteran Kirk Wiebe tells us: limited reforms to Patriot Act will not limit spying on millions of innocent Americans….

–in “news analysis”, NY Times quotes anonymous official “This is hardly major change”

NY Times editorial says new limits are “worthless” in protecting Americans

Times public editor comments on article that named “secret” CIA officials, gets interesting admission from top editor Dean Baquet

–“Justice” Dept. offers vague plan to tell us more about Stingray and similar dragnet surveillance toys

–in perverted trifecta, gun-toting Muslims take the bait of provocation, and die in attack on Texas hotel hosting “draw Mohammed” contest

–Sen. Jeff Sessions lapses into temporary lucidity, offers 5 reasons he opposes TPP and fast track; he forgot to mention the 6th: Obama is for it

–refugees continue to cross Mediterranean, Italians rescued 3,700 in 16 boats

–US accused of killing 52 Syrian civilians in Friday’s air strike

–Saudis are reportedly using American-made cluster bombs on Yemen

–new interviews with Israeli soldiers show lax rules of engagement in 2014 Gaza war that left hundreds of civilians dead

–as Iran talks resume, Gareth Porter notes that domestic politics dictate that Iran must remain our enemy, talks likely to fail

–in Baltimore, VICE news photojournalist was shot with “less lethal” projectile, improperly arrested, held for 49 hours