US won't stop the NSA's mass phone spying before a ban kicks in

If you were hoping that the courts would find a way to end the National Security Agency's mass phone surveillance a little early... well, you'll be disappointed. The 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals says it won't overturn Congress' decision to offer the NSA a 180-day transition period ahead of the USA Freedom Act's more targeted spying requirements. It's a "reasonable decision" that helps the agency keep tabs on terrorists, according to the ruling. You might beg to differ given the potential privacy violations of bulk data collection, but it's a short-lived victory for the NSA regardless -- the outfit has to scale back its snooping on November 29th.