🙃 Jake Laperruque 🤔

if you think the film and TV industry lives in LA or maybe New York, take a look at this poster for a while … and then come visit Atlanta

Unclear if Senate will hold confirmation hearing today for DNI nominee Jay Clayton Senate GOP leaders and the Intelligence Committee are scrambling this morning, trying to figure out what to do about President Trump’s declaration overnight that he was “cancelling” the hearing for DNI nominee Jay Clayton.   Some GOP leaders are discussing right now how to move forward.   The President cannot “cancel” a hearing. That is up to a Congressional committee. The President can “withdraw” a nominee – or even not send the paperwork to Capitol Hill if it’s an issue of timing. And the Senate might note that since the President didn’t withdraw the nominee, then the hearing is going ahead at 2 pm et today, whether Clayton is there or not.   The schedule is key to the Senate. And so Fox is told there is an urgency to hold the hearing no matter what, even if there is “empty chair” where Clayton was supposed to testify.   Moreover, this scenario means authorization for FISA Section 702 likely remains unauthorized for a while. Democratic votes are essential to passing FISA. It was thought that a quick confirmation of Clayton on the floor – perhaps even late this week – was possible. That would free up the Democrats to vote for FISA since they reneged on a bipartisan agreement after the planned installation of Bill Pulte as acting DNI. But this means that FISA could now go for weeks without authorization.   That is a nightmare scenario for the intelligence community. Intelligence experts argue that FISA Section 702 is the most powerful tool they have to combat terrorism. The program is not “dark,” per se. A court allows the program to continue probes. However, the concern is whether telecommunications companies will continue to provide data and information to the intelligence community without Congressional authorization.   This adds a special risk to countering terrorism at a period of heightened alerts surrounding the conflict in Iran, America 250 and the World Cup.   Here is what former National Security counsel George Croner told me on camera Friday in a package we did for Special Report:   “There’s no reason to be particularly alarmed in the short term (with FISA lacking authorization),” said Croner. “But in the long the carriers are going to become, in my view, increasingly uncomfortable with not having statutory protection for their part in (FISA Section) 702 collection.”

Senate GOP Whip John Barrasso says Republicans will make UC request on Senate floor this afternoon to pass a temporary extension of FISA 702 powers. "There will be a unanimous consent offer and the goal is to get this completed so we don't put the country at risk," he says.

Johnson on most Dems voting against FISA reauthorization: “When the bill went down, they applauded... that video is going to live in infamy. I pray that we do not have a serious calamity on our shores over the next few weeks"

Allowing FISA Section 702 to expire before the World Cup risks American lives. Democrats need to come to their senses and support this vital national security tool.

Three-week extension of FISA 702 goes down in the House with only a day and a half to go before expiration. This is the most serious threat to the law underpinning the government’s most powerful surveillance program since it was authorized under 702 back in 2008.

No FISA extension without reforms, period. The swamp’s spying on law-abiding Americans is a threat to ALL of our freedoms. Fix FISA. Get a warrant.

After months of Chicken Little hysterics they’re now admitting what privacy experts and civil liberties advocates have been saying for MONTHS about the operational impact of a FISA 702 sunset…