The Obama administration has called for an end to the N.S.A.’s bulk phone records program. Under the proposal, “the N.S.A. would end its systematic collection of data about Americans’ calling habits. The bulk records would stay in the hands of phone companies, which would not be required to retain the data for any longer than they normally would. And the N.S.A. could obtain specific records only with permission from a judge.”

+ Esquire’s Michael Maiello argues that the new proposal is proof that Edward Snowden is a whistleblower, not a criminal: “Obama’s proposal is an admission that Snowden was right. It doesn’t make sense to insist that the citizen who prodded his recalcitrant government into action should be punished.”