Just 45 days after the attacks of September 11, 2001, a panicked Congress passed, with virtually no debate, the USA Patriot Act. The law amounted to an overnight revision of the nation's surveillance ...

The Patriot Act also redefined terrorism so broadly that many non-terrorist political activities — such as protest marches, demonstrations and civil disobedience — were considered potential terrorist ...

Sixteen of the Patriot Act's provisions are to sunset this year, and all but two of them are being made permanent. The use of "roving" wiretaps and records searches will continue with a sunset clause ...