Snowden-documents reveal that the NSA has been collecting every phone call from an undisclosed country. 100%. Apparently they do it in 30-day batches. They then can "rewind" whatever device the info is on, and pick and choose. The "authority" for this blatantly illegal action, I'm assuming, probably comes from the secret FISA "Court". Never thought I'd live to see the day when there would be a Fed, secret, political court in the Republic of the United States of America. [This is totally unlike a Grand Jury.]
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There's a good deal of evidence to indicate that the NSA has been spying on Congress, including hacking into staffers' computers. If true, and it's certainly looking that way, it's a violation of the Separation of Powers concept, never mind the Fourth Amendment protection afforded every American (including staffers). Plus, it makes a joke out of Congressional "oversight". I can't guess where the "authority" for that spying is found.
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The Feds are boycotting international talks in Geneva regarding the USA's use of weaponized drones. Because they don't have a leg to stand on, I really don't blame them for the boycott. :) Pakistan spurred the calling of the talks; it seems they're fed up with violations of their sovereignty and the murdering of innocent civilians. Go figure.
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Right-Wing Death Squads in Colombia are murdering people again. These squads, what they do, and their victims ("suspects") essentially are ignored by the oligarchical government of Colombia...you know, the gov't that our Fed Gov't supports. The last I heard, Colombia is the only South American government that still allows us to have US military bases on its soil; we have seven there. Every other S.A. country has kicked us out or never let us in to begin with. Their shabby experiences with US "intervention" in their affairs has been the reason.
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Obama's supposed "authority" for imposing sanctions on Russia is the concept of the "Executive Order". This one isn't as bad as Clinton's Exec. Order that declared that Serbia was a threat to the security of the USA (Congress disagreed), but it's bad enough. We the People have been sold a fraudulent bill of goods regarding Exec. Orders. The Congressional Research Office claims such orders are implied by the Constitution, especially Article II, Section 2. Here are the two orders that the President can issue under that Section: he may require the opinion, in writing, of each of his Department Heads on any subject relating to their duties; and, he may order Pardons related to offenses against the United States. Those are a far, far cry from imposing sanctions on, or invading, a foreign country. Nowhere else in the Constitution is power delegated to the Executive Branch to issue so-called Executive Orders. It's not the office of a King, but it has morphed into something that's too close to that for comfort.
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Partly just my opinion. Happy Trails
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