The practice of wiretapping has taken a new shape as technology has evolved. Telephone lines are no longer the only communication medium vulnerable to infiltration. E-mail, text messaging, and almost any form of online correspondence is susceptible to monitoring by a third party.

There have been a number of landmark court cases that have shifted the way government respects or rather, doesn't respect a citizen's privacy. Protected under the 4th amendment, which prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures, the right to privacy is not as ironclad as some may think.

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gay marriage

The United States Supreme Court is expected to rule on the Defense of Marriage Act (Windsor v. United States) and California's Proposition 8 (Hollingsworth v. Perry) in the next few days. There is a good possibility the decision on these two cases will be reserved for last.

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industrial hemp

A bipartisan amendment to the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013 (FARM Bill) that would guarantee a state's right to make its own decision regarding the legalization of industrial hemp was approved by the House on Thursday. Introduced by Representatives Jared Polis (D-CO), Thomas Massie (R-KY), and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), the amendment passed with a narrow 225 to 200 vote.