POTUS NEWS NET

The FBI and National Security Agency (NSA) have been tapping into leading U.S. Internet companies to pull audio, video and photographs, a former senior NSA official told Fox News. 

The FBI started seeking information about the business and political dealings of state Sen. Ron Calderon and his brother Tom, a former state assemblyman, as long ago as 2005.

The New York Times editorial board, which twice endorsed President Obama and has championed many planks of his agenda, on Thursday turned on the president over the government's mass collection of phone data -- saying the administration has "lost all credibility." 

The Republican-controlled House voted Thursday to resume the deportation of hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought illegally to the United States as children, the first immigration-related vote in either chamber of Congress this year and a measure of the daunting challenge facing supporters of a sweeping overhaul of existing law on the subject.

Gamblers who prefer their laptops to blackjack tables could soon get a boost from Washington.

Interest rates on new student loans are likely headed higher after senators on Thursday failed to advance proposals to keep them from doubling come July 1.

President Obama's nominee to replace Susan Rice as the next U.N. ambassador is running into early opposition from conservative Jewish groups and at least one outspoken Republican senator, as she prepares for what could be a tough confirmation. 

The author of the Patriot Act said Thursday that a secret program under which the Obama administration was collecting phone records from millions of Americans is "excessive" and beyond the scope of the law. 

Today, President Obama travelled to Mooresville, NC to announce ConnectEd, an exciting new initiative designed to help bring America's students into the digital age.  The goal of the ConnectED initiative is to bring high-speed internet connections to 99% of America's students within five years.

Immediately following the event, James Kvaal, Deputy Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council joined high tech schools from across the country for a national virtual "show and tell" via Google+ Hangout.  During the conversation, moderated by Betsy Corcoran of EdSurge, students and teachers from the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia, PA, Loris Elementary in Horry County, SC and Chappell Elementary in Green Bay, WI demonstrated how they are using the internet and technology in their classrooms.

The students at Loris elementary talked about how they are using iPads to take photos for a virtual book, then bringing their projects into the digital age by doing presentations via blog post. The high school students at the Science Leadership Academy discussed using technology for everything from building websites and doing graphic design to leveraging their computer science skills to develop a custom video game.  The 5th graders at Chappell Elementary school are using their laptops and the power of the internet to raise their awareness of the world around them to raising money online to build a well in Sudan. 

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New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Thursday appointed state Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa to temporarily fill the seat held by the late Frank Lautenberg.