The NSA argues the claims are implausible speculation about a program that may never have existed. "These plaintiffs allege willful, intentional, unlawful conduct in violation of constitutional rights by our elected representatives at the highest levels and by our government," Judge Shelby said. Former Mayor Rocky Anderson said he confirmed the spying program with a source who worked for the NSA during the Olympics. "They have not denied these allegations," he said.   read more

Herman thought he would never see Fred again, and no idea that his long-lost friend had spent weeks burning up the phone lines to get Herman his Purple Heart — and to keep it a secret. "I'm almost crying, ya'll. I never thought this would happen," Herman said after Swan pinned the combat medal on him. He choked back tears. So did Swan. "It shocked me. Tears came into my eyes ... I never expected this," said Herman. "I'm honored. I appreciate everything they did for me. Everything."   read more

At least eight inmates were in a basement holding cell when the lone guard slumped and fell. Inmates yelled for help, broke out of the cell and banged on doors. Sheriff's deputies rushed to the basement, corralled the inmates back into the cell and summoned paramedics, who revived the guard. The June 23 incident was captured on surveillance video at the district courts building in Weatherford.   read more

American will spend $5 million on the changes, said the airline's chief operating officer, Robert Isom, in a letter to employees. He said neither the increased automation nor CT scanners will solve TSA's problems, "but they are both huge steps in the right direction." The use of CT technology at airport checkpoints would eliminate the need for screeners to examine X-ray images of every bag. It could also let travelers leave liquids and laptops in their carry-on bags.   read more

Prescription drug costs have spiked in the U.S. in the last decade, straining the budgets of insurers and state and federal health programs and becoming a hot issue in Congress and the presidential race. Specialty drugs were once a small niche, generally injected drugs for cancer and complex chronic conditions that required refrigeration, extra oversight by nurses and preauthorization for insurance coverage. That's changed amid the surge of very pricey treatments approved in recent years.   read more

While TV remains the main source of news for Americans, younger viewers are shifting to smartphones and websites for information. Since 2013, the number of people getting news on mobile devices increased from 54% to 72%. And seven in ten people aged 18 to 29 prefer or only use their mobile devices for news. Nearly 60% of news readers now access their news online, while only 26% read print publications. The percentage of adults who read print newspapers has dropped from 27 to 20 since 2013.   read more

A White House campaign to help military families has hit a new milestone: All 50 states have eased the requirements for military spouses whose careers require a professional license. Michelle Obama said just three states accepted licenses from other states when she and Jill Biden launched a broader initiative in 2011 to help military families. Mrs. Obama and Jill Biden asked the nation's governors in 2011 to streamline licensing requirements. Nearly half of the states had done so by 2012.   read more

The nation's Asian population grew at 3.4% between July 2014 and 2015, with migration responsible for the majority of the growth, government officials said. There are now 21 million Asians in the U.S., with Hawaii as the nation's only majority Asian state. Asians have been the fastest-growing race group since about 2000, and the main driving force is international migration. In 2013, China replaced Mexico as the top sending country for immigrants to the U.S.   read more

Take a deep breath. Count to 10. What you have is tech support rage. And you are not alone. Getting caught in a tech support loop — waiting on hold, interacting with automated systems, talking to people reading from unhelpful scripts and then finding yourself on hold yet again — is a peculiar kind of aggravation that mental health experts say can provoke rage in even the most mild-mannered person. Worse, just as you suspected, companies are aware of the torture they are putting you through.   read more

Thursday's report from the CDC is perhaps the largest U.S. study to compare suicide rates among occupations. It didn't explore the reasons behind the differences, but researchers found the highest suicide rates in manual laborers who work in isolation and face unsteady employment. High rates were also seen in carpenters, miners, and electricians. Dentists, doctors and other health care professionals had an 80 percent lower suicide rate than the farmers, fishermen and lumberjacks.   read more

Albania’s Prime Minister Rama was accused of illegally funneling $80,000 to President Obama’s re-election campaign in 2012 in return for a photograph of the two men together. Rama proudly used the picture at the time to show his affinity to Obama, only months before the parliamentary elections. “Premier Rama has no connection with any kind of illegal funding and the only ‘crime’ he committed in 2012 is that he had a picture with the U.S. president..." said Rama’s office.   read more

Most Americans can sense the increase anecdotally given the ubiquity of smartphones. People stare at screens while waiting in line for fast food, riding in elevators or walking down the street. Retail outlets post signs pleading that phones be turned off. People check messages in bed before falling asleep, and reach for the devices upon waking up. An estimated 81% of American adults use a smartphone regularly. "I feel like I would be lost without it," Girao said. "My whole life is on it."   read more

The car's cameras failed to distinguish the white side of a turning tractor-trailer from a brightly lit sky and didn't automatically activate its brakes. The technology relies on multiple cameras, radar, laser and computers to sense objects and determine if they are in the car's way. Systems like Tesla's "aren't sophisticated enough to overcome blindness from bright or low contrast light," said Harley. He noted that more deaths can be expected as the autonomous technology is refined.   read more

Politicians in Iceland, Australia, Britain and Scotland have received such missives. Sir Roger Gale appealed to the speaker of the British House of Commons on Tuesday to block Trump's campaign appeals. "Members of Parliament are being bombarded with electronic communications from Team Trump on behalf of somebody called Donald Trump," said Gale. "I am all in favor of free speech, but I do not see why colleagues on either side of the House should be subjected to intemperate spam."   read more

Portland’s police chief resigned Monday, two months after he shot a friend during a hunting trip and allegedly told sheriff’s deputies that the friend had shot himself. Police Chief Larry O’Dea was on a camping trip in Harney County on April 21 when he shot his friend, Robert Dempsey, in the lower back. O’Dea, Dempsey and two other retired Portland police officers were reportedly shooting ground squirrels.   read more

Congressional officials have found lead in the drinking water of a House office buildings. The office of the Architect of the Capitol informed lawmakers Tuesday that lead levels in the drinking water of the Cannon Building “are slightly above the EPA standard.” Republican Rep. Dennis Ross dashed off an irate letter to House officials on Wednesday demanding to know how much lead is in the water and asking for free tests to measure lead in the people who’ve been drinking the water.   read more