Senate clears 77-day extension of surveillance powers

The Senate cleared a nearly four-month extension of intelligence programs that expired on Sunday as part of a deal that will also allow for votes on broader surveillance reforms.

The Senate had been expected to hold an initial procedural vote Monday on the House-passed bill that paired extension of the three expired USA Freedom Act provisions with some changes to the court established by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).

Instead, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) came to the floor minutes before the scheduled vote and passed a 77-day extension of the three USA Freedom Act provisions.

The extension is retroactive to Saturday. It still needs to pass the House, which is currently out of town. Asked if they could support the Senate deal, a senior Democratic House aide told The Hill that “leadership [is] discussing.”

To pass the House without bringing lawmakers back for a vote, it would need consent from every member.

https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/487910-senate-clears-77-day-extension-of-surveillance-powers

>>8442927 Gov. Gavin Newsom asked California lawmakers Monday for a package of up to $1.1 billion

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Fed or State funds requested?

Coronavirus forces Universal Studios to shift new movies to home viewing

The coronavirus pandemic has cracked Hollywood's traditional theatrical window. Universal Pictures on Monday said it will make its current and upcoming films available for on-demand rental, becoming the first major studio to turn directly to home viewing in light of the virus.

The studio said it will put movies currently in theaters — “Invisible Man,” “The Hunt,” “Emma” — up for rental on-demand beginning as early as Friday. It also said that “Trolls World Tour," one of the only major releases left on the April film release calendar, will open “day-and-date,” debuting in theaters and on-demand services simultaneously. A 48-hour rental will cost $19.99.

The move came as theaters worldwide have closed and many North American cinemas are shuttering. On Sunday, the mayors of New York and Los Angeles order their cities' theaters shut. The governors of New York, Connecticut and New Jersey announced Monday that all movie theaters in the tri-state area wold be closed during this crisis following similar decisions in Massachusetts and Quebec. Overseas, most European cinemas have shut down, as have those in China, India and elsewhere.

Over the weekend, ticket sales plunged to their lowest levels in at least 20 years at the weekend box office for U.S. and Canadian theaters. Not since a quiet September weekend in 2000 has weekend box office revenue been so low, according to data firm Comscore. More people went to the movies the weekend after Sept. 11, 2001.

https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/coronavirus-forces-universal-studios-to-move-new-releases-to-home-viewing

>>8443108 New Georgia ethics chief says he will subpoena Abrams campaign records

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