Parts of the
Patriot Act expire at 12:01 a.m. due to Congressional failure to reform the
USA Freedom Act, temporarily making new surveillance of telephone records by the
NSA illegal.
(New York Times)
Former German chancellor, "architect of German reunification" and one of the authors of the European single currency
Helmut Kohl is reported to be in a "critical condition" after surgery at a
Heidelberg hospital.
(Guardian)