Unconstitutional: The NSA’s indiscriminate collection of domestic telephone data violates the Constitutional protection against unreasonable searches and seizures, according to a ruling by a federal judge. DC District Judge Richard Leon also noted that the NSA was unable to cite an instance in which their collection of data stopped a terrorist attack.

  He did not issue an immediate restraining order against the NSA because of the national security interests of the case and the likelihood that the government will appeal. He said in his ruling that the government’s ability to collect data is “almost-Orwellian.” Leon said, “I cannot imagine a more ‘indiscriminate’ and ‘arbitrary invasion’ than this systematic and high-tech collection and retention of personal data on virtually every citizen for purposes of querying and analyzing it without prior judicial approval.”

  The judge’s ruling has fed the debate about whether secrets-leaker Edward Snowden is a traitor or a hero for revealing the extent of NSA snooping.

Budget Bill: The federal budget compromise appears to have collected enough Republicans to pass in the Senate. It had been in doubt. One of the last holdouts, Utah Republican Orrin Hatch, said, “This agreement isn’t everything I’d hoped it would be, and it isn’t what I would have written. But sometimes the answer has to be yes.”

Crash: Six American soldiers died in a helicopter crash in southern Afghanistan. It’s the biggest loss of foreign soldiers in months.

Side Effects: The FDA wants the makers of anti-bacterial soaps to prove that their product does anything more than just plain soap. The agency says there is some possibility that the agents in anti-bacterial soaps might actually contribute to bacterial resistance to antibiotics. The FDA statement said, “risks associated with long-term, daily use of antibacterial soaps may outweigh the benefits.”

No Effects: Researchers say daily multivitamins don’t do any good and are a waste of money. An editorial in the Annals of Internal Medicine says, “Most supplements do not prevent chronic disease or death, their use is not justified, and they should be avoided.” One of the authors, a professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins, told CBS, “What will protect you is if you spend the money on fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, low fat dairy, things like that … exercising would probably be a better use of the money.” 

Wildfire: A fire in the picturesque mountains of Big Sur over the Pacific has destroyed at least 15 homes, including the house of the local fire chief. It may take several days to control the wind-driven fire.  

The Obit Page: Ray Price, the country crooner who sang “Make the World Go Away”, died at home in Texas at age 87. Also among his top 10 hits were “City Lights” and “Heartaches by the Number.”

Say it in Na’vi: Movie producer James Cameron announced he will make three sequels to his 3D “Avatar” to open in 2016, 2017, and 2018. At nearly $2.8 billion, “Avatar” has made a 4^th dimension of money. 

Merry Christmas, or Else: Italian police arrested four Mafiosos who spread Christmas cheer by forcing local shop owners to buy Poinsettia plants at about $140 apiece. The money collected was to help jailed colleagues. Police said the Mazzarella clan was responsible. Not to be confused with mozzarella. 

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