A.M. Links: Issa Apologizes to Cummings, Obama Calls Putin, NSA Apparently Cares About Civil Liberties

• Chairman of the House Oversight Committee Rep. Darrell
  Issa (R-Calif)
  has apologized to Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) for his behavior
  at a recent hearing on alleged IRS abuses. Issa cut off Cummings’
  mic while the Maryland lawmaker tried to make a statement.
• President Obama has urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to
  seek a
  diplomatic solution to the Crimea crisis.
• The Massachusetts Legislature passed a bill banning
  “upskirting” shortly after the state’s Supreme Judicial Court
  ruled that an anti-criminal voyeurism law does not apply to
  snapping photos up women’s skirts.
• Secretary of Defense
  Chuck Hagel has said that legally required cuts to the defense
  budget pose “tough, tough choices.”
• The NSA’s privacy and civil liberties officer said that civil
  liberties are a top concern for the intelligence agency. No,
  
  she really did.
• Turkey’s prime minister has threatened to
  ban Facebook and Youtube in order to stop political opponents
  from posting audio recordings that expose corruption in his inner
  circle.

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