“The Patriot Act provisions that have allowed the National Security Agency to vacuum up Americans’ phone records officially expire on June 1. But the Obama administration says the NSA must begin preparing to end its bulk-telephone-spying program as soon as Friday,” National Journal reports.  

“A Justice Department memo circulated among congressional offices Wednesday and obtained by National Journal  said Congress needs to fully settle its differences over the expiring spy provisions this week in order to avoid an operational interruption to the NSA’s mass-surveillance program.”  

“The Friday deadline articulated by the Justice Department aligns with a March order from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which authorizes the NSA program on 90-day intervals. That order instructed the Obama administration to submit to the the court by May 22 a renewal application if it intended to continue the bulk spying in some fashion.”