FILE - In this Dec. 20, 2013 file photo, President Barack Obama speaks during an end-of-the year news conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington. Capping a monthslong review, Obama is expected to back modest changes to the government’s surveillance network at home and abroad while largely leaving the framework of the controversial programs in place, including the bulk collection of phone records from millions of Americans. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)
January 17, 2014 - 12:37 AM
WASHINGTON - Capping a monthslong review, President Barack Obama is expected to back modest changes to the government's surveillance network at home and abroad while largely leaving the framework of the controversial programs in place, including the bulk collection of phone records from millions of Americans.
The approach reflects a president seeking the middle ground in the resurgent debate over Americans' privacy and the security measures needed to keep the country safe.
Obama is detailing his decisions in a much-anticipated speech Friday morning at the Justice Department.
The speech follows an internal review spurred by disclosures about the government's sweeping surveillance programs by former National Security Agency analyst Edward Snowden, a fugitive now living in Russia.
News from © The Associated Press, 2014