Cheat Sheet - Reza Aslan's Sweet Revenge

Today: Massive NSA Web Surveillance Program Revealed , U.S. Economy Grows 1.7 Percent , Report: Diana Wanted to Remarry July 31, 2013 HALLELUJAH 1. Reza Aslan's Sweet Revenge Thanks to a mortifying Fox News segment, Reza Aslan's controversial new book on the life Jesus Christ has become an unlikely hit among hippies and liberals. Exhibit A: a rapturous reception at a Portland reading Tuesday night. Winston Ross reports. Read it at The Daily Beast BIG BROTHER 2. Massive NSA Web Surveillance Program Revealed There may have been truth to Edward Snowden's controversial claim that he said he could "wiretap anyone" if he had their email address. The Guardian has revealed a training guide for a program called XKeyscore, which NSA documents call the agency's "widest-reaching" system for gathering Internet information. The program monitors everything anyone does on the Internet, from the content of emails to websites visited, searches, chats, and metadata. It can also be used to watch real-time Internet activity. The quantity of data collected is so huge—1 billion to 2 billion records a day—that they can only be stored for several days, with more "interesting" data saved for longer. Though an NSA worker would need a warrant to target a U.S. citizen, the agency can collect data on any citizen in communication with someone on foreign soil without a warrant. Read it at The Guardian YEA BABY 3. U.S. Economy Grows 1.7 Percent Despite government cuts and high import numbers, the U.S. economy expanded at a 1.7 percent pace in the second quarter, up from 1.1 percent in the first. Strong housing, consumer demand, and a robust stock market contributed to the growth. In addition, last year's GDP numbers were revised up from 2.2 percent to 2.8 percent. Read it at the Wall Street Journal IN LOVE 4. Report: Diana Wanted to Remarry Princess Diana was thinking about leaving her life in Britain to move to Pakistan and marry a heart surgeon, according to the latest issue of Vanity Fair. The story reveals that the princess was in love with Dr. Hasnat Khan and traveled to Pakistan to see if she could adapt to life in his home country. "Diana was madly in love with [him] and wanted to marry him, even if that meant living in Pakistan," says Jemima Khan, Diana's close friend who is quoted in the article. Khan says Diana also asked her about the cultural issues that arise when dating a Pakistani man. Diana and Hasnat were a couple for two years. Their relationship is the subject of the new movie Diana, which is set to be released in September. Read it at ABC News FIZZLE 5. Why the Soda Biz Went Flat Three major U.S.-based soda makers—Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Dr Pepper Snapple Group—all reported weak North American numbers in the second quarter. Have we hit peak soda? The Daily Beast's William O'Connor crunches the numbers. Read it at The Daily Beast MAVERICK McCain: Rand Paul vs. Hillary Would Be Tough Choice Criticizes Tea Party in interview. LITTLE EINSTEINS Study: Breast-Fed Babies Are Smarter Score better on intelligence tests later in life. FINALLY Facebook Stock Surges Reaches level of May 2012 IPO. IN CAHOOTS Hollywood Worked With Hitler To protect German market for their movies. FREE LILO Lindsay Lohan Leaves Rehab And she's smiling. GET The Cheat Sheet A speedy, smart summary of news and must-reads from across the Web. You'll love the featured original stories on politics, entertainment, and more from The Daily Beast's diverse group of contributors. GET Culture Beast Weekly cultural recommendations from The Daily Beast. Cheap and Easy Tech Hacks You don't need more fancy gadgets to enhance your already expensive electronics. Try out these tricks instead. More Videos So Your Boss Called You a 'Slutbag' by Sally Kohn How Gay Was Gore Vidal? by Tim Teeman Hollywood's Best Orgasms by Marlow Stern

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