Cheat Sheet - Seven Things Congress Actually Did This Year

Today: Judge: NSA Phone Spying Is Legal , Study: Exercise Could Be The Key to Mitigating the Christmas Weight Damage , NJ Family Moves to CO for Pot December 27, 2013 'A' FOR EFFORT 1. Seven Things Congress Actually Did It might have been the least productive session ever, but legislators did manage to get some work done. From student loans to Kentucky fishing spots, The Daily Beast's Ben Jacobs looks at the notable laws enacted this year. Read it at The Daily Beast JUSTIFIED 2. Judge: NSA Phone Spying Is Legal A federal judge in New York decided Friday that the NSA's mass collection of phone data is lawful. In his opinion on the lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, U.S. District Judge William Pauley argued that the program was part of the government's post-9/11 attempt to adapt "to confront a new enemy: a terror network capable of orchestrating attacks across the world." In his opinion, Pauley wrote that, "The collection of breathtaking amounts of information unprotected by the Fourth Amendment does not transform that sweep into a Fourth Amendment search," referring to the prohibition on unreasonable search and seizure.  Read it at The Associated Press MOVE IT 3. Your Post-Xmas Workout Plan A new study provides a strong argument for doing whatever you can to exercise this week. Then, eat all the Christmas leftovers you want, writes Jesse Singal. Read it at The Daily Beast SEARCHING FOR EDIBLES 4. NJ Family Moves to CO for Pot The family of an epileptic toddler is moving from New Jersey to Colorado after failing to get Chris Christie to loosen the state's medical marijuana law.  Meghan and Brian Wilson got three doctors to approve a cannabis card for their 2 ½-year-old daughter Vivian, who they say needs edible marijuana to control her life-threatening seizures. But New Jersey's only dispensary sells smokable pot, which had to be made into food. The family petitioned for Christie to change the law to allow edibles, but he said that would be "a slippery slope." When a generous benefactor offered to pay for $10,000 of their moving expenses, the Wilsons decided it was time to relocate to Colorado where retail marijuana sales are legal. Read it at Philly.com TROUBLESHOOTING 5. Target: PIN Data Lifted, But Safe PIN data was lifted during the Target data breach, the corporation has admitted, but Target is "confident that PIN numbers are safe and secure." Target assured its customers that their debit card accounts are safe after a company-wide scam that may have impacted up to 40 million shoppers. "The PIN information was fully encrypted at the keypad, remained encrypted within our system, and remained encrypted when it was removed from our systems," said Target in its statement. Read it at ABC News PEACE? South Sudan OKs Ceasefire Rebel leaders asked for same commitment. CRACKDOWN Muslim Brotherhood Battles Grow One dead, dozens more arrested. FOWL Chick-fil-A Site for 'Duck' Day Fans want to fight for free speech. MASS MURDER Louisiana Man Kills Three Then turns the gun on himself. PEER PRESSURE Miley Disses Joe Jonas Says he chose to smoke pot. 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. Reel Numbers: 'Lone Survivor' Less than 35 percent of Navy SEAL trainees finish the program. Find out more army stats alongside Mark Wahlberg's new movie about a military operation gone bad in Afghanistan. More Videos The Secret Life of Patton Oswalt by Marlow Stern Seven Things Congress Actually Did by Ben Jacobs Fitness Tracker 101 by Megan Humphreys

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