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The US Treasury Department authorized the export of social media and communications software and services to the Russian region of Crimea on Friday.
Although Crimea already has many Internet users and bloggers who document changes and conditions on the peninsula, the explanatory note states that the new action "is in U.S. national security and foreign policy interests because it helps create a potentially uncontrolled access point." The United States does not consider Crimea to be a part of Russia, but rather a part of Ukraine that it has enacted an embargo against, similar to one previously enacted over Cuba.
"In addition, creating an opportunity for people in the Crimea region of Ukraine to draw attention to these issues may also encourage other countries to join with the United States and other like-minded countries currently imposing sanctions on Russia," the explanatory note to the new act states.
According to the license requirements, the nationality of the Crimea resident will be used to determine what country the product is being exported to. Over 99 percent of Crimea residents became Russian nationals in 2014. Ukrainian law does not permit dual citizenship.
The Senate failed to move forward on legislation to reform the National Security Agency or renew the Patriot Act early on Saturday morning, making it almost a sure bet that portions of the Patriot Act expire at the end of the month.
After a frenzied series of votes that were repeatedly knocked down, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) ordered lawmakers to return home for the Memorial Day weekend and return at noon on May 31 for a rare Sunday session and “one more opportunity to act responsibly.”
That would give lawmakers just 12 hours to act before portions of the Patriot Act expire — a conclusion almost everyone has said would seriously hamper national security......continued
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