Huffington Magazine Issue 54 | Page 8

Enter FROM TOP: OLIVIER DOULIERY-POOL/GETTY IMAGES; DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP/GETTY IMAGES; CHRISTOPHE SIMON/AFP/GETTY IMAGES 2 POINTERS OBAMA: NSA SPYING IS ‘TRANSPARENT’ In an interview with PBS’ Charlie Rose on Monday, President Obama again defended the National Security Agency’s secret surveillance programs. When asked by Rose if the program should be “transparent in some way,” he responded: “It is transparent. That’s why we set up the FISA court.” The NSA director said Tuesday that the programs have foiled about 50 terrorist plots. 3 OPPOSITION TO ARMING SYRIAN REBELS 4 HUFFINGTON 06.23.13 BRAZIL ROCKED BY PROTESTS After the Obama administration announced last week that it would be arming the Syrian rebels, new polls find that most Americans oppose sending weapons. The Pew Research Center found that 70 percent of Americans don’t think the U.S. military should arm the rebels, while 20 percent think it should. A HuffPost/YouGov poll found similar results — 53 percent of Americans are opposed, while only 19 percent are in favor. A Gallup poll found 37 percent agreed with Obama’s decision to send weapons, while 54 percent disapproved. Tens of thousands of people are taking part in demonstrations across Brazil, marking some of the biggest protests since the end of the country’s military dictatorship in 1985. The protests began over an increase in bus prices, but evolved into outrage over the high cost of living, poor health services and education, and stadium projects to prepare for the 2014 World Cup. President Dilma Rousseff addressed the protests on Monday, saying, “Peaceful demonstrations are legitimate and part of democracy. It is natural for young people to demonstrate.” Yet the protests have not all been peaceful, with some getting disrupted by violent police crackdowns.