Top Senate Democrat calls for probe into domestic spying News
Top Senate Democrat calls for probe into domestic spying

[JURIST] Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid [official website] on Sunday called for a congressional investigation into the Bush administration's use of domestic spying on terror suspects. Reid called for an investigation and hearings into the intelligence program overseen by the National Security Agency [official website]. Reid acknowledged being briefed about the program several months ago and he called for the prosecution of the person who leaked the existence of the program [JURIST report] to the media, but Reid said the program had gone on for too long. The Bush administration has defended the surveillance program [AFP report] as legal and insisted that there were no plans to end it, although US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice [official profile] said its revelation to the public will harm its effectiveness. According to reports about the program, in the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks the administration allowed the NSA to monitor international communications originating from the US without warrants issued by courts. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Pope Urban II sparks First Crusade

Pope Urban II threw his support behind what would become the First Crusade on November 27, 1095 during the Council of Clairmont. The Pope urged the council's participants to render aid to the Byzantine Empire, which was being attacked by the Seljuks. Pope Urban called for a wide coalition of rich and poor to combat the threat, which eventually resulted in the conquest of much of the Muslim-controlled Levant by the Crusaders and the establishment of the Crusader States. Read Pope Urban's address.  

Catholic Code of Canon Law revised

On November 27, 1983, the revised Code of Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church went into effect. Learn more about the history of Canon Law from Professor Kenneth Pennington of the Catholic University of America's Columbus School of Law.

Alfred Nobel creates Nobel Prize in his will

On November 27, 1895, Alfred Nobel signed his will, creating the Nobel Prize. Learn more about the history of the Nobel Prize and the Nobel Commission.