The Guardian’s Ed Snowden coverage in 2014 led to a series of high-profile awards, notably a Pulitzer Prize and an Emmy. So what on earth was this gong doing on sale in a Richmond Oxfam?

Guido dispatched a roving reporter to find out…

Apparently an unidentified benefactor turned up at the Oxfam on Friday afternoon and handed the Pulitzer in. It was quickly snapped up for a fiver by a mysterious telephone bidder just before the store closed, though Guido managed to get his hands on the Guardian‘s Emmy for just £4.99.

The prizes were most likely wall hangings for senior journalist’s offices. Guido’s new intern has only been here a week and he’s already landed an Emmy…

A tough night for Rand Paul at the Fox News Republican presidential debate, though he was punchy in this fiery exchange with Chris Christie on mass surveillance and the NSA:

Rand sued the NSA last year and clearly has more of an interest in civil liberties than the other candidates, not that it helped his popularity. It was Trump who stole the show…

The US House of Representatives has overwhelming voted to back the USA Freedom Act which would end the bulk surveillance of American phone records and emails. The backing of the bill which seeks to amend notorious sections of the USA Patriot Act, will embolden privacy advocates and comes on the back of US Court of Appeals ruling last week that the NSA’s bulk collection of telephone metadata is unlawful.

Seen as a compromise between real reform and keeping national security hawks happy, the Freedom Act has emerged as having the most realistic change of curbing the NSA.

Convincing the Senate to back the legislation is another thing…

Rand Paul, who sued the NSA last year is delighted that the US Court of Appeals has ruled that much of the NSA’s bulk collection of telephone metadata is unlawful.

“The government has to live within rules that are set, and if we have a government or intelligence community that thinks they can do anything, that’s a real problem for freedom”

Do you stand with Rand?