Federal Judge Finds National Security Letters Unconstitutional, Bans Them

This almost calls for animated graphics with fireworks. All right, nothing really calls for animated graphics, but this is HUGE. Kim Zetter reports:

Ultra-secret national security letters that come with a gag order on the recipient are an unconstitutional impingement on free speech, a federal judge in California ruled Friday.

U.S. District Judge Susan Illston ordered the government to stop issuing so-called NSLs across the board, in a stunning defeat for the Obama administration’s surveillance practice. However, she also stayed her order for 90 days to give the government a chance to appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.