The Senate is likely to take up a bill this week that would extend an expiring 2008 law that allows the warrantless surveillance of foreign targets, including those in communication with American citizens. The bill (S 3276) is scheduled for floor time later this week, with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid calling it "must-pass" legislation before its expiration at the end of the year. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., has placed a hold on the bill, citing his fears about the privacy rights of U.S. citizens affected by the program, but he acknowledged on Twitter last week that Reid is likely to garner the 60 votes needed to override his hold. Wyden has previously called for a report on how many Americans had their communication monitored under the law. The House version of the bill, which extends the law until 2017, also differs from the Senate version, which extends the authority only until 2015, though Senate Intelligence Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said she would rather extend the law until 2017.

Report: Google Close To Deal To End FTC Probe: Google is reportedly close to negotiating a deal to end the Federal Trade Commission's antitrust investigation of the search giant, according to multiple reports. Google will reportedly avoid any action regarding the most serious accusation: that its search results are biased in favor of its own services. Instead of a prolonged trial, Google will reportedly agree to a set of voluntary commitments and sign a consent decree that would license patents deemed essential for wireless communications. Google has reportedly agreed to refrain from using product and restaurant reviews in its search results after companies like Yelp complained about the practice; Google will also make it easier for advertisers to transfer their campaigns to competing ad networks and stop striking exclusive deals with websites to use Google's search service. The patent issue is more recent, but Google is one of the few companies that hasn't licensed patents for technologies considered standard for the wireless industry.

The news is a huge win for Google and a big blow to Microsoft, which had been leading the charge against Google on antitrust issues. Google's decision to integrate some of its other services into its search results had been the focus of a Congressional hearing last year, where former CEO Eric Schmidt testified that Google is focused above all on providing consumers with the answers they seek. Google is still under investigation in the European Union for search bias and other antitrust issues.

Rogers Insists Cybersecurity Bill Not Dead: House Intelligence Chairman Mike Rogers insisted on Friday that time hasn't run out for Congress to pass cybersecurity legislation this year, even though most lawmakers have already given up on that possibility. But the Michigan Republican said the GOP wouldn't agree to grant the Department of Homeland Security new regulatory powers to oversee network security practices at critical infrastructure providers, the key sticking point in the debate. Legislation (S 3414) favored by the Senate and White House would create a voluntary regime for critical infrastructure providers, while the legislation sponsored by Rogers (HR 3523) that was passed by the House in April deals strictly with information sharing between the federal government and private sector. Republicans have argued that the Senate should take up their bill, which is supported by industry but opposed by many privacy advocates. Regardless, it is difficult to see a bill passing both chambers this year, or even next, barring some unforeseen circumstance that again raises the profile of the issue. Obama Opposes Delay on Medical Device Tax: President Obama recently said he's unwilling to put off a 2.3 percent excise tax on medical devices, despite a push from the Minnesota Congressional delegation. Obama argued that the health care overhaul, which includes the provision, would ultimately benefit medical device manufacturers by providing them with 30 million new customers. Medical device makers argue that the tax has no benefit for their companies and would threaten jobs and investments in research and development. Democratic Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken of Minnesota also vowed to continue fighting against the tax, which they helped cut in half during debate on the health care law.