1. It’s Monday, June 1, 2015. This year is flying by, isn’t it?

2. Today is the 35th anniversary of CNN’s debut. As a proud alumnus, I think about the amazing things this all-news network has done to enlighten and inform the world over the years. Beijing in 1989. Baghdad in 1991. New Orleans in 2005. Wall Street in 2008. Tripoli in 2010. The dedication and integrity of the most talented reporters, editors and producers in global journalism. That’s what I’m choosing to remember on this day. 

3. The Senate’s non-action on the Patriot Act renewal should present an opportunity, in a nation dedicated to both protecting its freedom and protecting its citizens, for something that does both.

Unfortunately, we don’t seem to be clear-headed enough to sort this out — which is a shame, because it’s clear that the fear many of us shared immediately after the 9/11 attacks has abated.

The legislation the House passed with a large bipartisan vote might not have been perfect to all. But at least it was a start toward making everyone a little less worried about government intrusion into our lives, while maintaining a vigilance against people who want to kill indiscriminately.