From VOA Learning English,this is In the News.A special advisory group in the United Statesis urging President Barack Obama to make changesto the government's surveillance programs.The group offered its suggestionsin a report released this week.Mr. Obama ordered the reporton the intelligence gathering activitiesearlier this year.The order followed information leaks from Edward Snowden,a former National Security Agency contract worker.The leaks created a huge problemfor the NSA and the president.They also added to public knowledgeabout government information gathering,including the collection of datafrom telephone calls and activities on the Internet.The surveillance programs are operatingunder U.S. congressional approval.They have been amended at different times,and are under the supervision of a special court.Mr. Obama has described the programsas important to keeping Americans safe.But he has called for more "self-restraint" by the NSA.In its report, the Review Group on Intelligenceand Communications Technologies proposes 46 changes.One is to end the government's storage of "metadata"of the telephone records of Americans.The report proposes that private companiesor a non-government agency keep the records instead, not the NSA.Another proposal is to require a court to approveindividual searches of phone and Internet data records.The report also proposes limits on the NSA's powerto study known targets of counter terrorism surveillanceafter they enter the United States.The report is calling for a new process to identify"uses and limits of surveillanceon foreign leaders and in foreign nations."It says decisions should consider whether other methodsor targets of collection could provide needed information.The review group met with President Obama on Wednesdayafter sending him their report last week.Press secretary Jay Carney said President Obamaplans to study the document over the holidays.He will speak to the nation about it next monthafter a separate government investigation is completed."The president has been clearthat even as we review our effortsand make some changes in how we do things,we will not harm our ability to face those threats.That is, his number one obligation as commander-in-chief."The official US position on Edward Snowden remains unchanged.The Obama administration says he should returnto the United States to face criminal charges.It disagrees with suggestions that he receive a pardonto prevent him from releasing additional information.Earlier this week a federal court ruledthat secretly collecting the telephone records of Americansis likely unconstitutional.Mr. Obama also faced pressure from leaders of high-tech companies.Reports said they urged him to make aggressive reforms,and expressed concern about damage to the United States' imageand business interests overseas.The "60 Minutes" television program recently spokewith the head of the NSA, Keith Alexander.He denied that the agency is collecting e-mailsor listening to the phone calls of Americans.He said the NSA's job is foreign intelligence.And that's In the News, from VOA Learning English.