Congressman Says NSA Does Not Get Warrants to Eavesdrop on Phone Calls

Cnet is not generally a source of political information. For those not familiar with the website it is now owned CBS and focuses on consumer technology such as computers, cell phones, cameras etc.

The National Security Agency has acknowledged in a new classified briefing that it does not need court authorization to listen to domestic phone calls.
Rep. Jerrold Nadler, a New York Democrat, disclosed this week that during a secret briefing to members of Congress, he was told that the contents of a phone call could be accessed "simply based on an analyst deciding that."
If the NSA wants "to listen to the phone," an analyst's decision is sufficient, without any other legal authorization required, Nadler said he learned. "I was rather startled," said Nadler, an attorney and congressman who serves on the House Judiciary committee.
Not only does this disclosure shed more light on how the NSA's formidable eavesdropping apparatus works domestically it also suggests the Justice Department has secretly interpreted federal surveillance law to permit thousands of low-ranking analysts to eavesdrop on phone calls.

I can find no other source to verify the assertion so presumably Nadler made it to Cnet. In addition to not needing a warrant to listen to phone calls the article states that the same legal principle applies to internet content such as emails and text messages.