Feeling the sting of the "Patriot Act" (I'm sorry - I can't type that without putting quotes around it)

Becky Foster isn't a terrorist, but her bank didn't want to take any chances. Before she could open a new account, bank officials told her, the USA Patriot Act required them to run her name through a government list of suspected terrorists.

The public corruption probe known as "G-sting" is aimed at strip-club owners, but that didn't stop the FBI from using the Patriot Act to secretly obtain reams of banking information for its investigation. Originally sold to Congress as a means of fighting terrorism in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the Patriot Act has been used in numerous criminal cases unrelated to terrorism probes, officials say.