A divided federal appeals court has cleared the way for a challenge to the wiretapping authorities approved by Congress in 2008 under then-President George W. Bush. A number of groups, including Amnesty International and American Civil Liberties Union, have challenged the wiretapping powers, calling them unconstitutional. The Obama administration has continued the Bush administration’s effort to dismiss the case. On Wednesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit reached a deadlock of 6-to-6, an outcome that allows for the challenge to proceed before a lower court.