Good work, everyone. The story of two bloggers receiving subpoenas by the Transportation Security Administration for posting new security guidelines provoked outrage among journalists, civil liberties advocates and others. A couple days after issuing the subpoenas, however, the TSA has dropped them.

The Transportation Security Administration on Thursday dropped the subpoenas it had issued to two Internet writers in its effort to learn who leaked an airline security directive.

The agency said the investigation was “nearing a successful conclusion, and the subpoenas are no longer in effect.”

The security directive ordered extra measures after a Christmas Day attack on a Detroit-bound airliner.

Presumably TSA discovered the internal leak, making the need for the subpoenas moot. But surely they were a little spooked by the backlash against their heavy-handed tactics.

This is a small victory for freedom of the press and the rights of the individual not to be coerced by the state. It’s the first good-news story of 2010. Here’s to hoping for many more.