Freedom of Information

Feb 8, 2016

Top 400 Taxpayers See Tax Rates Rise, But There’s More to the Story

As Americans were gathering party supplies to greet the New Year, the Internal Revenue Service released their annual report of cumulative tax data reported on the 400 tax r...

read in full

Feb 4, 2016

Chlorine Bleach Plants Needlessly Endanger 63 Million Americans

Chlorine bleach plants across the U.S. put millions of Americans in danger of a chlorine gas release, a substance so toxic it has been used as a chemical weapon. Greenpeace’s new repo...

read in full

Jan 25, 2016

U.S. Industrial Facilities Reported Fewer Toxic Releases in 2014

The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data for 2014 is now available. The good news: total toxic releases by reporting facilities decreased by nearly six percent from 2013 levels. Howe...

read in full

Jan 22, 2016

Methane Causes Climate Change. Here's How the President Plans to Cut Emissions by 40-45 Percent.

UPDATE (Jan. 22, 2016): Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released its proposed rule to reduce methane emissions...

read in full

more news

DOJ Gives FOIA Memo a Little More Bite

Apr 24, 2009 by Roger Strother*

On April 17, the Office of Information Policy (OIP) at the Justice Department (DOJ) issued new guidance that expands upon the March 2009 FOIA memo by Eric Holder. The OIP assessed the impact of Holder’s new guidelines as “a sea change in the way transparency is viewed across the government” and that implementation would require agencies to “review all aspects of their approach to transparency.” The OIP further defined some of the accountability statements of the memo.

read in full

Administration Invokes Nuremberg Defense

Apr 16, 2009 by Roger Strother*

On April 16, the Department of Justice released a series of four Bush administration memoranda issued by the Office of Legal Counsel concerning the legality of “coercive interrogation” (read: torture) but effectively pardoned government officials from accountability for past actions. President Obama announced that the government would not prosecute CIA officers who engaged in illegal behavior because the Bush administration had claimed it to be legal.

read in full

Mums the Word from the White House on State Secrets Act

Apr 14, 2009 by Roger Strother*

To my dismay the White House has repeatedly stonewalled regarding its position on the State Secrets Privilege Protection Act targeted at limiting the executive branch’s use of privilege. In the past two weeks the White House has refused comment to Marc Armbinder of The Atlantic and Greg Sargent of TPM.

read in full

Congress Seeks to Limit National Security Letter Powers

On March 30, Congress took its first step toward reforming the USA PATRIOT Act when Reps. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ) introduced the National Security Letters Reform Act of 2009 (H.R. 1800). The bill is designed to narrow the powers granted to the executive branch under the National Security Letter (NSL) provision of the Patriot Act. Public interest advocates contend that the NSL is only one component of the Patriot Act in need of reform.

read in full

New FOIA Memo, Hot Off the Press

On March 19, the Obama administration issued a new set of guidelines to federal agencies on implementation of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), replacing Bush-era rules that many thought promoted a culture of secrecy in government. Written by Attorney General Eric Holder, the Department of Justice (DOJ) memorandum outlines a spirit of transparency that reflects President Obama’s Jan. 21 assertion, "In the face of doubt, openness prevails."

read in full

BREAKING: New FOIA Memo Released During Sunshine Week

Mar 19, 2009 by Roger Strother*

The Obama Administration has approved a new set of guidelines concerning implementation of the Freedom of Information Act. This memo replaces the aging Ashcroft memo and its antiquated transparency principles. In fulfillment of President Obama’s Jan. 21 order, the DOJ has acted with impressive speed and emphasis - this memo shows great promise for government openness and the public’s ability to access government information.

read in full

You Are My Sunshine (week)

Mar 13, 2009 by Roger Strother*

Each March, individuals and organizations from across the country come together to celebrate the birthday of James Madison and his commitment to an open and accountable government. Events during the week occur across the country and are free to attend; they officially kick-off Sunday, March 15 and end on Friday, March 20.

read in full

Sunshine Illuminates More Bush-era OLC Memos

On March 2, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released a set of previously classified memoranda from the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC). OLC produced the documents for senior members of the George W. Bush administration. The release is yet another step in the Obama administration's implementation of its commitment to transparency.

read in full

Cybersecurity Czar Calls it Quits

Mar 6, 2009 by Roger Strother*

The “Czar” of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) secretive National Cybersecurity Center (NCSC), Rod Beckstrom, submitted his resignation to Secretary Janet Napolitano on March 5. Beckstrom’s letter illuminates several key problems in the program that have resulted from bureaucratic infighting.

read in full

OLC Nominee Grilled on Torture

Feb 27, 2009 by Chris George*

On Wednesday the Senate Judiciary Committee held its confirmation hearing for Dawn Johnsen, nominee to head the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) at the Department of Justice. The Senators had some pointed questions for Johnsen about the secrecy of OLC opinions.