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Tag: Federal Government
This White House GitHub Experiment Could Help Fix Government
While many of our nation’s problems are quite clear, the way our government addresses them is too often a black box—opaque and closed to all but insiders and lobbyists.
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Ask Ars: Can I see what information the feds have on my travel?
Lately I’ve been on something of a public records binge. I asked for records about my license plate reader data from local law enforcement agencies. I asked for complaint records from the Federal Trade Commission about a sketchy Bitcoin mining hardware maker. A few more requests are still pending.
And last summer, I asked United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency for my travel records under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Recently, I got an answer back—sort of.
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DOJ to disclose memo justifying drone strikes on Americans, easing Senate vote on author
In a bid to clear the way for a controversial Senate nominee, the Obama administration signaled it will publicly reveal a secret memo explaining its legal justification for using drones to kill American citizens overseas.
The Justice Department, officials say, has decided not to appeal a Court of Appeals ruling requiring disclosure of a redacted version of the memo under the Freedom of Information Act.
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If DHS Boss Has A Staffer Write Her Emails… Does It Count As Her Email Under A FOIA Request?
In 2012, we pointed out how ridiculous it was that then Homeland Security boss Janet Napolitano, who self-described herself as a Luddite, admitted that she didn’t use email at all. This seemed troubling, given that DHS was ostensibly in charge of cybersecurity, and you’d hope that the boss would understand the basics of email. Of course, she later admitted to the real reason why she didn’t use email: it created a paper-trail that would make her too accountable….
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Weekly E-Book: Open Government
In 2008, Barack Obama released his “Memorandum on Transparency and Open Government,” which pledged the following:
My Administration is committed to creating an unprecedented level of openness in Government. We will work together to ensure the public trust and establish a system of transparency, public participation, and collaboration. Openness will strengthen our democracy and promote efficiency and effectiveness in Government.
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Is the Freedom of Information Act One of Our Least Respected Laws?
When Barack Obama was first inaugurated, he promised that his administration would “usher in an era of open government.” Instead, requests for documents under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) are increasingly being challenged or ignored by federal agencies.
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Pentagon Refusing to Release Data on Comprehensive Subcontracting Plan Test Program
The Pentagon is refusing to comply with Freedom of Information Act requests for specific data on the volume of subcontracts awarded by any of the nation's twelve largest defense contractors participating in the 25-year-old Comprehensive Subcontracting Plan Test Program.
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Releasing Drone Program Memos Is Fundamental to Government Transparency
On May 13, the Center for Effective Government joined other open government organizations in urging Attorney General Eric Holder not to appeal the decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York Times Co. v. Department of Justice. In April, the Second Circuit ruled that the government must disclose the legal analysis justifying the government's drone-based targeted killing program, in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request by the Times.
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Cause of Action asks court to stop FTC abuse of FOIA fee waiver authority
How do the federal courts define who is a legitimate "representative of the news media"? According to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, that's "any person or organization which regularly publishes or disseminates information to the public."
But does a nonprofit watchdog group that advocates and litigates on behalf of the public's right to know what the government is doing also qualify as a representative of the news media?
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