Federal agencies evading freedom of informaton requests

A recent study found that under the Obama administration, in 2010 federal agencies used exemptions under the Freedom of Information Act 33 percent more than they did under George W. Bush in 2008. Watchdog groups are now trying to hold Obama to his pledge to make his administration the most transparent and accountable in history. [...]

Opinion: WikiLeaks may die out but seminal idea will endure

WikiLeaks seems all the more vulnerable as the founder, Julian Assange, is likely to be extradited from Britain to Sweden on charges of sexual misconduct. But even if WikiLeaks falls, the idea of a transnational organization gathering and disseminating information while evading the grasp of governments, seems likely to survive, writes David Carr in The [...]

Obama receives double whammy on transparency record

Just as the Obama Administration and BP Oil  found out they’d “won” a 2011 Muzzle Award for restricting media access to the Gulf oil spill, transparency advocates were getting their first look at the 2011 Federal Budget deal struck late last week and wondering how the “Open Gov” Prez could agree to gut funding to [...]

Republican group launches site to monitor Obama transparency

Crossroads GPS, a Republican advocacy group, is creating Wikicountability.org to crowdsource FOIA files from those who have successfully obtained those files from the Obama administration. The site intends to document the Obama administration’s poor record in fulfilling FOIA requests, showcase the administration’s wasteful spending and its record of meeting with such groups as unions and [...]

News rater, anti-Palin group win government contracts

The federal government hired a New Orleans man for $18,000 to appraise whether news stories about its actions during the Gulf oil spill were positive or negative for the Obama administration. September 15, 2010 By The Associated Press WASHINGTON — The administration was keenly sensitive to comparisons between its response and former President George W. [...]

US Government gets into the mobile application business

The US government has launched several mobile applications to make government information available to the general public.  -SMD Internet News July 6, 2010 By Ed Oswald In an effort to appease the changing information consumption habits of its citizens, the Obama Administration this past holiday weekend launched an “app store” of its own, featuring 16 [...]

BP has steady sales at Defense Department despite U.S. scrutiny

BP is currently one of the biggest suppliers of fuel and other petroleum products to the U.S. Defense Department, despite scrutiny over the company’s potential violations of federal and state laws. -SMD The Washington Post BP Oil Disaster News July 5, 2010 By  R. Jeffrey Smith The Defense Department has kept up its immense purchases [...]

The Supreme Court’s inconsistent 1st Amendment rulings

The Supreme Court’s just-ended term was marked by mixed results and “inconsistent” rulings on First Amendment cases according to Los Angeles Times. – SMD First Amendment Rulings Opinion/Commentary July 5,2010 Los Angeles Times The Supreme Court term that ended last week will be remembered for several important decisions. The court ruled that juveniles couldn’t be [...]

White House unveils system to create online identities

A new White House Campaign aims to streamline online transaction processes by creating online identities for the public. The system is focused on combating identity theft. But access groups are watching to see if system circumvents public access to information, including government-held records. -SMD Internet News July 2, 2010 By Mara Zimmerman The White House [...]