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FOIA Roundup: Trump transparency now and in the future, plus Michigan’s big FOIA fights
What FOIA is and isn’t getting about the Trump administration, plus using privacy software to evade transparency in Michigan.
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FOIA Roundup: Highlights from MuckRock’s week, federal FOIA lawsuits, a bad situation for Illinois children
In this week’s roundup, we highlight the latest from MuckRock, federal FOIA lawsuits, and the plight of Illinois’s child wards.
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FOIA roundup: Major cities still stalling transparency over COVID, plus new FOIA resources
In this week’s FOIA roundup, we highlight how COVID-19 is still delaying transparency in cities across America, even as its needed more than ever. Plus helpful resources for fighting for transparency from our friends at the Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press and the FOIA Project.
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This week’s FOIA roundup: In pursuit of police records
In this week’s roundup, a look at policing transparency efforts around the country, as well as ways that you can help bring transparency to your own community.
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This week’s FOIA roundup: Policing reform, law enforcement request strategies, and more
Major changes in public records laws are being considered — and passed — after protests over the killing of George Floyd. Reporters share their favorite data, request ideas, and how you can open up your local law enforcement.
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This week’s FOIA round-up: Lack of transparency in the Trump administration, Washington’s big open gov win, and animal extinction in Florida
Our weekly collection of the biggest stories from FOIA
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This week’s FOIA Round-up: Afghanistan papers, University of Michigan’s $1.2 million NDAs, and a massive ruling in Virginia
Our weekly collection of the biggest stories from FOIA
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This Week’s FOIA Round-up: FOIA in the impeachment report, MA robot police dogs, and your neighbor’s Ring might let the police spy on you
This week’s FOIA drama from the Trump administration and technology
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This week’s FOIA round-up: FOIA finds a foe in AG Barr, Illinois schoolchildren punished with isolation, and Earthjustice reveals toxic DHS plans for migrants
Read a great FOIA-based news story we should highlight? Let us know and maybe we can include it in our next round-up! Send it over via email, on Twitter, or on Facebook.
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This week’s FOIA Round-up: Chicago FOIA under fire, Kansas open to records law feedback, and more on robocops
A layman’s guide to Chicago public records and city officials’ disregard for it. Transparency blog called for testimony to amend Kansas FOIA. Robots who see your phone and know who you are. It’s this week’s FOIA round-up.
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This week’s FOIA round-up: Credibility-challenged cops, a $10,000 public records settlement, and BuzzFeed’s massive Mueller scoop
Read a great FOIA-based news story we should highlight? Let us know and maybe we can include it in our next round-up!
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This week’s FOIA round-up: Rising cancer rates among veterans, House passes pharmaceutical transparency, and a mystery police car crash
Toxic chemicals and cancer treatment impact veterans. The House of Representatives unanimously approves more oversight of drug company rebates, and still no answers on a single-car police crash from over two years ago.
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This week’s FOIA Roundup: Washington Supreme Court weighs in on birthdays, U.S. Senators file a FOIA, and annual FOIA Awards
Read a great FOIA-based news story we should highlight? Let us know.
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This week’s FOIA roundup: Drones and drugs and Virginia prisons, Michigan’s AG bemoans a lack of transparency, and border patrol abuses immigrant children
A drone was spotted near a Virginia prison carrying cocaine and marijuana. Michigan Attorney General Dana Wessel says she’s “ashamed” of the state’s public records law. An ACLU request and lawsuit culminate in over 30,000 pages of DHS documents.
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This week’s FOIA round-up: Trouble in the military and the return of a world-devouring octopus
Journalists share their findings on FOIA Twitter, the Marine Corps keeps misconduct on the down-low, and a Defense Department audit vindicates a former official’s concerns.
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This week’s FOIA round-up: Boys and Girls Clubs abuse, Idaho public records workshops, and $1 million dollars in campus parking fees
A newsroom collective publishes a database spanning 70 years of abuse at Boys and Girls Clubs across the country. Idaho plans free public workshops on public records and open meeting laws. The University of Connecticut issues 966,000 dollars in parking violations in one year.
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This week’s FOIA round-up: From local scandals to planetary defense
A sexual harassment scandal leads to a FOIA lawsuit, an inquiry at the Department of the Interior gets expanded, and a 130-meter asteroid swings by Earth and almost goes unnoticed.
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This week’s FOIA round-up: West Coast sunshine stories
A resignation leads to promised reform, a FOIA office spreads to the heartland, and a little transparency at the Department of Justice raises more questions. This is this week’s FOIA roundup.
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This week’s FOIA round-up: Agency attempts at transparency hit road bumps
In this week’s FOIA round-up, we take a look at experiments with transparency in Florida, Oregon, and Wisconsin that have recently hit road bumps.
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This week’s FOIA round-up: DMVs selling out the public, cop fails cocaine-or-bird-poop test, and a Providence bike fight
A star quarterback’s career almost cut short over a case of fecal misidentification, a questionable profit center for departments of motor vehicles, and the citizen gripes behind a brewing Rhode Island bike war. All in a week’s work for public records.
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This week’s FOIA round-up: Back-to-school edition
In this week’s FOIA round-up, we take a look at the news on schools brought to you by public records: UNC fight to hide sexual misconduct, employee terminations in Illinois, UMichigan’s lengthy court fight, and the racial breakdown of Seattle school recess.
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This week’s FOIA round-up: USDA adopts a new “hands-off” animal welfare policy, ICE is putting mentally ill migrants in solitary confinement, and an L.A. official was paid by an agency he was lobbying
In this week’s FOIA round-up, the number of animal welfare citations issued by the USDA has decreased by 65% under the Trump Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement is placing record numbers of migrants in solitary confinement, many of whom are mentally ill, L.A. official Michael LoGrande was lobbying private developers while serving as the head of the city’s Planning Agency, and the Tennessee Court of Appeals rules that state agencies still have to release public records that are part of criminal investigations.
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This week’s FOIA round-up: The Bureau of Indian Affairs has a new policy to protect employees from workplace harassment and ICE detainees in San Diego are being subjected to medical neglect
In this week’s FOIA round-up, High Country News obtains the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ new employee harassment policy, documents obtained by the Voice of San Diego show Immigration and Customs Enforcement is neglecting to care for detainees with serious medical conditions, and sexual misconduct allegations against doctors in California have drastically increased over the past two years according to data obtained by the Los Angeles Times.
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This week’s FOIA round-up: Interior was interested in FBI’s “gold standard” FOIA policy, AP collects data on medical marijuana cards, and an Arkansas judge rules clerk broke public records law
In this week’s FOIA round-up, the Department of the Interior staff emails show employees were interested in the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s “500-page per month” policy, the Associated Press created a new dataset by collecting information from each state to see why people wanted a medical marijuana card, and an Arkansas judge rules that a clerk broke state public-records laws, but cites as extenuating circumstances the clerk was acting on advice that they had received from state judicial authorities.
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This week’s FOIA round-up: Alaskans sue Interior for oil drilling information, data shows federal aid favors the wealthiest farmers, and Los Angeles pension trustees spend big on international getaway
In this week’s FOIA round-up, Alaska natives sued the Trump Administration for concealing information regarding oil drilling, an environmental advocacy group shows that the bulk of U.S. farm aid goes to wealthy farmers, and members of the Los Angeles County Employees Retirement draw public scrutiny after going on pricey international vacations.
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This week’s FOIA round-up: Records show gender disparity in Congressional nominees, Chicago Police profiled citizens who spoke at board meetings, and an Oregon judge undercuts state public records law
In this week’s FOIA round-up, analysis shows that men still vastly outnumber women in Congressional nominations to service academies, the Chicago Tribune obtained documents revealing that Chicago Police Department has been compiling profiles on citizens who spoke at their monthly board meetings, and an Oregon judge’s recent ruling could have a disastrous impact on the state’s public records law.
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This week’s FOIA round-up: DEA database points to companies’ roles in opioid epidemic and Interior emails reveal violations of federal ethics rules
In this week’s FOIA round-up, the Washington Post and HD Media gain access to a database that tracks opioid distribution, emails obtained through a FOIA request reveal the extent of a top Department of the Interior official’s violations of federal ethics rules, and city and court records reveal that in one Alaska town every single police officer has been convicted of domestic violence.
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This week’s FOIA round-up: ICE uses driver license databases to target immigrants, a Navy admiral abruptly steps down amid email scandal, and activists push back against police gang databases
In this week’s FOIA round-up, records show federal law enforcement officials combine facial recognition software with drivers liscened databases to track undocumented immigrants, an admiral slated to become the next U.S. Navy chief abruptly retires after damaging emails are released, and legal rights groups raise questions about the constitutionality of gang policing.
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This week’s FOIA round-up: the ethics of mining in Minnesota, problems with for-profit companies in the legal system, and ICE detention records contradict Trump administration statements on migrants
In this week’s FOIA round-up, calendars and emails reveal communication between Trump administration officials and corporate executives in a mining project, a contract with a private pretrial services firm raises questions about the role of for-profit companies in the legal system, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention records reveal that rates of people detained with criminal records has decreased in the past couple of years. Also, a Supreme Court ruling is bad news for people seeking government records pertaining to private entities.
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This week’s FOIA round-up: Trump official pressed NASA to deny climate science, documents show Mexican concessions predated tariff threats, and Chicago Police sergeant under investigation had record
In this week’s FOIA round-up, an email exchange between two White House officials and National Aeronautics and Space Administration head Jim Ridenstine show the administration asked NASA to “systematically sidestep” the “nonsense” of man-made climate change, documents reveal that Mexico had already planned immigration concessions months before tariff threat, and records show Chicago Police sergeant under investgation for alleged sexual assault had previously been reccomended for firing are investigating a transgender woman’s sexual assault claim against one of their own sergents.
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This week’s FOIA round-up: Using FBI records to uncover hate crime history, medical marijuana takes a hit as cannabis becomes more legalized, and The New York Times calls for police transparency
In this week’s FOIA round-up, a photographer used Federal Bureau of Investigation records to track down the location where a man was murdered 50 years ago for a photo project on the white power movemnt, medical marijuana registry data shows a decline in the rate of medical marijuana patients, and the New York Times Editorial Board calls for a repeal of law that keeps police misconduct records secret.
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This week’s FOIA round-up: The Interior Department releases redacted records regarding the Border Patrol assistance efforts and the criminal investigation into the Flint water crisis continues
In this week’s FOIA round-up, the Interior Department releases heavily redacted documents to regarding the deployment of law enforcement officials to assist Border Patrol at the U.S.-Mexico border, Michigan authorities issue search warrants for the devices of former governor Rick Snyder as part of an ongoing criminal investigation into the Flint water crisis, and the Intercept obtains emails suggesting the Tennessee governor’s office and Volkswagen worked together suppress the United Auto Workers’ attempts to unionize a factory in Chattanooga.
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This Week’s FOIA Round-Up: The long-awaited story behind Washington’s “sky penis”
In this week’s FOIA roundup, the Navy Times investigates the jet that drew a giant penis over Washington state, text messages indicate that Michigan Representative Larry Inman sought campaign contributions in exchange for his vote, and records reveal that West Virginia Governor Jim Justice has been largely absent from his legislative responsibilities.
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This Week’s FOIA Round-Up: Trump’s pre-inauguration military briefings revealed, the Supreme Court hears a key FOIA case, and records reveal Baltimore PD has destroyed far more rape kits than reported
In this week’s FOIA roundup, a records request reveals what then-President-elect Donald Trump was briefed on by military officials in 2016, a South Dakota newspaper battles supermarket industry lobbyists at the Supreme Court over federal food stamps data, and new documents expose Baltimore County Police Department underreported the number of rape kits they destroyed by hundreds.
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This week’s FOIA round-up: House Democrats ask for more money to give to the Interior Department’s FOIA office, Amazon spoofs fake packages for cops, and a law student sues a South Carolina county
In this week’s FOIA round-up, House Democrats look to increase funding to the Interior Department’s FOIA office, records show Amazon collaborated with local law enforcement on sting operations to deter package theft, and a Cornell University law student sues a South Carolina county for excessive fees.
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This Week’s FOIA Roundup: Documents show DHS officials’ concern that black activists would join ISIS following Ferguson and 2012 DIA Damage assessments regarding WikiLeaks have been finally released
In this Week’s FOIA Roundup, documents show the Department of Homeland Security officials’ baseless concern that Black Lives Matter activists would join ISIS following Ferguson protests, Pentagon damage assessments on the 2012 WikiLeaks revelations spurred by Chelsea Manning are finally available after FOIA lawsuit and a public records request from Carbondale, Illinois undermines the mayor’s account of domestic disturbance.
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This week’s FOIA round-up: the Pentagon is blocking requests on Google’s drones, intelligence report labels Antifa as terrorists, and a Virginia county warns Amazon about FOIA requests
In this week’s FOIA round-up, the Pentagon is blocking requests related to Google’s work on military drones, Antifa are labeled as terrorists in an intelligence report given out to law enforcement, and officials in Virginia’s Arlington County are giving advance warning to Amazon about FOIA requests.
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This week’s FOIA round-up: The U.S. Army’s six figure water bill and records show facial recognition software is being tested on photos of abused children
In this week’s FOIA round-up, the U.S. Army charges an environmental group with a hefty FOIA fee, researchers discover that a sub-agency in the Department of Commerce is employing pictures of immigrants, dead people, and abused children in their facial recognition test program, and Texas public records are increasingly harder to get.
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Sunshine Week 2019: Thanks to the transparency community, public records reporting is stronger than ever
For Sunshine Week, we wanted to look at how public records has been behind some of the biggest headlines of the year, and how those stories can inspire a whole new crop of reporting. Sunlight may be the best disinfectant, but transparency is contagious.
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Heavy-hitting national reporting
At the federal level, FOIA reporting tells the stories that matter.
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Light-hearted looks into the federal government
Thanks to some creative request ideas, FOIA helps puts the “fun” in “functioning democracy.”
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State-level stories that made an impact
Transparency begins at home - all across the country, journalists are using state public records laws to hold agencies accountable.
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This week’s FOIA Roundup: Texas declined air pollution tests after Hurricane Harvey, a Missouri senator is back under scrutiny for election violations, and new report questions self-driving car safety
In this week’s FOIA round-up, emails show Texas declined National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s offer to test for air pollution following Hurricane Harvey, a Missouri senator, fresh out of an election violation investigation, is now back under scrutiny thanks to newly released communications, and now-public data shows that self-driving cars aren’t as safe as regulators claim.
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This week’s FOIA round-up: FBI messed with the Wu-Tang Clan, EPA apologizes to reporter, and California AG threatens reporters over criminal cops
In this week’s FOIA round-up, the Federal Bureau of Investigation messed with the Wu-Tang Clan, the Environmental Protection Agency apologizes to an AP reporter after a FOIA’d video shows her being thrown out of headquarters, and California’s Attorney General threatens journalists who uncovered a list of 12,000+ criminal cops.
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This week’s FOIA round-up: HUD’s FOIA system down, a North Dakota bill to restrict public records access, and a police lieutenant texts an alt-right leader
In this week’s FOIA round-up, HUD’s public records system faces severe delays due to contract expiration, North Dakota considers restricting public record access related to “critical infrastructure,” and documents FOIA’d by The Willamette Week show friendly text exchanges between a Portland Police lieutenant and an alt-right leader.
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This week’s FOIA round-up: Records reveal a history of abuse among Chicago Police Department trainers and confirm neglect led to Indiana inmate’s death
For this week’s FOIA round-up, documents reveal most of the officers in “implicit bias” training are accused of same abuses the program is attempting to prevent, a request confirms claims that neglect lead to the death of an Indiana inmate, and a record from Elizabeth Warren’s past resurfaces through the Texas Public Information Act.
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This week’s FOIA round-up: Weird science at the Pentagon, a congressional challenge to the Interior’s proposed FOIA changes, and Minnesota law enforcement spies on pipeline protesters
For this week’s FOIA round-up, the Department of Defense releases more details on a late ‘00s program concerning fringe science theories, an Arizona congressman wants to challenge the Department of Interior’s proposed FOIA changes, and Minnesota law enforcement is gearing up for Enbridge Line 3 pipeline protests.
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This week’s FOIA round-up: The Shutdown’s impact on immigration court, records show environmental agency pushed for prosecution of No More Deaths activists, and the NYPD holds on to protest photos
For this week’s FOIA round-up, a new report shows over 40,000 immigration hearings have been cancelled due to the government shutdown, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service pushed to have activists providing migrants with water prosecuted on environmental grounds, and recently released photos reveal that the New York Police Department might be in violation of its guidelines on protest surveillance.
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Holiday hangover: find out what changed in public records laws while you were gone
The new year is in full-swing, and public records advocates are getting ready for another year of FOIA and state records law fun. The end of the year usually marks an eventful time full of joy, rest, and relaxation. Yet some jurisdictions decided to make some changes at the eleventh hour, both for the better and the worse. But don’t worry, we compiled a list of FOIA related changes that happened over the holidays so you don’t miss a thing.
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This week’s FOIA round-up: Florida midterm recounts spark lawsuits, insanity pleas and recidivism in Oregon, and the CIA considered “truth serum” as a substitute for torture
In this week’s FOIA round-up, lawsuits mount across the Sunshine State amid recounts of three statewide races, and records reveal the Central Intelligence Agency considered subbing torture for “truth serum” interrogations after 9/11. What’s more, Oregon’s Psychiatric Security Review Board claims low recidivism among those acquitted of crimes based on insanity claims, despite internal emails about a study that reveals the opposite.
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This week’s FOIA round-up: Trump’s acting attorney general linked to scam business, FOIA weaponized by corporations, and surveillance footage exposes police abuse in Indiana
In this week’s FOIA round-up, public records reveal the shady associations of President Donald Trump’s newly-appointed acting attorney general, tax preparation companies use FOIA to target a university professor, and surveillance video tells the story of police abuse in Indiana.
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This week’s FOIA round-up: Amazon pitches facial recognition software to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and widespread sexual abuse of students by Chicago Public Schools employees
In this week’s FOIA round-up, emails show correspondence between Amazon and Immigration and Customs Enforcement representatives regarding the tech giant’s facial recognition software, public and confidential data from Chicago revealed a decade of sexual abuse of students throughout public schools, and a significant amount of National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s historical artifacts have gone missing or been taken in the agency’s lifetime, highlighting flawed storage and tracking procedures.
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This week’s FOIA round-up: Millions spent protecting Confederate landmarks, conservation officials instructed to withhold records, and cops caught driving drunk allowed to Uber home
In this week’s FOIA round-up, public records show massive federal spending on protecting Confederate cemeteries post-Charlottesville, the Trump administration’s policy of withholding documents requested with FOIA at the Fish and Wildlife Service, and a police fraternity allowing cops to escape DUI charges in Illinois. Also, an extensive FOIA-focused report details systemic flaws in the Illinois state FOIA process.
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This week’s FOIA round-up: Gold and garbage
For this week’s FOIA round-up, treasure hunters accuse Federal Bureau of Investigation of acting fishy about “missing” Civil War gold, a something is rotten in the state of Chicago’s for-profit garbage collection, and the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council is holding a celebration for its 40th anniversary (with cake)!
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This week’s FOIA round-up: Tax returns reveals Trump’s inherited fortune, dash video informs Chicago cop’s murder trial, and Pennsylvania withholds decade-old report investigating sexual abuse
In this week’s FOIA round-up, tax records show “self-made billionaire” President Donald Trump received hundreds of millions of dollars from his father, the video of Laquan McDonald’s death at the hands of a Chicago cop - released by a public records lawsuit - is central to the officer’s murder trial, and the Pennsylvania Attorney General who’s pushing the Catholic Church to be more transparent about child sexual abuse won’t release a decade-old report investigating allegations of sexual assault against a former state college administrator.
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This week’s FOIA round-up: Trump’s family separation policy leaves a paper trail, and Orlando’s “bureaucratic inertia” stalled a life-saving response plan ahead of Pulse shooting
In this week’s FOIA round-up, public records confirm the Trump administration’s intentional policy of family separation and shine light on a stalled Orlando Fire Department policy that could have saved lives during the Pulse Nightclub shooting. In public records law news, a provision of a November ballot initiative could expose San Francisco’s lauded Sunshine Ordinance to lawmaker interference.
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This week’s FOIA round-up: DOJ seals evidence of Border Patrol targeting volunteers, New Mexico’s settlements get pricey, and Parkland parents get stonewalled
For this week’s FOIA round-up, records show the Justice Department motioned to seal text messages implicating Border Patrol’s deliberate targeting of a humanitarian group, and New Mexico settled almost $5 million in legal claims. Also, parents of two victims in the Parkland shooting are being prevented from getting public records about the massacre.
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This week’s round-up: FEMA gets ICE’d, a splurging superintendent in Texas, and a chance to nominate your free speech hero
For this week’s FOIA round-up, we’re taking a look at FEMA cuts for ICE programming, a school leader’s spending habits, and Scott Pruitt’s money problems. Plus, open nominations for the FAC Free Speech and Open Government Award.
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This week’s round-up: Flunking for-profit colleges, wreck-it reps, and shining some sunlight on Congress
This week’s FOIA round-up shows a light at the end of the tunnel amidst shady for-profit colleges and a local lawmakers accident prone behavior. Plus, a bill to bring some long-overdue transparency to Congress.
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This week’s round-up: Lead poisoning on military bases, looking at Chicago police’s use of force data, and a decade-long community contamination
The FOIA round-up hits hard this week as reporters find thousands of records showing startling police use of force, lead infested army housing ignored for years and Environmental Protection Agency officials neglecting clean-up in cancer cluster communities.
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This week’s round-up: Declassified doggos, pizza party PR, and the high cost of fighting transparency in Chicago
For this week’s FOIA round-up, an adorable lesson on why to always be FOIA-ing, shocking evidence that pizza and infrastructure are popular, and Chicago’s mayor finds out the hard way that doing business in secret can cost you.
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This week’s round-up: Trump offers tours to golfing buddies, lawsuit reveals tax assessor taking shortcuts, a weird public records story in California gets even weirder
For this week’s FOIA round-up, public records help confirm a story about President Donald Trump bringing members of his golf club on Air Force One, a lawsuit shows tax assessor pulling property values from Zillow, and a California city takes a stand against one reporter’s dogged crusade to keep city records secret.
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This week’s round-up: the art of the appeal
One public university deals with a looming lawsuit for releasing documents, journalists appeal for records from another state school, and a judge rules that officials’ public statements aren’t … well, official.
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This week’s round-up: EPA’s deep (tactical) pockets, tracking ICE’s lost children, and D.B. Cooper - case closed?
For this week’s FOIA round-up, we’ve got the numbers on Scott Pruitt’s excessive security spending, an impending FOIA request about the enforcement mechanisms for President Donald Trump’s promise to ensure families aren’t separated at the border, and a (possible) resolution to an infamous Federal Bureau of Investigation case, thanks to FOIA.
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This week’s round-up: The cost of protecting the Winter White House, pay for play(s) in Michigan, and the DOE’s dwindling civil rights caseload
Records released this week show taxpayers paid almost $20 million for the Coast Guard to protect President Donald Trump during visits to Mar-a-Lago, and a Michigan State Police captain is under investigation for favoring a towing firm in exchange for sports tickets. Plus, records show the Department of Education has closed more than 1200 Obama-era civil rights probes, and the Environmental Protection Agency is making FOIA requesters wait for documents - with an average processing time for complex requests of 388 days.
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This week’s round-up: Florida forgets background checks, ICE’s numbers contradict narrative on California raids, and NYPD expands vague gang database
Last week, a newly discovered report left Florida struggling to explain how a year passed before anyone noticed it was issuing concealed carry permits without a federal background check, while Immigration and Customs Enforcement emails suggest that Attorney General Jeff Sessions may have misrepresented the expected yield of recent raids in California.
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This week’s round-up: An FCC cover-up, checking out Chicago’s stop-and-frisk data, and how Big Coal shapes Trump’s environmental policies
In this week’s FOIA round-up, we’ve got dirt on a Federal Communications Commission cover-up effort, long-awaited Chicago stop-and-frisk data, copies of environmental policy executive orders sent to President Donald Trump by a major coal executive, and document devouring tips from a New York Times investigative reporter.
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This week’s round-up: FEMA’s “floating hotel,” Michigan State University flooded with Larry Nassar requests, and a rare “reverse FOIA”
Records released this week through FOIA requests show the Federal Emergency Management Agency paid millions for a ‘half-empty floating hotel’ last hurricane season. Plus, Michigan State University struggles to keep up with records requests about Larry Nassar, Humana’s “reverse FOIA,” and an exciting job opportunity with the New York Times, all in this week’s round-up.
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A golden picture stash, FOIA jobs, and the last week for #RummysSnowflakes
Thanks to FOIA, more Mnuchin came out this week, but this time they also showcase Mitch McConnell’s golden touch. See them and read other FOIA stories, plus take advantage of the last chance to win free swag and MuckRock requests by digging through Donald Rumsfeld’s memos.
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Records keeps opening up EPA, a chance to shape federal FOIA policy, and Oliver North’s checkered trail
This week’s FOIA roundup ties together the past and present with some fascinating documents. Plus, see the latest results from the #RummysSnowflakes crowdsourcing campaign.
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#FOIAFriday inspiration plus week one winners of #RummysSnowflakes
This week, see how FOIA has helped open a secretive EPA, what you helped uncover in Rumsfeld’s memos, and which agencies made the worst of the worst - plus how you can win free MuckRock requests and swag!
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Using records to inspect your snacks, understand Chicago surveillance, and following the money in law school gifts
Public records helped tell some important stories this week, ranging from the hidden dangers of the food we eat to the data that increasingly shapes our lives. Here’s some inspiration for your own transparency fight.
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Proof Steve Mnuchin did enjoy the eclipse, Sean Hannity’s real estate collection, a revamped CIA card game, and other FOIA wins this week
There have been a few interesting FOIA discoveries this week, including the extent of Fox News’ Sean Hannity’s real estate empire and photographic evidence of Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin admiring that eclipse back in August - despite his claims otherwise.
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Breaking the law with snail mail, large fees for student newspapers, and whether tweets are public record
What’s considered public record or not is not a new debate. But the increasing prevalence of social media use amongst government agencies and officials, such as Twitter, brings up a new debate: If you delete social media posts on an official account, is it a violation of public records laws?
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Immigration transparency on ICE, watchers unhappy being watched, and other FOIA stories
Want to know how the Trump administration’s border enforcement is going? Be prepared to wait, and to fight, for transparency.
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From veteran State House reporters to brand new bots, everyone loves FOIA
This week in our FOIA roundup, we get some tips from a reporter who has used FOIA for over 20 years, dig into the limits of presidential powers, and a new Twitter account that helps highlight how important public records are.
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Your snow day FOIA inspiration and a chance to chat FOIA
In this week’s FOIA roundup, a great case study of combining public records with other journalistic tools, an important step towards greater Congressional transparency, and a chance to collaborate with your peers, just in time for FOIA Friday.
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Saying goodbye to Sunshine Week
As Sunshine Week draws to a close, some of our favorite projects from the week, including tips on collaboration and some awards you might not want to win. But first, how two reporters helped break news by following up on an old story.
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Meet MuckRock at #NICAR18, check out our newest features and get free FOIA stickers!
Sunshine Week is coming up, and there’s a lot to be excited about this year. In this week’s FOIA roundup, some resources to get ready, plus a chance to say hi if you’re at NICAR or in the Boston area.
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Governor Jay Inslee vetoes efforts to thwart Washington transparency
After a court ruled state legislators and senators were subject to Washington’s Public Records Act, elected officials there quickly moved, with no public hearings, to make sure that emails and many other would continued to be kept from public. After an unprecedented backlash, Gov. Jay Inslee has vetoed the bill and the legislature has agreed to get more public feedback before any changes are made.
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How FOIA can offer the public a peek into the government’s secret meetings
Buzzfeed and Pacific Standard Magazine report on questionable meetings by the state of Missouri to acquire lethal injection drugs and industry groups influencing government officials regarding a bird species in peril. Plus, a tool often used in the movies for keeping people quiet can also serve as a method of redaction!
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How FOIA can hold the powerful accountable, public and private alike
FOIA is a great way to keep the powerful is check, whether they be federal agencies, their employees, or tech giants. This week, stories from the Daily Californian, RealLivePolitics, and Columbia Journalism Review about revealing attempts by the government and two leading tech companies to withhold information from the public.
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How FOIA lets personalities shine, Fast and Furious the #opendata way, and a creative new “exemption” in Washington
FOIA doesn’t have to be dry, particularly if you get creative with your requests and how you put the data to work. This week, some great examples of using government data from the New York Times and CityLab, plus a report on a questionable new way to skirt the law via the Tri-City Herald.
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Using FOIA to sit in on Ben Carson’s Bible study and provide better criminal justice oversight
Public records can help dig into policy makers at all levels, as well as help find out the truth on the ground. This week’s FOIA roundup shows how you can use requests to do the same no matter what subject you’re interested in.
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An increase in public records lawsuits, improving FOIA administration, and more
In this week’s news, an increase in FOIA lawsuits last year, some cases to watch, the public records process in the Middle East, another award to nominate someone (or yourself) for, and proposals to improve FOIA administration.
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A new FOIA hotline, transparency awards, and other tips on digging into public records
Another day, another public records request (or two) revealing important information. Here’s ideas we’ve gathered from great reporting this week, plus resources to help you fight for transparency.
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How to use public records to dig into college concussions and questionable agency estimates
Creative records requests can shed light on a variety of critical issues - but only if someone thinks to ask. This week, we highlight using records to dig into the safety of college football players, how cozy city hall is with key donors, and the winner of #CIAaMovie.
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FOIA shows transparency growing pains and a failure to communicate
Progress rarely comes in a straight line, particularly when it comes to public records and transparency. This week, some stories about the ups and downs after reforms happen, including challenges at the state, local, and federal level.
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A rare public records arrest, unauthorized human experimentation, and a bonus bonanza exposed by FOIA
This week, a number of stories that show how critical transparency is. One involves public safety issues, the other involves jail time. Plus, how public records request filed by public officials might help unwind a mysterious email campaign in Virginia.
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Redacted Friday: Missing ethics oversight, ComputerCop follow up, plus save on FOIA swag
This week, we’re finding transparency never rests with important work being done following up on an old privacy scandal targeting young people, plus a look at how even a no responsive documents response can help show when public officials are asleep at the wheel.
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Using public documents to show the high cost of secrecy
Whether you’re digging into state house harassment or what public employees get paid to quit their job, there’s some great examples to learn from reading the reporting out there. Here’s some of our favorites from this past week.
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How to double check official claims with public records
Shockingly, public officials’ words do not always match up with their actions. Fortunately, public records can help the truth come out. In this week’s roundup, some ways you can double check what officials are up to with private data and public dollars, plus a way to recognize a public records hero for their transparency work.
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How journalists can get around FOIA’s waiting game
Public records aficionados know they’re in for a waiting game - requests can take weeks or years to get a response. In a 24-hour news cycle, how are last week’s documents still relevant?
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Using FOIA to dig into shady parking lot deals and secretive sports teams
You don’t have to be a journalist to use FOIA - in fact, some of the best requests I’ve seen have come from former or current government employees. In this week’s roundup, a few requests from public officials that have potential to show wrongdoing as well as other examples of using public records for impact.
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FOIA requests that can help tell award-winning stories
For a long time, public records and the Freedom of Information Act were lumped in as the old way of doing things: Who has time to wait on a request that could takes weeks or months or years when digital journalists measure deadlines by the hours? How could photocopies of documents be relevant for an audience we’re told craves nothing but video?
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How to FOIA secret algorithms and White House summits
Sometimes the most direct way to get the answers you want is through a rejection, and sometimes it’s through another agency entirely. In this week’s FOIA roundup, some great examples of creative and persistent requesting that overcame the odds to expose public scrutiny in hard-to-reach places. Plus, FOIA comedy.
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No low-life leakers allowed in stories FOIA told this week
Our weekly series looking at the stories public records made possible, now 100% FAKE NEWS free.
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Pestilence, death, emails, and other stories FOIA told this week
Read our weekly series looking at the stories public records made possible before that giant meteor NASA warned us about shows up.
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Gitmo gripes, secret Superfunds, and loads of lawsuits: stories FOIA told this week
Read our weekly series looking at the stories public records made possible before its removed by court order.
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250 years of stories FOIA told this week
Just in time for the 250th anniversary of the very first FOIA law, it’s our weekly series looking at the stories public records made possible.