Building on COVID Public Info, we’re excited to announce that we’re combining efforts with Documenting COVID-19. The project, based out of Columbia University’s Brown Institute for Media Innovation, is similarly working to use public records to build a shared repository to benefit newsrooms around the country.

More than 1,000 MuckRock readers have let us know that they want more transparency around how their local law enforcement agency does its job. You can join them.

The Justice in Policing Act, meant to help address oversight issues in local policing nationwide, could also help provide some needed accountability for federal law enforcement in situations like those currently in Portland and Chicago.

As the national COVID-19 death toll passes the official 150,000 mark, the country is staring down the possibility of a second round of shutdowns. Major U.S. cities, however, have another challenger they’re preparing to confront: federal agents sent to subdue the residents in the streets challenging racism and police brutality. FOIA can help better understand the government’s crackdown.

As protests for police accountability and reform continue, transparency changes are already taking place in cities across America — even as public records show emerging new challenges.

As protests of the killing of George Floyd and other black Americans continue, many communities are looking for answers in how to hold police departments more accountable to the communities they serve. In conjunction with today’s training, we’re putting together a collection of resources on how public records can play a small part in that work.

Have you recently read a news story about why government transparency — or a lack of it — matters? Let us know, and we could include it in our next roundup!

The weekly roundup of what is or should be public record. Something we missed? Let us know!

Every day government decisions from bus routes to policing used to be based on limited information and human judgment. Check out our new database and join MuckRock in learning more about these uses.

Police Surveillance: Facial Recognition in Your Backyard is a joint project between MuckRock and Open the Government to investigate the adoption of facial recognition technology nationwide.